CLEVELAND, OH — Molly Shannon, the Cleveland-born actress and comedian, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Superstar , the cult classic film that brought her iconic Saturday Night Live (SNL) character, Mary Katherine Gallagher, to the big screen. In a recent interview with Vogue , Shannon reflected on her journey with the character, her career, and the enduring legacy of Superstar . For the Shaker Heights native, this milestone is more than just a career highlight; it’s a testament to hard work, resilience, and staying connected to her roots.
Born in 1964 in Cleveland, Shannon grew up in a close-knit Irish Catholic family in Shaker Heights. She attended St. Dominic School and later graduated from Hawken School in 1983. In her memoir 'Hello, Molly!' Shannon fondly recalls her Cleveland upbringing and the influence the city had on her sense of humor and resilience. She has often spoken about the personal hardship she faced at a young age, particularly the tragic loss of her mother, younger sister, and cousin in a car accident when she was just four years old. In her Tell Me About Your Father podcast interview, Shannon reflected on the accident: "It felt like life as I knew it changed in a split second," she said. "It was confusing, I didn't really understand what death was, so I went into a little bit of a fantasy waiting, thinking she [her mom] would come back."
Shannon’s father, Jim Shannon, took on the role of raising Molly and her sister after the accident. His influence was profound, encouraging her creativity and sense of humor. "My dad was very silly in the house," Shannon shared during the Tell Me About Your Father podcast. "He would’ve loved to have been an actor. He liked making everything a game, so he really encouraged that silliness and performing and making stuff up, he made everything fun." Shannon has often credited her father’s playful spirit as a key influence on her later work, particularly the boldness she embraced in characters like Mary Katherine Gallagher and Sally O’Malley, who always strived for greatness despite their flaws.
Jim Shannon’s penchant for "shenanigans" extended to daring his daughter and her friend to sneak onto a flight to New York City when they were just tweens, a story Shannon reenacted with that same childhood friend during the Tell Me About Your Father event. These acts of boldness and fearlessness fueled Shannon’s creativity and inspired her to push boundaries, both in her personal life and her career.
After high school, Shannon left Cleveland to attend New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, where she began to hone her craft. It was during her time at NYU that she developed the character of Mary Katherine Gallagher during an audition for a comedy show. “I created Mary during my audition for The Follies, which was this midnight comedy show at a little black box theater at NYU,” she recalled in her Vogue interview. The character, a socially awkward Catholic schoolgirl with big dreams, eventually became a fan favorite on SNL, leading to the 1999 film Superstar, where Mary Katherine’s awkward charm and relentless determination to become famous took center stage.
Superstar earned modest box office success upon its release, but its legacy has grown over the years. It has since become a cult classic, with fans still quoting the film to Shannon decades later. “People will come up to me on the street and yell ‘Superstar!’ or they’ll tell me how much they related to Mary Katherine Gallagher,” Shannon told Vogue. “There’s a pureness of spirit with Mary, and I think that’s why people connected with her.”
Beyond Superstar, Shannon’s acting career has been marked by versatility. She has balanced comedic roles with more serious, emotionally resonant performances. In 2016, she earned critical acclaim for her role in Other People, where she portrayed a mother battling cancer in a poignant, semi-autobiographical film by Chris Kelly. Her performance earned her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress. “I was so proud of that movie,” Shannon said in an interview with Cleveland.com in 2022. “It was an emotional role, and it gave me the chance to show a different side of myself as an actor.”
In addition to her work on screen, Shannon has also made an impact as an author. Her 2022 memoir Hello, Molly! became a bestseller, offering a deeper look into her life, particularly her experiences growing up in Cleveland and dealing with the early loss of her mother. “Writing the book was cathartic for me,” Shannon said during an interview. “It was a way to honor my family, my mom, and my dad, and to share more about the things that have shaped me.”
Throughout her successful career in Hollywood, Shannon has remained closely connected to her Cleveland roots. On a return trip to the city in 2022 for a book tour stop at the Cuyahoga County Public Library, Shannon reminisced about local Cleveland favorites like Corky & Lenny’s and Stouffer’s, mentioning how wonderful it is to include references her fellow Clevelanders would appreciate. “It’s such a special place, and the people there are so real and funny and down-to-earth.” She has often credited her upbringing in the city with shaping her strong work ethic and resilience. “There’s something about being from Cleveland that makes you strong and gives you a good sense of humor,” she said.
As she celebrates 25 years of Superstar and reflects on her long and varied career, Molly Shannon continues to be a shining example of Cleveland excellence. Whether it’s her early days in comedy or her critically acclaimed dramatic roles, she has remained grounded in the lessons she learned growing up in the Midwest.
Superstar (1999) can be streamed free on Paramount Plus.
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