Rachel Sennott joins the video call and right away starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely regretful. Although she's only a bit late, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, for a writer, this is just what you want to hear. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Those who have seen the unapologetically queer and brash movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—will be aware that Sennott possesses plenty to say, be it on identity, intimacy, or the pros of starting a youth brawl society. Furthermore, once you finish the recent seasonal program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds further insights on the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for bridging both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott admits to being an admirer, referencing it in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for her series, which tracks the journey of online personality Tallulah and her friend and new talent manager Sennott’s character. Notably, the biggest presence on concept was reserved for Entourage, that show focusing on a rising celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it during lockdown, became “captivated”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The concept for this project originated—in part—from personal, at first difficult, relocation to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. This represented an era that included her grasp significant truths, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “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…”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while studying performance at a prestigious arts school. “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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and sharing hilarious (and very) bizarre comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely drawn to having babies; another imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she says, has been peers giving her a shot, instead of established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott then will certainly be regretting it currently. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested the perfect project. Previously she uploaded content titled “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a unreliable pariah). Some could easy to create a show about online fame that was overly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. This show does neither, making for a portrait of affluent 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 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
