The comedic talent exploring the hilarious show about that grotty glamour of Gen Z existence

Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and right away launches into an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, seeming genuinely regretful. She is only a bit behind, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, during an interview, this is precisely what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone familiar with the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which she penned with the director and featured in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—would be aware that Sennott holds much to share, be it about gender, sex, or the pros of starting a youth fight club. Furthermore, once you finish her new seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries additional perspectives on the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott represents a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp adept for bridging different age groups).

Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach

Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, citing it together with the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for the project, which details the journey of a social media star Tallulah and close companion who is also fledgling representative portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant presence on creative vision went to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging A-list actor navigating in a gritty LA scene (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, 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 inspiration for I Love LA emerged—partly—from personal, initially difficult, transition to LA and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. That period marked a time that included her grasp significant insights, in her career and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Early Beginnings

Growing up in the East Coast, the star began writing and performing comedy while studying acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She decided to act independently, performing at open mics with Edebiri and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) weird online content online. One, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Manifesting Dreams

Those who had doubts about her previously will surely be regretting it today. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created the perfect project. In 2019 she shared a video called on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about LA residents juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be simple to produce a program about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that belittled at its subjects. This show does neither, resulting in a depiction of advantaged young adult existence that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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

Adrian Barrett
Adrian Barrett

Tech-enthousiast en freelance schrijver met een passie voor digitale innovatie.