What is Molly Shannon’s Net Worth?
Molly Shannon: Actress, Comedian, and Writer
Molly Shannon is a multi-talented American actress, writer, producer, and comedian with a net worth of $8 million.
Shannon rose to fame as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 1995 to 2001. She also starred in the “SNL” spin-off movies “A Night at the Roxbury” (1998) and “Superstar” (1999).
With over 120 acting credits to her name, Shannon has appeared in films such as “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (2006), “Life After Beth” (2014), “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” (2015), and “Other People” (2016). She has also been featured in television series such as “Will and Grace” (1999–2004; 2018–2020), “Kath & Kim” (2008–2009), “Enlightened” (2013), “Divorce” (2016–2019), and “The Other Two” (2019–present).
In addition to her acting career, Shannon has lent her voice to several animated projects, including “Igor” (2008), “Hotel Transylvania” (2012), “Hotel Transylvania 2” (2015), “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” (2018), “Neighbors from Hell” (2010), and “Spy Kids: Mission Critical” (2018).
Shannon is also credited as a writer and producer on “The Royal Wedding Live with Cord and Tish!” (2018), which she starred in with Will Ferrell. She produced “The 2018 Rose Parade Hosted by Cord & Tish” (2018) as well. Shannon made her Broadway debut in a 2010 production of “Promises, Promises,” and she published the children’s book “Tilly the Trickster” in 2011.
Early Life and Tragedy
Molly Shannon was born on September 16, 1964, in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Her mother, younger sister, and cousin were killed in a car accident when she was only 4 years old. Shannon’s father, who was driving the car while under the influence, was recovering in the hospital at the time. Shannon and her older sister, Mary, lived with their aunt after the tragedy. Shannon attended St. Dominic School and Hawken School before graduating from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1987.
Despite the tragedy, Shannon channeled her feelings into creating Mary Katherine Gallagher, a popular recurring character on “Saturday Night Live.” Shannon has spoken about the deep pain she felt as a child, saying “There’s no way that you could feel that type of deep pain about your mother and your sister being dead, so you just hold it all in, and it comes up later in life.”
Molly Shannon’s Career Highlights
Molly Shannon began her acting career in 1989 with a film debut in the horror remake of “The Phantom of the Opera” and went on to guest-star on popular shows such as “Twin Peaks,” “Ellen,” and “Sister, Sister” in the 1990s. She joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1995 and played memorable characters such as Mary Katherine Gallagher and Joyologist Helen Madden. During her time on the show, she also appeared in several films such as “Analyze This,” “Never Been Kissed,” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
After leaving “SNL” in 2001, Shannon continued to work in film and television, guest-starring on shows like “Sex and the City,” “Scrubs,” and “Glee,” and appearing in films such as “Evan Almighty,” “Bad Teacher,” and “Promising Young Woman.” She also starred in her own TV series, including “Kath & Kim” and “Divorce,” and had recurring roles on “Will & Grace” and “Enlightened.”
In recent years, Shannon has continued to work in both television and film, with notable roles in “The Other Two,” “The White Lotus,” and “A Good Person.” She has also received critical acclaim for her performance in the 2016 film “Other People” and her portrayal of Emily Dickinson in “Wild Nights with Emily” in 2018.
Molly Shannon’s Personal Life and Memoir
Molly Shannon married artist Fritz Chesnut in May 2004 and they have two children together, Stella and Nolan. In July 2021, Shannon announced that she is writing a memoir titled “Hello, Molly!” which will cover her childhood, early days in show business, time at SNL, and beyond.
Awards and Nominations
Shannon has been nominated for three Primetime Emmys and earned two Online Film & Television Association Award nominations. She won an Independent Spirit Award and a FilmOut Festival Award, and was honored with a Spotlight Award and an Excellence in Acting Award. “Will & Grace” won an Editor’s Choice award at the 2006 “TV Guide” Awards, and the “Happiness” cast won a National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble in 1998.
“Other People” earned Molly nominations from multiple awards including AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Awards Circuit Community Awards, Indiana Film Journalists Association, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards, and Gold Derby Awards. She also received a Gold Derby Award nomination for Comedy Guest Actress for “Will & Grace” (2018).
For “The Other Two,” Shannon has earned Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nominations from the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards and International Online Cinema Awards, and she received a Critics Choice Television Award nomination for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for “Enlightened” in 2013. She earned Blockbuster Entertainment Award nominations for Favorite Actress – Comedy for “Superstar” and Favorite Supporting Actress – Comedy for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and the “Hotel Transylvania” cast received a Behind the Voice Actors Award nomination for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Feature Film.
