Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and at once starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming truly regretful. She is only a couple of minutes late, she needs to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s exactly what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s quite expected. Viewers familiar with the unapologetically queer and brash project titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with the director and starred in together with collaborator the talented actress—will already know that she possesses much to say, whether on roles, sex, or the merits of starting a youth brawl society. Furthermore, after watching her latest seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that she carries even more perspectives regarding the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she represents an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing it alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which tracks the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and new representative Maia. Perhaps, the biggest influence on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, the HBO sitcom depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it during COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The inspiration for I Love LA came—to some extent—from firsthand, initially rocky, transition to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. This represented an era that involved her grasp significant life lessons, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott began developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at amateur nights with Ayo and uploading uproarious (and very) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females obsessively obsessed with having babies; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, continuing amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who had doubts regarding her previously will certainly be feeling foolish now. Through she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have achieved an ideal role. A few years back she shared a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers managing advantages of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be easy to make a program about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. The series avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent twentysomething life that’s honest about the chaos and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
