Actress and comedian, Molly Shannon, is best-known for the iconic characters she created during her six years on Saturday Night Live, including awkward Catholic school girl Mary Catherine Gallagher and NPR radio host Terri Rialto. Since leaving SNL in 2001, she has continued to thrive as an actress, accruing more than 100 additional film and TV credits.
Behind Molly Shannon’s famously energetic and charismatic on-screen persona, however, hides a painful past. At just four years old, Molly’s world was torn apart when her mother, baby sister, and cousin died in a car accident with her father at the wheel. Her distraught father, who had been driving under the influence, was badly injured. He had to relearn how to walk and faced the enormous challenge of raising Molly and her sister alone. Determined not to allow tragedy to define her, Molly found refuge in improvisation and comedy, which eventually led her to the stages and film sets of New York and Los Angeles.
Watch this entertaining and enlightening session as Molly Shannon shares the intimate details of her journey to Hollywood fame, including behind-the-scenes stories of many of her famous peers. From the pages of her heartfelt memoir HELLO, MOLLY!, Molly speaks candidly about how she found the strength and courage to live a life of joy despite the deep sadness she carries.
