The actress and writer discussing her side-splitting series portraying that messy appeal of younger generation life
Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and at once begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding truly regretful. Despite being only slightly late, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, in this context, this is just what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s quite predictable. Those who know the unapologetically queer and brash movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and appeared in together with close companion the talented actress—can be aware that she has much to share, ranging from on gender, sex, or the merits of forming a teen brawl society. Plus, by the end the new eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries further thoughts regarding the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, naming it alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as guides for the project, which details the travails of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring agent Maia. Notably, the largest influence on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, that show depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in an often-seedy Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The concept for the series came—to some extent—from firsthand, originally difficult, transition to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. It was an era that saw her understand significant truths, professionally and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, the star began creating and acting humor while studying performance 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 explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional online content online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely drawn to pregnancy; a different one imagined being employed at the brand Hollister as like being trapped in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she says, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts regarding Sennott then will certainly be feeling foolish today. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted content titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a series about LA residents juggling benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might easy to produce a program about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. This show avoids both, resulting in a portrait of advantaged twentysomething living that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“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