Rachel Sennott discussing the uproarious show portraying the messy allure of younger generation existence
The performer enters the digital interview and immediately launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding truly regretful. She is only a bit delayed, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, in this context, that’s just what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Anyone familiar with the fearlessly queer and outspoken film Bottoms—which she penned with Emma Seligman and starred in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—would understand that she has much to say, be it about identity, intimacy, or the merits of forming a high-school fight club. Furthermore, once you finish her recent multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that the star has further insights regarding the struggles of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp skilled for straddling different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress is an admirer, naming the show alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which details the journey of an influencer Tallulah and her friend who is also new representative Maia. However, the biggest presence on concept went to the HBO series, the program about an emerging celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during COVID-19, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from her own, initially fractious, transition to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a popular event for enthusiasts. It was a phase that involved her understand some big life lessons, in her career and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, the star commenced writing and performing comedy while enrolled in acting at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at amateur nights with Ayo and posting hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed several females intensely drawn to having babies; a different one portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Those who questioned about Sennott earlier will surely be regretting it today. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she appears to created her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted a video titled on LA life on the internet, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos managing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be tempting to make a show about online fame that was extremely aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. The series avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent millennial existence that’s frank about the mess and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she comments. “I think that young people have been through a lot – I’m mostly thinking of people younger than me, like my little sister, who went to college during Covid, so she had to come home, or my other sister who was doing school online.”|“The younger generation has faced significant