Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and right away begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, appearing really remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she needs to clarify. “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, that’s exactly what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Those who know her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can understand that Sennott possesses plenty to discuss, ranging from about identity, intimacy, or the merits of creating a high-school fight club. And, by the end the recent seasonal program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has further thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she is a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott is a fan, naming it together with Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling representative Sennott’s character. Notably, the most significant spot on concept belonged to Entourage, the program depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective 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 this project came—partly—from firsthand, originally difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about occurrence for enthusiasts. It was an era that saw her understand some big insights, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott started developing and showcasing humor while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and uploading uproarious (and very) weird comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women fetishistically fixated on motherhood; another envisioned being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott previously will likely be regretting it today. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to created her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted content named on LA life online, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents juggling benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). One might simple to create a program about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. This show avoids both, resulting in a depiction of privileged millennial existence that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
