Rachel Sennott enters the video call and immediately begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing genuinely regretful. Although she's only slightly behind, she feels compelled to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, for a writer, this is just what is ideal to hear. Moreover, it’s quite predictable. Those familiar with the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash project titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in alongside her friend The Bear’s standout—can already know that Sennott has plenty to say, whether on identity, intimacy, or the merits of creating a youth combat group. Plus, after watching the latest eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has further perspectives regarding the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for connecting different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being an admirer, referencing the show alongside the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as guides for her series, which follows the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also fledgling representative Maia. Notably, the largest presence on creative vision went to Entourage, the show depicting an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The inspiration for this project came—in part—from firsthand, initially rocky, move to LA and from her cosmic event, a popular event for astrology heads. That period marked an era that involved her learn some big truths, work-wise 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
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott began writing and performing stand-up while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “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, appearing at live shows with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional skits digitally. One, Baby Cult, depicted characters fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ended up starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she says, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical regarding Sennott then will likely be feeling foolish currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” development, she has achieved an ideal role. Previously she posted a video named about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a comedy about LA residents managing benefits of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). One might tempting to produce a show about online fame that was extremely aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a representation of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
