Rachel Sennott exploring her uproarious show portraying the messy allure of younger generation existence
The performer appears on the video call and immediately launches into an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing truly regretful. Despite being only slightly late, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s just what one hopes to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Those who have seen her boldly LGBTQ+ and brash project titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—would understand that she possesses a lot to say, whether on gender, relationships, or the pros of forming a youth fight club. Plus, once you finish the latest multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has even more thoughts regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for bridging both generations).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, referencing it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which follows the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also fledgling talent manager Sennott’s character. Notably, the largest spot on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, that HBO sitcom about a rising A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The concept for this project originated—to some extent—from firsthand, at first rocky, relocation to LA and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. This represented an era that saw her learn some big insights, professionally and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Raised in the East Coast, the star commenced developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) weird comedy videos on the internet. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively drawn to having babies; a different one envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, stating amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who had doubts regarding her then will certainly be feeling foolish now. In what she calls a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she uploaded content titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a comedy about LA residents juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be simple to create a program about internet celebrity that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at its subjects. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a portrait of affluent twentysomething life that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she says. “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