Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and immediately starts an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing truly apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes late, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, for a writer, this is precisely what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s pretty expected. Those who have seen the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and appeared in together with her friend the talented actress—will understand that Sennott has plenty to discuss, whether on identity, relationships, or the pros of creating a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, once you finish her latest seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has additional thoughts on the challenges of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott serves as a bridge of the gang, on the cusp adept for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing the show alongside the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for her series, which follows the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also new talent manager Sennott’s character. Notably, the most significant presence on concept went to Entourage, that program depicting a rising A-list actor navigating in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The concept for the series originated—to some extent—from firsthand, initially rocky, relocation to LA and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that saw her understand some big truths, in her career and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Raised in the East Coast, the star began creating and acting humor while studying performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at open mics with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and distinctly) weird skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively fixated on pregnancy; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts regarding her then will surely be kicking themselves now. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she has manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers juggling benefits of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). Some could tempting to create a show about online fame that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. This show does neither, resulting in a portrait of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“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
