🔗 Share this article Rachel Sennott on her uproarious series about the messy glamour of Gen Z existence The star enters the digital interview and right away starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, appearing truly apologetic. Despite being only a bit behind, she needs to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, in this context, this is precisely what you want to experience. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone who know the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—which she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and featured in together with close companion the talented actress—would already know that Sennott holds much to share, whether on identity, intimacy, or the pros of creating a youth brawl society. And, once you finish the new seasonal show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries even more insights regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott serves as an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling different age groups). Influences and Artistic Direction Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, referencing it in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for her series, which follows the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant influence on concept was reserved for the HBO series, the program about an emerging celebrity making his way in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott started watching it amid the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”. “I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The inspiration for this project originated—partly—from personal, originally difficult, move to LA and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. It was a phase that involved her understand some big truths, work-wise and personally. “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 Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott began developing and showcasing comedy while studying theatre at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.” Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at open mics with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and very) unconventional skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively drawn to having babies; another portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.” Rising Success Those who questioned about her earlier will certainly be kicking themselves currently. In what she calls a “wild, full-circle” development, she appears to created an ideal role. Previously she posted content called about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your friend being labeled as being a drug-addled stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). One might simple to produce a program about internet celebrity that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, resulting in a representation of advantaged millennial living that’s frank about the grot and the glamour. Nuanced Portrayal “Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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