The comedic talent on her hilarious comedy depicting that chaotic allure of Gen Z life
Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, seeming really regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes late, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s precisely what you want to hear. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those who know the boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film titled Bottoms—that she co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—will understand that she possesses much to share, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the merits of starting a teen fight club. And, once you finish the latest seasonal HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries even more thoughts on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents a bridge for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott is an admirer, citing the show in addition to the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for her series, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also new talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant influence on the moodboard went to the HBO series, the show focusing on a rising A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it during COVID-19, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective 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 notes. The idea for this project emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, originally rocky, relocation to LA and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. This represented a time that saw her grasp major insights, work-wise and personally. “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…”
Early Beginnings
Raised in New England, Sennott started creating and acting comedy while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” 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 took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and very) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively fixated on motherhood; another imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been peers supporting her, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who questioned about her previously will surely be regretting it today. Through she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she shared a video titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos juggling advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). Some could tempting to create a program about digital influence that was extremely aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, creating a representation of advantaged millennial living that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
