Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and right away begins an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, seeming really remorseful. Despite being only a bit late, she feels compelled 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!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s precisely what you want to experience. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Anyone who have seen her boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—which Sennott penned with the director and featured in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—would understand that she has much to say, whether about roles, sex, or the merits of starting a youth combat group. Furthermore, once you finish her latest seasonal program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries even more insights regarding the challenges of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott is a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp adept for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott admits to being a fan, naming the show alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which details the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also fledgling agent Maia. Perhaps, the biggest presence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom focusing on an up-and-coming Hollywood star making his way in a gritty Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The concept for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, originally difficult, move to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked a phase that saw her grasp significant truths, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, Sennott commenced creating and acting humor while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre skits online. One, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women obsessively drawn to pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as like being stuck in a horror film. By chance, she encountered Seligman through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical about her previously will certainly be regretting it currently. Through she describes as a “astonishingly complete” development, she seems to have manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she uploaded a video named on LA life on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). One might simple to create a series about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at the characters. The series steers clear of each, creating a depiction of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s honest about the mess and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“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
