The actress and writer exploring her hilarious show portraying that messy allure of Gen Z existence
Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding genuinely regretful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she wants to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone familiar with the fearlessly queer and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—which she penned with her creative partner and appeared in together with her friend The Bear’s standout—would be aware that she has plenty to discuss, be it about roles, intimacy, or the pros of creating a high-school combat group. Furthermore, after watching the new seasonal show titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries additional perspectives regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming the show together with the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which tracks the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and new agent portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest spot on concept was reserved for the HBO series, the HBO sitcom depicting an emerging A-list actor navigating in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided 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 notes. The idea for this project emerged—partly—from firsthand, initially fractious, move to LA and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was a time that included her learn major insights, in her career and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott began writing and performing stand-up while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre online content digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women intensely fixated on having babies; another envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her journey, she notes, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who had doubts about her earlier will likely be regretting it today. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to created her dream vehicle. Previously she shared a clip named on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be simple to produce a series about digital influence that was horribly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. I Love LA does neither, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial living that’s candid about the grot and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
