The actress and writer discussing her uproarious series about that chaotic glamour of Gen Z existence
Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and right away launches into an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding genuinely apologetic. 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!” Fortunately, during an interview, this is just what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty unsurprising. Anyone who know the fearlessly openly gay and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with the director and appeared in together with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would already know that she possesses much to share, whether on gender, sex, or the appeal of creating a teen combat group. Furthermore, once you finish the new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds even more perspectives regarding the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott serves as an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being a fan, referencing the show together with the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for her series, which details the journey of online personality Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest spot on creative vision went to Entourage, the HBO sitcom focusing on a rising celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it during COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The concept for I Love LA originated—in part—from firsthand, originally rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a popular event for followers. This represented a time that saw her understand major life lessons, in her career and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “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 …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced creating and acting comedy while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott seized control, performing at open mics with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos on the internet. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically obsessed with motherhood; a different one imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who had doubts about her previously will certainly be feeling foolish now. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she has created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted content called on LA life on social media, in which she mocked movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a substance-abusing stealer, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). Some could tempting to produce a show about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at its subjects. The series avoids both, resulting in a representation of privileged young adult existence that’s honest about the mess and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
