Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and right away launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, appearing genuinely regretful. Although she's only a bit late, she feels compelled to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, in this context, that’s just what you want to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those who know the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that she co-wrote with the director and featured in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—will be aware that she possesses plenty to share, whether on roles, sex, or the pros of creating a high-school fight club. Furthermore, by the end the new seasonal show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds additional thoughts on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents a bridge of the gang, straddling eras skilled for bridging both generations).
Influences and Creative Vision
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, naming it alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as influences for the project, which tracks the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and ally and new talent manager Maia. However, the most significant spot on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, that program focusing on an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The concept for this project emerged—in part—from her own, initially difficult, move to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was a phase that included her learn some big insights, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with her friend and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females intensely fixated on pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. 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
Those who questioned about her earlier will surely be feeling foolish today. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she has created an ideal role. In 2019 she uploaded a video titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about LA residents managing the perks of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be easy to create a show about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. The series avoids both, making for a depiction of affluent young adult existence that’s frank about the chaos and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she says. “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
