Rachel Sennott discussing her hilarious comedy about the chaotic glamour of younger generation life

The performer enters the online meeting and right away launches into an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really remorseful. She is only a couple of minutes late, she needs to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s just what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers who know the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with her creative partner and starred in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—would already know that Sennott possesses much to say, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the pros of forming a youth combat group. Furthermore, by the end her new seasonal program I Love LA, it is clear that she holds additional perspectives about the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for straddling both generations).

Inspirations and Creative Vision

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress is a fan, referencing it in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which details the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally and fledgling agent Maia. Notably, the biggest influence on creative vision was reserved for the HBO series, that program focusing on an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in a gritty Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it throughout lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved 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 says. The idea for this project came—in part—from firsthand, at first rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. That period marked a time that saw her learn significant life lessons, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Starting Out

Raised in Connecticut, Sennott began writing and performing humor while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

She took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with her friend and uploading hysterical (and very) unconventional skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females intensely drawn to pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and eventually starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her career, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Rising Success

Those who had doubts regarding her previously will likely be kicking themselves today. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to achieved an ideal role. In 2019 she posted content called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers managing advantages of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable pariah). Some could simple to create a show about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at its subjects. I Love LA steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of affluent millennial life that’s honest about the grot and the shine.

Empathetic Approach

“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

Jeffrey Nguyen
Jeffrey Nguyen

A media strategist with 15+ years in digital journalism, specializing in newsroom innovation and audience engagement.