My Review:

Hello Molly! is a one sitting read that brings tears of joy and sadness. Molly reveals moments of her unconventional upbringing by her single dad, recognizing all that she missed. She also recalls her crazy journey toward an incredible career, the hysterical characters she created, her many genius SNL skits and memories of a bizarre incident with Gary Coleman! With the loss of her mother, baby sister and cousin at age 4, due to a car accident where her father was driving, Molly’s guide was her disabled father who didn’t always give her the sound advice one would expect. Mostly acting as friends rather than father – daughter, Molly managed to achieve great success on her own, her dad becoming her biggest fan. The comic genius recalls time at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in the 1980s, cutting school, shoplifting, auditioning and performing.

With insight, the heartwarming stories provide a lens into Molly’s positivity, humor and charm. I highly recommend this memoir and really enjoyed the childhood stories, the walk down SNL’s memory lane and my google searches that brought up snippets of Mary Katherine Gallagher and Sally O’Malley, just to name a few!

Videos:

I love these videos of Molly Shannon in action on SNL, and her more recent interview with David Spade. She was also a favorite of mine in HBO’s Divorce with Sarah Jessica Parker.

50 Years Old- Sally O’Malley

Whitney Houston – Mary Katherine Gallagher

David Spade chats with Molly Shannon

SJP and Molly Shannon

About the Author:

MOLLY SHANNON is an actress and comedian. She spent six seasons as a member of the repertory company on Saturday Night Live, primarily known for the eclectic characters she created, such as Mary Katherine Gallagher and Sally O’Malley. In 2000, she received an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.” In 2017, she was awarded the Independent Spirit Award for “Best Supporting Actress” for her performance in the highly acclaimed drama Other People, written and directed by SNL writer, Chris Kelly. Molly can currently be seen in the Netflix drama, Horse Girl, alongside Alison Brie and directed by Jeff Baena; as well as recently making a hilarious cameo role in the film, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. She will next be seen in the crime drama, Promising Young Woman, with Carey Mulligan and Bo Burnham. Molly Shannon was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Molly earned a BFA in drama from New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. She currently lives in California with her husband and two children.