Rachel Sennott on her hilarious show depicting that chaotic glamour of younger generation existence

The star joins the online meeting and at once begins an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, appearing genuinely regretful. She is only a bit late, she wants to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, this is just what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s pretty expected. Viewers who know the fearlessly queer and outspoken film Bottoms—that she penned with the director and featured in alongside collaborator The Bear’s standout—would already know that she holds a lot to say, be it about gender, relationships, or the pros of starting a teen fight club. Furthermore, once you finish her latest multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds even more thoughts regarding the struggles of young adulthood (As a millennial, she is a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for connecting different age groups).

Influences and Artistic Direction

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being an admirer, referencing the show together with Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as guides for her series, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally who is also new talent manager Maia. However, the biggest spot on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, that show focusing on an emerging A-list actor succeeding in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The concept for the series originated—partly—from personal, at first rocky, transition to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. It was a time that included her understand some big insights, work-wise and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Growing up in the East Coast, the star commenced creating and acting stand-up while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She seized control, performing at live shows with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely obsessed with pregnancy; a different one imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a horror film. By chance, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Rising Success

Those who were skeptical regarding Sennott then will certainly be kicking themselves now. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to manifested the perfect project. Previously she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). One might tempting to produce a series about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. This show avoids both, making for a representation of affluent young adult life that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.

Empathetic Approach

“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

James Miles
James Miles

A software developer and tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and digital innovations.