Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and at once begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, appearing genuinely remorseful. Despite being only slightly late, she feels compelled to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s precisely what you want to experience. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Viewers who know the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and appeared in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—can already know that Sennott has plenty to discuss, ranging from about identity, sex, or the merits of creating a teen combat group. Furthermore, after watching her new multi-episode program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has additional thoughts regarding the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, citing it alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which details the struggles of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also fledgling talent manager Maia. Notably, the most significant spot on creative vision was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging celebrity succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The concept for I Love LA came—partly—from personal, originally fractious, relocation to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. It was an era that saw her grasp significant insights, work-wise and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” 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 was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, the star started developing and showcasing comedy while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and very) weird comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically drawn to motherhood; a different one imagined being employed at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts regarding her previously will likely be kicking themselves today. As part of she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she appears to manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she shared a video called on LA life on the internet, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos managing benefits of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and perhaps becoming a unreliable outcast). Some could simple to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. The series does neither, making for a portrait of advantaged millennial existence that’s honest about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” she observes. “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
