Rachel Sennott on her side-splitting comedy about the chaotic allure of today's youth life
The performer enters the digital interview and right away launches into an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding really regretful. She is only a bit delayed, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, during an interview, this is exactly what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s pretty expected. Those who have seen the fearlessly queer and outspoken project Bottoms—that Sennott penned with her creative partner and starred in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will already know that she has much to say, whether about roles, intimacy, or the merits of creating a teen brawl society. Furthermore, after watching the latest eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries even more thoughts about the struggles of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a bridge of the gang, straddling eras with a knack for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, referencing it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also aspiring representative Maia. However, the largest spot on concept belonged to the HBO series, the show about a rising celebrity making his way in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it throughout lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided 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 says. The inspiration for this project came—to some extent—from firsthand, initially fractious, transition to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a popular phenomenon for astrology heads. This represented a phase that included her grasp some big insights, in her career and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” 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 …”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, the star began creating and acting stand-up while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “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?”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed several females fetishistically fixated on motherhood; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a horror film. By chance, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical regarding her earlier will likely be feeling foolish now. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she appears to created her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers balancing advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). One might tempting to produce a series about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that punched down at its subjects. The series does neither, making for a portrait of privileged young adult living that’s frank about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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