Rachel Sennott

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• Rachel Sennott's unapologetic ambition, noted by Molly Gordon, stems from a family environment where she felt she had to make space for herself and had no alternative career plan.  Copied to clipboard!
• Rachel Sennott found that her greatest creative breakthroughs often followed periods of 'rock bottom' or rejection, contrasting with the fear she feels when things are going well.  Copied to clipboard!
• Rachel Sennott and her close collaborators, including Molly Gordon and Emma Seligman, built their community and careers by creating their own opportunities outside of established school programs, exemplified by the low-budget production of *Shiva Baby*.  Copied to clipboard!
• Rachel Sennott attributes her drive to a family instilled belief that if she was going to pursue comedy, she had to fully commit because she had no other plan.  Copied to clipboard!
• The conversation highlights the unique challenges of growing up online, particularly for those on the Millennial/Zillennial cusp, regarding authenticity and external validation on social media.  Copied to clipboard!
• Amy Poehler and Rachel Sennott bond over the specific appeal of Los Angeles during the winter months, contrasting it with the year-round intensity of New York City.  Copied to clipboard!

Segments Expand All Collapse All

Molly Gordon Introduction and Praise

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(00:01:20)

• Key Takeaway: Molly Gordon, known for The Bear, is introduced as a close friend of Rachel Sennott, whom she refers to as her ‘wife’.
• Summary: Molly Gordon joins the show to provide insight into Rachel Sennott. Molly describes her relationship with Rachel as being legally married, talking every single day. Molly is currently prepping a movie she plans to direct and will send the script to Amy Poehler.

Tea Preferences and Coffee Habits

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(00:04:04)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott transitioned from drinking coffee heavily sweetened to preferring tea, which positively impacted her stomach health.
• Summary: Rachel prefers Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice, English Breakfast, or peppermint tea, while Amy favors Barry’s tea. Rachel noted that switching from heavily sugared coffee to tea improved her digestive health. The conversation also touched on the difficulty of finding public restrooms when experiencing coffee-induced urgency in Los Angeles.

Meeting Rachel Sennott

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(00:05:58)

• Key Takeaway: Amy Poehler and Rachel Sennott first met through director Emma Seligman, where Rachel initially mistook Amy for a more established actress.
• Summary: Emma Seligman arranged a breakfast meeting between Amy and Rachel. Rachel, who was primarily doing stand-up at the time, asked Amy many questions about being a ‘real actress.’ Amy was inspired by Rachel’s unapologetic ambition and honesty about her creative goals.

Molly’s Question on Ambition

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(00:07:17)

• Key Takeaway: Molly Gordon’s primary question for Rachel Sennott concerns the origin of her early, unapologetic confidence and ambition.
• Summary: Molly asked how Rachel developed her confidence, noting that Rachel stated she had written four scripts and knew exactly what she wanted early on. Rachel’s ambition encompassed creative pursuits, enjoying sex, having good meals, and cuddling with friends, rejecting the need to stick to one lane.

Shiva Baby Budget and London Fame

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(00:08:22)

• Key Takeaway: Shiva Baby was produced on a very small budget of approximately $200,000, which Rachel noted all went to Emma Seligman.
• Summary: The film Shiva Baby was made for about $199,000, though Rachel admitted she doesn’t know the final box office earnings due to its COVID release. Rachel and Emma joke that the film is disproportionately popular in London, where they feel like ’the Beatles.'

Molly’s Prompts for Rachel

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(00:09:38)

• Key Takeaway: Molly requested Amy ask Rachel about her first fingering experience and whether she plans to return to stand-up comedy.
• Summary: Molly specifically requested Amy prompt Rachel to tell the story of her first fingering experience, which Rachel confirmed she used to perform on stage. Molly also wants to know if Rachel will return to stand-up, believing that stage experience builds resilience.

