The actress and writer on her side-splitting series depicting that grotty allure of younger generation life
Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and at once starts an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding genuinely apologetic. Despite being only a bit delayed, she wants to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s quite unsurprising. Anyone who have seen the unapologetically queer and brash movie titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in with her friend the talented actress—can already know that she possesses plenty to discuss, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the pros of creating a youth combat group. And, once you finish the latest seasonal show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries additional thoughts about the challenges of Gen Z life (At 30, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for straddling both generations).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, citing it alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for her series, which follows the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also new agent Sennott’s character. However, the most significant influence on the moodboard belonged to Entourage, the show focusing on an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The idea for this project originated—to some extent—from her own, at first fractious, transition to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. It was an era that saw her understand significant life lessons, in her career and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Early Beginnings
Raised in New England, the star commenced developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “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. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with her friend and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females fetishistically fixated on motherhood; a different one imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical regarding Sennott then will surely be regretting it now. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she seems to have manifested an ideal role. Previously she posted a video called on LA life on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers managing advantages of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). Some could simple to create a series about internet celebrity that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at its subjects. The series avoids both, making for a depiction of advantaged young adult living that’s honest about the chaos and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
