Rachel Sennott enters the online meeting and immediately starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, appearing really regretful. She is only slightly late, she needs to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, in this context, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Those who know the boldly queer and brash film titled Bottoms—that she penned with her creative partner and starred in together with collaborator the talented actress—can understand that she holds plenty to say, be it on identity, relationships, or the merits of creating a high-school fight club. And, after watching her recent multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds additional perspectives about the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she is a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for bridging both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, referencing it alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also aspiring agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant spot on concept went to Entourage, the HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging celebrity making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and decided to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The concept for this project emerged—to some extent—from personal, initially rocky, relocation to LA and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. It was a time that involved her understand some big truths, work-wise and in private life. “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
Raised in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while enrolled in acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She seized control, appearing at live shows with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely obsessed with having babies; another imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through campus film circles and ended up featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been peers supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will certainly be feeling foolish now. Through she labels a “wild, full-circle” development, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared content named “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos managing advantages of internet fame (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). Some could simple to produce a series about online fame that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. This show does neither, resulting in a representation of privileged young adult living that’s candid about the chaos and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she observes. “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
