Rachel Sennott enters the online meeting and at once begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding really apologetic. Although she's only slightly behind, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s exactly what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those familiar with her unapologetically queer and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with the director and featured in together with her friend Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that Sennott possesses a lot to say, be it about roles, sex, or the appeal of creating a high-school combat group. Plus, by the end the recent seasonal show titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds further perspectives on the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing it alongside the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which details the travails of an influencer Tallulah and her friend who is also fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the largest presence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom about a rising celebrity navigating in an often-seedy LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The idea for I Love LA emerged—in part—from firsthand, initially fractious, relocation to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for followers. This represented an era that involved her understand major truths, in her career and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in performance at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” 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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, appearing at live shows with her friend and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional online content digitally. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively drawn to motherhood; a different one imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she notes, has been peers supporting her, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, stating humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish today. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted a video titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos managing benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your client being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be easy to create a show about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. The series steers clear of each, resulting in a representation of advantaged millennial living that’s honest about the chaos and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