Connecticut Identity and Family Sports Rivalry

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(00:19:16)

• Key Takeaway: Despite seeming like a Manhattan native, Rachel Sennott grew up in Connecticut and is fiercely loyal to the Boston Red Sox, leading to conflict when wearing a Yankees cap.
• Summary: Rachel confirmed she is a Red Sox fan, recounting an incident where her father scolded her for wearing her boyfriend’s Yankees cap. She noted that Connecticut is an ambiguous state regarding regional loyalties.

Early Performance Roles and Loudness

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(00:20:01)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott was cast in comedic, often marginalized roles like Madame Thenardier in Les Misérables because she was a loud child who lacked the vocal talent for the lead singing parts.
• Summary: Rachel wanted to play ingénue roles like Cosette but was consistently cast as the ‘witch or the head of the prostitute house’ due to her loud, non-singing presence. Amy related this to being a loud kid, suggesting that loudness is a form of taking up space that can later be refined into entertaining performance.

NYU Struggles and Finding Community

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(00:23:44)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott initially felt out of place in NYU’s serious acting program, leading her to seek opportunities in stand-up and student films where she connected with future collaborators like Io Debri.
• Summary: Rachel felt intimidated by her peers who seemed deeply committed to the program’s serious exercises, leading her to fail auditions for school improv and sketch groups. This rejection motivated her to find her own opportunities, like performing stand-up and doing student films, which is how she built her core creative community.

The Power of Flopping

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(00:25:32)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott views being able to ‘flop and not be scared’ as a superpower, noting that her best opportunities followed moments of hitting rock bottom.
• Summary: Rachel explained that she becomes terrified when she is ‘soaring,’ fearing a fall, but when she hits rock bottom—whether through rejection or personal turmoil—she lets go and finds momentum. This mindset allowed her to pursue projects like Shiva Baby despite initial funding hurdles.

First Stand-Up Experience

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(00:26:41)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott’s first stand-up set, encouraged by a date, was about that date fingering her, a joke she wrote with Moss Periconi.
• Summary: Rachel performed a joke about the fingering experience being like ’trying to trick a vending machine’ at a random open mic filled with older men. Although she felt she was ‘crushing’ due to the initial performance high, she admits she was bad for the next two years while chasing that first feeling.

Navigating Saturn Return

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(00:32:34)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott found her Saturn Return chaotic, involving depression and insecurity about her creative value, but ultimately led to her taking ownership of her projects like I Love LA.
• Summary: Rachel experienced a chaotic month during her Saturn Return, marked by a breakup and the need to say no to other opportunities to trust her gut on her own show. This period forced her to define her value outside of her work and embrace directing and showrunning.

Demystifying Directing and Creative Rooms

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(00:36:04)

• Key Takeaway: The creative process, particularly directing and showrunning, is often less secretive and more arbitrary than outsiders imagine, involving simple debates over technical choices.
• Summary: Rachel noted that the ‘secret room’ where things happen often consists of people arguing over basic decisions like shooting speed. She felt empowered to join these rooms and assert her own creative choices once she gained entry.

The Path of Shiva Baby

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(00:47:20)

• Key Takeaway: The feature film Shiva Baby was developed from a short film, and its funding was secured just one day before principal photography began.
• Summary: The film was developed concurrently with the initial idea for Bottoms. Raising the $200K budget was extremely difficult for the college-aged filmmakers until producer Rhiannon Jones provided a significant initial investment. Rachel experienced severe anxiety on set until Molly Gordon’s improvisational presence helped ground her in the scene.

Confidence Origin and Family Influence

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(00:54:41)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott’s confidence stems from a family expectation that if she committed to a path, she must follow through, leaving no room for alternative plans.
• Summary: The source of Sennott’s drive is traced back to her family’s attitude: ‘if you’re going to do it, then do it.’ She felt compelled to succeed because she lacked any other viable career option. This contrasts with her self-perception at the time as being insecure and anxious.

