Rachel Sennott on the hilarious show depicting the chaotic allure of younger generation lifestyle

The performer appears on the digital interview and at once starts an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing genuinely regretful. Despite being only a bit late, she feels compelled to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is exactly what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly unsurprising. Anyone who have seen the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—would already know that Sennott possesses plenty to discuss, ranging from on roles, sex, or the merits of creating a high-school fight club. Furthermore, once you finish the recent multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries additional insights on the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she represents an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting both generations).

Influences and Storytelling Approach

Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for the project, which details 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 influence on concept went to Entourage, the program about a rising Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The idea for the series emerged—partly—from personal, originally rocky, relocation to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. This represented a time that included her grasp significant insights, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Growing up in the East Coast, the star started creating and acting stand-up while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She seized control, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically drawn to having babies; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being stuck in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she notes, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”

Career Breakthrough

Individuals who had doubts regarding her previously will surely be feeling foolish today. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” development, she appears to manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted a video named on LA life on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents managing benefits of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to produce a show about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. This show avoids both, resulting in a representation of advantaged millennial existence that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.

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 says. “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

Lori Jackson
Lori Jackson

A tech enthusiast and lifestyle blogger with a passion for sharing actionable tips and inspiring stories.