Rachel Sennott discussing her hilarious series depicting the grotty appeal of Gen Z life
Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and at once launches into an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely apologetic. 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, during an interview, that’s precisely what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone who have seen the boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—would already know that she has plenty to say, ranging from on roles, relationships, or the merits of starting a teen brawl society. Plus, once you finish her new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it is clear that she has even more thoughts regarding the challenges of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress is enthusiastic, referencing it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for her series, which details the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. However, the biggest spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, that program focusing on an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The inspiration for this project came—to some extent—from firsthand, originally fractious, move to LA and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked a time that saw her grasp significant truths, 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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in New England, Sennott commenced writing and performing humor while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with her friend and posting hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters intensely fixated on motherhood; a different one portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who questioned regarding Sennott previously will certainly be feeling foolish currently. Through she calls a “wild, full-circle” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded content called on LA life on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about LA residents managing advantages of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could simple to create a program about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, making for a representation of affluent twentysomething existence that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“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
