Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely apologetic. She is only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, this is precisely what is ideal to encounter. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who know her fearlessly openly gay and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with her creative partner and featured in with her friend The Bear’s standout—would understand that Sennott possesses plenty to share, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the appeal of creating a youth combat group. Furthermore, after watching her new multi-episode program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has further insights on the struggles of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott serves as an honorary member of the gang, straddling eras with a knack for connecting both generations).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott admits to being a fan, citing the show together with the HBO hit, Insecure and Atlanta as guides for her series, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and ally and new representative Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant spot on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, that show depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist 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 idea for the series originated—in part—from her own, originally rocky, move to LA and from the saturn return, a popular event for enthusiasts. It was a time that included her learn some big life lessons, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “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 New England, the star started developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She seized control, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically drawn to motherhood; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and eventually starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she says, has been peers supporting her, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who were skeptical about her previously will certainly be kicking themselves currently. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded content called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about city dwellers balancing benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a drug-addled stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be easy to produce a series about online fame that was extremely aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial life that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
