Rachel Sennott discussing her hilarious show portraying that grotty appeal of younger generation life
The star enters the digital interview and at once begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding genuinely regretful. Despite being only a couple of minutes delayed, she feels compelled to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s just what is ideal to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Those familiar with her unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—that she co-wrote with her creative partner and featured in with her friend Ayo Edebiri—would already know that Sennott holds much to say, whether on gender, relationships, or the appeal of creating a youth fight club. And, after watching her new seasonal program I Love LA, it is clear that she has even more thoughts regarding the struggles of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she serves as a bridge of the gang, on the cusp with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, naming the show in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which follows the travails of online personality Tallulah and close companion and new representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant influence on concept belonged to the HBO series, the show about an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided 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 idea for this project came—in part—from firsthand, originally fractious, transition to LA and from her saturn return, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. This represented a time that included her understand some big life lessons, in her career and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely drawn to motherhood; a different one imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Those who had doubts regarding Sennott then will likely be regretting it currently. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she has created an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a video titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a comedy about city dwellers balancing advantages of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be tempting to make a program about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at the characters. The series does neither, resulting in a depiction of advantaged millennial living that’s candid about the grot and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she comments. “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