Rachel Sennott joins the online meeting and at once begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, seeming truly remorseful. Despite being only a bit behind, she needs to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s precisely what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Those familiar with her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken film titled Bottoms—that she penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—can be aware that Sennott possesses much to discuss, be it on gender, sex, or the merits of starting a youth combat group. Furthermore, after watching her recent multi-episode show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries additional perspectives on the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, naming it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which follows the travails of online personality Tallulah and close companion and fledgling representative Sennott’s character. Notably, the biggest spot on concept went to the popular sitcom, that show about a rising celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it amid lockdown, became “hooked”, and resolved to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The idea for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from personal, initially fractious, relocation to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that saw her grasp some big truths, in her career and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “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
Raised in New England, Sennott began developing and showcasing stand-up while enrolled in theatre at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” 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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hysterical (and very) unconventional skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely fixated on motherhood; a different one envisioned working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she met Seligman through campus film circles and eventually starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her path, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who had doubts about Sennott previously will surely be feeling foolish currently. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she uploaded content called about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a series about LA residents managing advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might tempting to make a show about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at the characters. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of advantaged young adult living that’s frank about the chaos and the shine.
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
