The actress and writer on her hilarious series about that messy appeal of today's youth lifestyle

Rachel Sennott joins the video call and right away begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing truly apologetic. Despite being only slightly late, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s precisely what one hopes to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone familiar with her boldly queer and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that she penned with Emma Seligman and starred in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will understand that she holds a lot to discuss, ranging from on roles, intimacy, or the merits of forming a youth fight club. Plus, after watching the recent seasonal program titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries even more thoughts about the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress is a fan, referencing it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for the project, which tracks the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally and aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the largest spot on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom about a rising Hollywood star making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved 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 notes. The concept for the series came—partly—from firsthand, originally fractious, move to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for astrology heads. That period marked a time that involved her learn major truths, work-wise and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Early Beginnings

Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced creating and acting comedy while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with her friend and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) weird online content online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters fetishistically obsessed with having babies; another portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Career Breakthrough

Anyone who were skeptical regarding her previously will surely be kicking themselves now. Through she labels a “wild, full-circle” development, she seems to have created the perfect project. A few years back she shared a clip called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers balancing benefits of internet fame (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). Some could easy to produce a series about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. This show does neither, making for a portrait of privileged millennial living that’s frank about the mess and the appeal.

Balanced Perspective

“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

John Johnson
John Johnson

Digital marketing specialist with over a decade of experience in SEO optimization and content strategy.