Rachel Sennott discussing the side-splitting series portraying that chaotic glamour of Gen Z life
The star appears on the online meeting and immediately starts an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding genuinely regretful. Despite being only slightly delayed, she wants to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, for a writer, this is precisely what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Viewers who have seen the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash movie Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and featured in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that Sennott holds plenty to say, whether about gender, sex, or the appeal of forming a youth combat group. Plus, once you finish her latest seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she carries additional perspectives about the challenges of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, citing it alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which follows the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also fledgling representative Maia. Notably, the biggest spot on concept went to the popular sitcom, that show about an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it amid lockdown, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The idea for the series originated—in part—from personal, initially difficult, move to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. It was a time that included her learn major life lessons, professionally 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 was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in New England, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while studying performance at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and very) weird comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females intensely fixated on motherhood; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she says, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who questioned regarding her previously will certainly be feeling foolish currently. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have manifested the perfect project. A few years back she posted a clip named on LA life on the internet, in which she mocked movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos balancing advantages of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). One might easy to produce a series about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. I Love LA does neither, making for a portrait of affluent young adult life that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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