Sennott became interested in comedy as a freshman in college, when she went to an open mic night on a date.[11] She studied acting at NYU Tisch and Stella Adler Studio of Acting, graduating in 2017.[12][13] During college she continued to perform comedy at open mic nights, as well as acting in student films, including the lead role of Danielle in the 2017 short film version of Emma Seligman's Shiva Baby; she reprised this role in the 2020 feature film adaptation.[11]
In 2018, feeling out of control of her fledgling career, Sennott turned to Twitter comedy; she wrote and tweeted multiple short jokes per day.[11] In a 2020 interview for Nylon, she said she did not enjoy the Manhattan open mic scene because she felt that people were laughing at her rather than with her, and moved into the alt scene with a regular gig on It's A Guy Thing.[12] She developed two shows in 2018: Puke Fest and Ur Gonna Slp Rlly Well Tonight.[14]Puke Fest combines stand-up sets with a drinking game and moved to Instagram Live during the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][3] Sennott's distinct comedic voice, a "messy" persona often complaining about dating and the economy, became popular in the alt scene.[12] In 2019, she was named one of the six best comedians of the alt scene on lists from both Time Out New York and Pop Dust, which cited her unique satirical takes on aspects of millennial life and culture.[16][17]
She satirizes other elements of culture, with some of her most popular bits including videos about the Los Angeles movie culture[12][18] and baby-obsessed young women.[19] A sound clip from her video, "Come on, it's LA", is sampled at the beginning of the song "Bump This" by Michael Medrano, Jake Germain, and Michete.[20]
On television, Sennott appeared in HBO's High Maintenance,[11] and played Jackie Raines on Call Your Mother.[21] Sennot and Ayo Edebiri co-developed two series for Comedy Central,[11][12]Ayo and Rachel Are Single and Taking the Stage, which began airing on the network in 2020.[22][23] Sennott also appears with Edebiri and other comedians on the web comedy-documentary series Speak Up, which seeks to amplify female voices about working in comedy.[24][25]
2021–present: Transition to feature films
Sennott starred in the 2020 feature films Tahara as Hannah Rosen,[26] and Shiva Baby as Danielle. Both films are queer Jewish coming-of-age narratives set at funeral services.[27][28] In the lead role of Danielle in Shiva Baby, which premiered at SXSW and TIFF in 2020, Sennott's performance was highlighted in several reviews,[29][30][31] with Andrew Parker of The GATE saying that she gave "a wonderful, star making performance"[32] and Alex de Vore of the Santa Fe Reporter writing that "after her performance in [the film], she should probably just be allowed to do whatever she wants – she's a natural."[33] Sennott won the Rising Star award at the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival.[34]
In 2022, she played Alice in Bodies Bodies Bodies, an A24 comedy horror film. She was consistently named the standout performance of the film.[a] Megan Conway of The New York Times Style Magazine summarized the consensus surrounding her performance: "Sennott's ability to inject an astonishing range of meaning into Alice's various cries and yowls—as well as her litany of expletives and 'oh my Gods'—steals the show."[42]
In 2023, Sennott reunited with Shiva Baby writer-director Emma Seligman to write the teen sex comedy film Bottoms. Sennott stars in the film alongside Ayo Edebiri. The film premiered at SXSW on March 11, 2023, to critical acclaim.[43] Also screened at SXSW was the tragicomedy I Used to Be Funny. Writing on Sennott's performance in her review for The Austin Chronicle, Jenny Nulf said it "is heartbreaking, a tight rope walk between funny and sad that's done gracefully."[44] Sennott also began starring on the HBO drama series The Idol in June 2023.[45] It premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival where it was met with highly unfavorable critical reception, though Alex Barasch of The New Yorker commended Sennott as one of its "strong performances."[46] Sennott next appeared in the comedy film Susie Searches.[47]
On March 18, 2024, Deadline reported that Sennott had sold a half-hour comedy pilot to HBO, in which she is set to write, star, and executive produce. The show will reportedly follow a codependent friend group as they reunite after time spent apart.[49] Sennott appeared in the music video for Charli XCX's single "360", released May 10, 2024.[50]
Personal life
Sennott splits her time between Los Angeles and New York City.[51][52]
Filmography
Key
†
Denotes productions that have not yet been released
^Parker, Andrew (September 11, 2020). "Shiva Baby | TIFF 2020 Review". The GATE. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
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