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Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and immediately starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely apologetic. Despite being only slightly behind, she wants to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, during an interview, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those familiar with her fearlessly openly gay and brash film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and appeared in alongside close companion the talented actress—can be aware that she possesses plenty to say, whether about identity, sex, or the pros of creating a youth fight club. Furthermore, once you finish the latest eight-part show titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries further thoughts on the challenges of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).

Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing the show alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for her series, which details the travails of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also fledgling representative portrayed by Sennott. However, the biggest presence on concept went to the popular sitcom, that program about an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The inspiration for this project originated—partly—from firsthand, originally rocky, transition to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a popular event for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that included her understand significant life lessons, work-wise and individually. “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 …”

Early Beginnings

Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced creating and acting humor while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females obsessively obsessed with having babies; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being stuck in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been contemporaries supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who had doubts regarding Sennott then will surely be kicking themselves now. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to created her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted content titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos managing the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be easy to create a series about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at those depicted. This show does neither, resulting in a depiction of advantaged young adult existence that’s candid about the chaos and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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