Rachel Sennott discussing her hilarious show about that messy allure of younger generation existence
The performer joins the digital interview and immediately launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding truly apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes late, she wants to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, that’s exactly what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s quite unsurprising. Anyone familiar with her unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—will already know that Sennott has much to say, be it about roles, intimacy, or the appeal of creating a youth fight club. Plus, once you finish her recent eight-part HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has even more thoughts about the darker side of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she serves as an honorary member for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for connecting both generations).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress is enthusiastic, naming it together with the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for her series, which follows the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also new agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the biggest presence on the moodboard belonged to Entourage, that HBO sitcom about an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it during COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The concept for the series originated—partly—from firsthand, at first difficult, move to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. It was a time that included her learn significant insights, in her career and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Raised in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional skits digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely obsessed with pregnancy; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and eventually starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she says, has been peers offering opportunities, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who were skeptical regarding Sennott previously will surely be regretting it now. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a video named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might tempting to produce a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA avoids both, making for a depiction of affluent young adult living that’s honest about the chaos and the glamour.
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 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