Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely remorseful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she wants to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is precisely what you want to hear. Besides, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those who know the fearlessly queer and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would understand that she possesses plenty to share, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the merits of forming a teen combat group. Plus, once you finish her recent multi-episode program I Love LA, it is clear that she carries further thoughts on the challenges of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras skilled for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, naming the show alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and new representative portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant spot on concept went to the popular sitcom, that show focusing on an emerging A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The idea for the series originated—in part—from personal, initially rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that included her learn significant life lessons, in her career and personally. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Raised in Connecticut, the star began creating and acting stand-up while enrolled in performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with her friend and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been peers supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who questioned about Sennott then will surely be regretting it today. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted a clip titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos managing advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a drug-addled stealer, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to create a show about online fame that was overly glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. The series avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent twentysomething life that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she says. “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
