Rachel Sennott enters the online meeting and right away launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing genuinely regretful. Despite being only slightly delayed, she feels compelled to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, this is exactly what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s fairly expected. Those familiar with her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash project Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and starred in alongside collaborator the talented actress—will be aware that Sennott holds a lot to say, whether about gender, relationships, or the appeal of forming a youth brawl society. And, once you finish the recent seasonal program I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries additional thoughts regarding the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she is a bridge for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting different age groups).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being an admirer, referencing it together with the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as guides for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant presence on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, the show depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist 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 concept for this project emerged—to some extent—from her own, initially rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a popular event for astrology heads. It was a phase that included her grasp some big insights, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in New England, the star commenced creating and acting stand-up 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. “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?”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and posting uproarious (and decidedly) weird comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically obsessed with pregnancy; another imagined working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Anyone who had doubts about Sennott previously will surely be feeling foolish currently. Through she labels a “wild, full-circle” development, she has created the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip called “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents balancing advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to create a series about online fame that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. This show avoids both, resulting in a depiction of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s frank 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
