Rachel Sennott enters the video call and right away begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, appearing really remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes late, she needs to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty expected. Those who have seen the boldly queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and starred in alongside collaborator the talented actress—would already know that she possesses a lot to share, whether on roles, sex, or the appeal of creating a youth fight club. Furthermore, after watching the latest multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that she has further thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (At 30, she represents an honorary member of the gang, straddling eras adept for connecting both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, naming the show alongside the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also new agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, that program about a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The concept for this project originated—partly—from her own, originally difficult, relocation to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a popular event for enthusiasts. This represented a phase that saw her understand significant life lessons, in her career and in private life. “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. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in New England, the star began writing and performing stand-up while enrolled in acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “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 took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with her friend and posting hilarious (and very) bizarre online content online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively drawn to motherhood; a different one imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will likely be regretting it today. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she appears to created the perfect project. A few years back she uploaded content named on LA life online, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos managing benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could tempting to produce a show about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. The series does neither, resulting in a depiction of advantaged millennial life that’s candid about the chaos and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
