Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away starts an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding really regretful. Despite being only a bit late, she needs to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty expected. Viewers who have seen the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and featured in together with close companion the talented actress—can be aware that she possesses plenty to say, whether about roles, intimacy, or the appeal of starting a youth combat group. Plus, after watching the latest seasonal show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more insights about the struggles of modern youth (At 30, she represents an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras adept for straddling both generations).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, naming the show alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally who is also aspiring agent Maia. Notably, the largest presence on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, that program about a rising celebrity succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and decided to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The idea for the series originated—partly—from her own, initially difficult, transition to LA and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked a time that saw her grasp major truths, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in New England, the star began developing and showcasing stand-up while enrolled in acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre online content digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; a different one envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and ended up featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who questioned about Sennott previously will surely be regretting it currently. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she has achieved an ideal role. Previously she posted a video named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers managing the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to create a show about internet celebrity that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, making for a representation of advantaged young adult existence that’s frank about the grot 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
