Rachel Sennott discussing her uproarious show portraying the messy allure of today's youth existence

The performer enters the online meeting and at once begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, appearing truly apologetic. Although she's only slightly behind, 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!” Luckily, during an interview, this is exactly what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone who know her unapologetically openly gay and outspoken movie Bottoms—that she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in together with close companion the talented actress—can understand that she possesses much to discuss, whether on identity, relationships, or the merits of starting a high-school brawl society. And, after watching her recent eight-part program I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries additional insights on the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, she is an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial adept for straddling both generations).

Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach

The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and Sennott is enthusiastic, citing the show together with the HBO hit, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which follows the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and fledgling talent manager Maia. Notably, the biggest spot on the moodboard went to Entourage, the program focusing on an up-and-coming celebrity succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The concept for the series originated—to some extent—from firsthand, originally difficult, relocation to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. This represented an era that involved her learn significant truths, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Humble Origins

Raised in Connecticut, the star commenced creating and acting stand-up while studying performance at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

She seized control, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre online content digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively obsessed with motherhood; a different one portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”

Career Breakthrough

Individuals who were skeptical about her earlier will likely be kicking themselves currently. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” development, she has created her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a clip titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers balancing benefits of internet fame (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could easy to create a show about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, making for a portrait of advantaged twentysomething life that’s honest about the grot and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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

Janet Jones
Janet Jones

Lena är en erfaren livsstilsbloggare med passion för heminredning och hållbarhet. Hon delar praktiska råd och kreativa idéer.