How ‘SNL’ Alum Molly Shannon Healed After Her Mom’s Tragic Death
Molly Shannon is one of the many skilled and hysterical actors that have been cast on Saturday Night Live over the years. Shannon is often best remembered for her roles in blockbusters like Never Been Kissed and Superstar, but when it came to her time on SNL, Shannon shared that the experience helped her heal after her mom’s tragic death.
Molly Shannon’s tragic experience with loss
Shannon is such a positive force and comedy legend, it is hard to believe that the star has been through serious tragedy. Shannon got candid and opened up about her experiences with loss in Hello, Molly!, the actor’s memoir that debuted last year.
At just the age of four, Shannon lost her mother, young sister, and cousin in a car accident. The actor’s father who had been driving under the influence suffered grave injuries but ultimately survived the crash.
In her interview with LA Times, Shannon reflected on the life-changing tragedy and what life looked like after. While her father recovered in the hospital, Shannon and her sister stayed with their aunt, and she recalls the anger she felt during this time.
The Other People star explained, “The life that we left was not the same life we were coming back into. It just felt like everything was different. And I wanted my aunt to do stuff like my mom. I was like, ‘No, my mom cuts the crust like that'”. Over the years, Shannon found a community and family within the world of theatre, but the star’s devastating past has shaped a lot of her perspective and career.
Mary Katherine Gallagher, one of Shannon’s most memorable characters to appear on Saturday Night Live, was actually largely influenced by her grief and experience with death at such a young age. When it comes to the infamous character, Shannon shared, she “was really based on me, how I felt after the accident — really nervous, accident-prone, wanting to please, f— up but full of hope”.
The star added, “I just exaggerated everything I felt as a little girl and turned it into a character.” Shannon originally created Mary Katherine Gallagher for a comedy improv show, and then had so much success with the awkward character on SNL, that the fictional catholic school girl even went on to get her very own movie, Superstar.
Shannon shocked many people in 2001 when she decided to leave Saturday Night Live. It wasn’t so much her decision as the star’s reasoning. Instead of moving on to her next project or role, Shannon explained, “I was just leaving because I wanted to spend more time with my dad, and I wanted to have kids, and date more. And I just wanted to have personal time. So I wasn’t leaving to have some plan to go somewhere. I just wasn’t at all.” Talk about a one-of-a-kind girl.
The actor’s healing journey
Shannon‘s fans are grateful for Mary Katherine Gallagher, and, in all reality, every role Shannon has ever played, but the actor’s path wasn’t always an easy one. Since opening up about the tragedy that shaped so much of her childhood, Shannon has shared what has helped her on her journey to healing.
MPR News recapped Shannon’s profound and wise words on the devastating circumstances. As Shannon put it, “I think getting to live beyond the years that my mom lived is just profoundly healing, and I don’t take any of it for granted. I’m so grateful. I get to watch my kids grow up, and my mom didn’t get to watch me grow up. And it’s just, I think that she would be so happy for me.” Shannon’s ability to be real and vulnerable is just one of the many reasons so many people love her.
What has Molly Shannon been up to recently?
In addition to recently publishing her memoir, Shannon has stayed booked and busy. Recently, the actor’s fans and followers got to enjoy watching Shannon in season one of The White Lotus as Kitty Patton.
Over the past few years, Shannon has worked on Bob’s Burgers as Millie, played Jackie in I Love That for You, and will soon take on the role of Diane in the film A Good Person.
