The actress and writer discussing her uproarious comedy depicting the grotty allure of Gen Z existence
Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and at once begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming really regretful. Despite being only a bit behind, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is exactly what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Those who know the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and appeared in with her friend Ayo Edebiri—would understand that she possesses plenty to share, whether about gender, relationships, or the pros of forming a youth fight club. Plus, once you finish her recent seasonal HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that she has even more perspectives on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott serves as an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras adept for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, naming it together with the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which details the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and aspiring agent Maia. Notably, the biggest presence on creative vision was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show depicting a rising A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The concept for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, initially fractious, transition to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. This represented a time that saw her grasp major life lessons, in her career and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Raised in New England, Sennott began developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and uploading hilarious (and very) weird skits digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women intensely drawn to having babies; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ended up featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her journey, she notes, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical regarding her earlier will likely be feeling foolish now. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has achieved an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a clip named about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she lampooned movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a unreliable outcast). Some could tempting to create a show about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. The series avoids both, making for a portrait of privileged twentysomething living that’s frank about the mess and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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