The actress and writer discussing the hilarious series about that messy allure of Gen Z existence
Rachel Sennott joins the video call and immediately begins an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, sounding really regretful. She is only a couple of minutes late, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, during an interview, this is precisely what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those familiar with her boldly queer and brash movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in with close companion The Bear’s standout—would understand that she possesses a lot to discuss, ranging from about identity, intimacy, or the pros of creating a youth fight club. Furthermore, by the end her latest seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has additional insights on the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras adept for straddling both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is an admirer, referencing it in addition to the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for I Love LA, which details the journey of a social media star Tallulah and ally who is also aspiring representative Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, that HBO sitcom depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it throughout lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist 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 notes. The concept for the series emerged—in part—from firsthand, at first difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked a phase that saw her grasp some big truths, work-wise and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “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 New England, Sennott started creating and acting humor while enrolled in acting at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely fixated on having babies; another portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her path, she notes, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who had doubts about Sennott earlier will certainly be regretting it currently. As part of she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she appears to created the perfect project. In 2019 she shared a video titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about LA residents managing the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your client being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a unreliable outcast). One might tempting to create a program about online fame that was extremely aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, resulting in a representation of affluent young adult living that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“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
