Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and immediately begins an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing truly remorseful. Despite being only slightly delayed, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s precisely what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Those who know her boldly queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and starred in together with her friend the talented actress—will be aware that Sennott has a lot to say, whether about gender, intimacy, or the pros of starting a high-school combat group. Plus, after watching her new seasonal program I Love LA, viewers realize that she has additional thoughts on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott is an honorary member of the gang, straddling eras skilled for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being an admirer, naming the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which tracks the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest presence on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, the show focusing on a rising A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The inspiration for this project came—partly—from her own, originally rocky, relocation to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. It was an era that included her learn major insights, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting humor while enrolled in theatre 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. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, performing at live shows with her friend and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely obsessed with motherhood; a different one imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. By chance, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she repeats, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will likely be kicking themselves currently. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip named about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a comedy about LA residents managing advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be easy to create a series about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. The series does neither, resulting in a depiction of privileged millennial living that’s frank about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
