The actress and writer discussing her uproarious series about that chaotic glamour of today's youth lifestyle
Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and immediately begins an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, appearing really remorseful. She is only a bit behind, she feels compelled to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, in this context, that’s just what you want to hear. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Anyone who know her fearlessly openly gay and outspoken project titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in together with her friend Ayo Edebiri—will be aware that Sennott possesses plenty to share, whether about identity, intimacy, or the pros of creating a youth fight club. Plus, once you finish her new eight-part show I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries additional thoughts on the challenges of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras skilled for bridging different age groups).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, citing the show alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which tracks the struggles of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. Notably, the largest spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, the show focusing on an emerging celebrity succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose 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 says. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—in part—from firsthand, originally fractious, relocation to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for followers. That period marked a time that saw her grasp some big insights, in her career and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in New England, Sennott began writing and performing comedy while pursuing performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, performing at amateur nights with her friend and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women fetishistically drawn to having babies; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her first film, 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 people her own age giving her a shot, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who had doubts about her then will certainly be feeling foolish now. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she has manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she shared content titled “it’s LA” online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a comedy about LA residents juggling benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be tempting to create a series about internet celebrity that was extremely aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. The series avoids both, creating a representation of advantaged young adult living that’s honest about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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