The actress and writer on the hilarious series portraying that grotty allure of younger generation lifestyle
Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and at once starts an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, seeming genuinely apologetic. She is only slightly late, she needs to explain. “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, for a writer, this is precisely what you want to encounter. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those who know the fearlessly queer and outspoken movie Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that she holds much to say, be it about identity, relationships, or the pros of starting a teen fight club. Furthermore, once you finish the recent seasonal program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has even more insights about the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott is an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras skilled for bridging both generations).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress is enthusiastic, referencing the show alongside the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as guides for the project, which tracks the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring agent Sennott’s character. However, the largest presence on creative vision belonged to the popular sitcom, the show depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it during COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The concept for this project emerged—in part—from firsthand, at first rocky, relocation to LA and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. It was an era that saw her understand some big life lessons, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “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
Raised in New England, the star commenced writing and performing stand-up while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” 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.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and decidedly) bizarre online content digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically fixated on having babies; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with shades of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she says, has been peers supporting her, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will surely be regretting it currently. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have manifested an ideal role. A few years back she shared content called on LA life on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). Some could easy to make a series about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. This show avoids both, resulting in a depiction of affluent millennial life that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“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
