Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and at once launches into an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, appearing truly apologetic. Although she's only slightly late, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s exactly what you want to experience. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Viewers who know her boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and featured in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—would be aware that she holds plenty to share, whether about identity, sex, or the appeal of forming a teen combat group. Plus, after watching her recent multi-episode program I Love LA, it is clear that she carries further insights regarding the struggles of modern youth (At 30, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp skilled for bridging both generations).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott is a fan, naming it alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which follows the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant presence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, the show depicting a rising celebrity navigating in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The idea for the series originated—in part—from firsthand, initially difficult, transition to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. This represented a phase that involved her learn major truths, professionally and individually. “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 resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in the East Coast, the star started writing and performing humor while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with her friend and posting hysterical (and very) weird skits on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively drawn to having babies; another imagined working at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she says, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who questioned about Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish now. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted content titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). Some could simple to create a series about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. I Love LA steers clear of each, creating a depiction of affluent young adult life that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
