Rachel Sennott enters the video call and immediately starts an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, appearing really apologetic. Despite being only a bit behind, she needs to justify. “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, this is just what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Anyone who know the boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which she penned with Emma Seligman and starred in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—would already know that Sennott holds much to say, whether on identity, sex, or the appeal of starting a teen fight club. Plus, after watching the latest multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries additional insights regarding the struggles of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for straddling both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott is a fan, naming it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which details the journey of online personality Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant influence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, the show about an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to create a new version 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 emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, originally rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that involved her grasp some big insights, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. 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.”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at amateur nights with Ayo and posting uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, followed several females intensely drawn to pregnancy; a different one imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Emma through campus film circles and ended up starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who questioned regarding Sennott previously will surely be feeling foolish today. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she uploaded a video named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled criminal, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could easy to produce a show about internet celebrity that was extremely aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. This show avoids both, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial existence that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
