Rachel Sennott joins the video call and at once begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing truly regretful. She is only a couple of minutes late, she wants to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s just what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s quite expected. Those who have seen the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash project titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in together with close companion the talented actress—would be aware that Sennott has a lot to discuss, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the merits of creating a youth combat group. And, once you finish the recent seasonal HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds additional insights about the darker side of modern youth (At 30, Sennott represents a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras skilled for straddling both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott is an admirer, citing it in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which details the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling agent Maia. However, the most significant spot on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, that show depicting an emerging A-list actor navigating in a gritty Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and resolved to put her own twist 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 idea for this project emerged—partly—from firsthand, initially difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that included her learn significant truths, in her career and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott started creating and acting humor while enrolled in performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” 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, appearing at live shows with her friend and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) weird comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively drawn to having babies; another portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she repeats, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who questioned about her then will certainly be feeling foolish today. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she has created her dream vehicle. Previously she shared a video titled about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos balancing the perks of internet fame (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a risky pariah). One might tempting to produce a show about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. This show avoids both, making for a representation of affluent twentysomething life that’s frank about the chaos and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
