Rachel Sennott joins the video call and immediately begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding really apologetic. Although she's only a bit delayed, she wants to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, during an interview, this is exactly what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Anyone who have seen her fearlessly queer and outspoken movie Bottoms—which she co-wrote with the director and starred in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—will understand that she possesses plenty to say, ranging from about roles, relationships, or the pros of starting a youth brawl society. Plus, by the end the recent eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds additional insights on the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being an admirer, referencing the show in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and fledgling representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest presence on creative vision belonged to Entourage, that HBO sitcom depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during COVID-19, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist 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 explains. The concept for the series came—to some extent—from firsthand, originally rocky, relocation to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for followers. This represented a time that included her understand some big insights, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” 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 creating and acting stand-up while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) bizarre skits online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively obsessed with having babies; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been peers supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will likely be regretting it now. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she has achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she uploaded content titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about LA residents balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a substance-abusing stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). Some could tempting to make a show about online fame that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. The series does neither, creating a representation of privileged millennial life that’s honest about the grot 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 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
