Molly Shannon

MOLLY SHANNON

Date of Birth: September 16, 1964

Molly Shannon was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio. At the age of 4, her mother, sister and a cousin died in a car accident. Molly told People magazine, "I spent time [at the hospital] trying to make the other kids laugh, figuring that they had it worse than me." In fact, Molly "came from a sad place, and the only way I could make peace with it was by making others laugh."

Raised by her father, Molly now admits to being a "bad" girl—not "dirty"—but "bad." After graduating from high school, she attended and obtained a B.F.A. from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Moving to Los Angeles, she created the "Rob & Molly Show" with Rob Muir at the Up Front Comedy Theater.

Molly Shannon joined Saturday Night Live in early 1995 as a featured player. By the end of September she was promoted to cast member status.

Since joining SNL, Molly has received considerable recognition for the many funny and memorable characters and impressions she has brought to the show. Some of her recurring characters include the Catholic school girl Mary Katherine Gallagher, joyologist Helen Madden, and a member of the moral-teaching group The Rocky Roads. On SNL, she has also performed numerous impressions of famous people, including Minnie Driver, Michelle Kwan, Monica Lewinsky, Courtney Love, Madonna, Liza Minnelli, Marie Osmond, Lisa Marie Presley, Baby Spice, and Shania Twain.

In 2001, Molly left SNL to concentrate on her film career and has been working steadily since with small roles in Bad Teacher (2011), Casa de mi Padre (2012) and the animated feature Hotel Transylvania (2012) voicing the character named Wanda. She reprised her role in the two sequels, Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) and Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018). Onscreen, she played a supporting role in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) and in the Netflix original comedy series, Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later (2017).

Molly has two children with her husband, Fritz Chestnut.

Filmography

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018) (voice)
Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later (2017)
Miles (2016)
Other People (2016)
Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) (voice)
Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant (2015)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
Addicted to Fresno (2015)
Life After Beth (2014)
Trust Me (2013)
Scary Movie 5 (2013)
Hotel Transylvania (2012) (voice)
Casa de mi Padre (2012)
Bad Teacher (2011)
What Goes Up (2009)
Safety Glass (2008)
Igor (2008) (voice)
Evan Almighty (2007)
Year of the Dog (2007)
Marie-Antoinette (2006)
Shut Up and Sing (2006)
Scary Movie 4 (2006)
Good Boy! (2003)
My Boss's Daughter (2003)
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Shallow Hal (2001)
Serendipity (2001)
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Osmosis Jones (2001)
My 5 Wives (2000)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Never Been Kissed (1999)
Analyze This (1999)
Superstar (1999)
Happiness (1998)
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
Dinner and Driving (1997)
Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996)
Return to Two Moon Junction (1994)
The Phantom of the Opera (1989)