Rachel Sennott joins the video call and immediately starts an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding really remorseful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she wants to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, that’s just what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who know the boldly queer and outspoken film Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and featured in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—will understand that she has a lot to discuss, whether on identity, sex, or the pros of starting a teen brawl society. Plus, after watching her latest eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds additional perspectives regarding the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a bridge for this generation, on the cusp adept for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, referencing it in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as guides for her series, which follows the journey of a social media star Tallulah and ally and new agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest spot on concept was reserved for the HBO series, the show depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist 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 explains. The concept for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from her own, initially difficult, move to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. It was an era that included her grasp significant insights, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Raised in New England, Sennott started developing and showcasing stand-up while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at live shows with Ayo and uploading uproarious (and distinctly) bizarre online content digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively obsessed with motherhood; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical about Sennott previously will certainly be regretting it now. Through she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she has achieved an ideal role. Previously she uploaded a video named “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be easy to produce a series about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. I Love LA does neither, resulting in a representation of affluent twentysomething living that’s frank about the mess and the glamour.
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
