The actress and writer on the hilarious comedy portraying that chaotic allure of today's youth life
Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and immediately begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really apologetic. Although she's only slightly behind, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s precisely what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Viewers who have seen the boldly queer and outspoken film titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and featured in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—will understand that Sennott holds plenty to say, be it about gender, intimacy, or the pros of starting a high-school fight club. Plus, by the end the recent multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries additional perspectives about the struggles of modern youth (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for bridging different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being a fan, referencing it together with Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which follows the travails of a social media star Tallulah and close companion and aspiring talent manager Maia. Notably, the largest presence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, that program depicting a rising A-list actor navigating in an often-seedy Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it amid lockdown, became “obsessed”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The concept for this project emerged—to some extent—from her own, initially difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for enthusiasts. It was an era that saw her learn significant insights, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “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 began developing and showcasing stand-up while studying performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and posting uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional online content online. One, titled Baby Cult, followed several females intensely drawn to having babies; a different one imagined being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and eventually appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who had doubts regarding her earlier will certainly be regretting it now. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she seems to have created an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a video titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos managing benefits of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). Some could easy to produce a show about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at its subjects. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a representation of affluent twentysomething living that’s frank about the grot and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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