Rachel Sennott enters the video call and at once begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding truly remorseful. Although she's only a bit behind, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, for a writer, this is just what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Anyone who know her boldly queer and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and featured in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—would be aware that she has much to say, be it on identity, sex, or the appeal of creating a teen combat group. Plus, by the end the recent seasonal HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries even more thoughts regarding the challenges of modern youth (At 30, she is a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras skilled for connecting different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being an admirer, naming it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for the project, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally and aspiring talent manager Maia. Notably, the largest spot on creative vision was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom depicting a rising celebrity navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and resolved 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 inspiration for this project emerged—partly—from firsthand, initially fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. This represented a phase that included her understand significant insights, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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…”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced writing and performing comedy while pursuing performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “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 decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits online. One, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively drawn to having babies; a different one portrayed working at the brand Hollister as similar to being trapped in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who questioned about Sennott previously will likely be regretting it currently. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to created an ideal role. Previously she uploaded a clip titled on LA life online, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents balancing benefits of online celebrity (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be easy to produce a series about digital influence that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, creating a depiction of affluent twentysomething living that’s honest about the mess and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
