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Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing truly apologetic. Despite being only a bit behind, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, in this context, this is precisely what you want to experience. Moreover, it’s quite predictable. Those familiar with the unapologetically openly gay and brash project Bottoms—that she collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in with collaborator the talented actress—can already know that Sennott has a lot to say, whether about identity, relationships, or the pros of starting a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, once you finish her latest seasonal program I Love LA, it is clear that she carries additional thoughts regarding the darker side of modern youth (At 30, Sennott is an honorary member for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for bridging millennials and Gen Z).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, naming it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which details the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and aspiring representative Maia. However, the largest presence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, that show depicting a rising A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for the series came—partly—from personal, at first difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that saw her grasp major insights, in her career and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “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 the East Coast, Sennott began creating and acting comedy while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “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.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and posting hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically obsessed with having babies; another portrayed working at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Emma through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”

Career Breakthrough

Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott previously will surely be feeling foolish today. Through she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. Previously she posted a clip called about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). It would be easy to produce a series about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, making for a portrait of affluent twentysomething living that’s frank about the grot and the shine.

Nuanced Portrayal

“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