Marketing Interest and TikTok Skills

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(00:55:26)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott expressed a strong current interest in marketing, which Amy Poehler immediately connected to Sennott’s existing proficiency in social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter.
• Summary: Sennott revealed a desire to pursue marketing, noting her enjoyment of marketing calls and the ‘fabulous’ people involved. Poehler affirmed Sennott’s natural marketing talent, specifically citing her success on TikTok and Twitter. They briefly discussed a technical aspect of TikTok video speed manipulation.

Green Screen Tutorial Offer

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(00:56:04)

• Key Takeaway: Amy Poehler requested a tutorial from Rachel Sennott on how to use the green screen effect in video creation, which Sennott learned from Claire.
• Summary: Sennott expressed a desire to use green screen effects, where she talks in front of a picture, a technique Claire recently taught her. Poehler eagerly accepted the offer to be taught the technique during their session. They brainstormed using the green screen for analyzing outfits or other creative content.

Authenticity and External Feedback

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(00:57:08)

• Key Takeaway: Being authentically oneself can lead to contradictory public reactions, forcing creators to navigate whether to lean into positive feedback or resist negative critiques.
• Summary: Sennott described the dichotomy of being authentically herself: sometimes the audience rejects it, and other times they embrace a specific version of it, leading to the temptation to alter behavior based on reception. She noted that growing up online means having a lifetime of being observed and judged.

Generational Identity and COVID Impact

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(00:58:25)

• Key Takeaway: Sennott identifies as a ‘Zillennial cusp’ who missed formative developmental years occurring over Zoom, suggesting a difference in how her brain development was impacted compared to full Gen Z.
• Summary: The discussion touched upon generational labels, with Sennott claiming the ‘Zillennial cusp’ identity, feeling a mix of Millennial and Gen Z traits. She humorously noted getting lost in Gen Z trends like ‘skippity toilet’ because she did not experience kindergarten over Zoom. She also referenced the development of her frontal lobe occurring during COVID.

Loving Los Angeles in Winter

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(01:00:06)

• Key Takeaway: The best time to appreciate Los Angeles is during the winter months (January to April) when the weather allows for unique, cozy outdoor activities unavailable elsewhere.
• Summary: Amy Poehler admitted LA was ‘crushing’ her and sought reasons to love it, as she considered moving back to the East Coast. Sennott convinced her by detailing the perfect winter LA day: driving to the beach in Uggs and a hoodie, getting bagels, and enjoying the empty coastline. This winter experience is something that cannot be replicated in other locations.

Lightning Round: Career and Crying

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(01:04:09)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott admires Brittany Murphy’s career for her range and ability to be true to herself, and she recently cried after a manic search for a meaningful, old shirt.
• Summary: Sennott stated she has not done ayahuasca and confirmed that cigarettes are making a comeback as people wean off vapes. She admires Brittany Murphy’s career, noting her sparkly quality and range, which inspired her own desire to be both bold and sensitive. The crying episode was triggered by a panicked search for a specific shirt that represented a past life with an ex-boyfriend.

Coping Mechanisms and TikTok Feeds

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(01:09:29)

• Key Takeaway: Rachel Sennott and her friends use curated TikTok feeds shared between them as a way to connect, gauge each other’s emotional states, and find silly, shared humor.
• Summary: When needing a break, Sennott catches up on TikToks sent by her sisters and friends, viewing their curated feeds as watching ’their show.’ This practice helps her feel connected and silly, though sometimes her kids note her feed is ’too sad,’ indicating a period of emotional processing. They concluded by watching a funny TikTok featuring a girl in a pig head at a gender reveal.

Polar Plunge and Future Predictions

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(01:12:05)

• Key Takeaway: The final segment discussed Saturn’s return in astrology and Amy Poehler’s prediction that her next return will involve the first human-robot marriage on TV.
• Summary: The Polar Plunge segment explained Saturn’s return as an astrological event occurring around ages 20s, 50s, and 80s when Saturn aligns with its birth position. Poehler expressed looking forward to her next return, predicting societal changes like human-robot marriage and water scarcity. The segment concluded with sponsor acknowledgments for Visible and Hotels.com.