The Real Reason Molly Shannon's Career Faded After 'SNL'
Yes, 'Saturday Night Live' can serve as a big launching pad for an actor or actresses career, however, it doesn't always work that way.
Chris Kattan was a loved cast member, though his career never really took off after the show. Even some of the top sitcom stars in the world such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus hated their stint on the show, though she was still able to thrive elsewhere. Heck, the likes of JIm Carrey got turned down by 'SNL'...
Molly Shannon is another celeb that falls under this category. She was legendary during her run on the show in the '90s, especially for her portrayal of Mary Katherine Gallagher, which would lead to the film 'Superstar'.
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Despite her success, Shannon had a quieter career, but it seems like there is a reason for it.
What Happened To Molly Shannon's Career After 'SNL'?
Molly Shannon was a huge fan favorite during time on 'SNL'. Like so many others on the show such as Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, and others, fans expected Molly Shannon's career to take off following her time on the show. However, Molly Shannon had different plans, as we'll reveal, she didn't want to use it as a stepping-stone and instead, that chapter of her career was something she wanted as a highlight.
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In truth, Shannon's journey into comedy was an unlikely one, especially given tragedy that would strike during her childhood. "There is no way to know exactly what happened that night, though my gut tells me he fell asleep at the wheel," writes Shannon, now 57. "But would he have fallen asleep without the drinking? It still keeps me up at night sometimes but, in the end, all that is relevant is that it changed our lives forever." The accident would lead to the passing of her mother and sister when she was only four.
It was a chicken cacciatore joke that convinced Molly to get into comedy, she told her friend's mom, “have the chicken, but I don’t want any of the cacciatore," which got serious laughs from the group. That was only the start to quite the career.
Molly Shannon Had Different Career Aspirations After The Show
'SNL' was everything for Shannon and thinking of it as a launching pad was not part of her identity. Alongside Collider,Shannon discussed why her career faded following the show and in truth, it had a lot to do with different goals.
"When I left, I wasn't leaving to go do something else. 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. I felt really great, that I had a good run. And if anything, I left to have more of a personal life."
"Isn't that funny? I think some people feel like they can only leave with some big plan. I was not like that at all. I more wanted to relax, and have time to have coffee with friends. And I felt like I was working so hard all the time I was there, that I wanted a little break."
She had an epic journey on the show and in truth, she loved every bit of it.
What Was Molly Shannon's 'SNL' Experience LIke?
Looking back on her career, Shannon made it clear, the experience was not a stepping-stone and instead, it was truly everything to her. Following the time spent, there wasn't anything more she wanted to do.
"This is my be all and end all island. The fact that I got this far could be enough for me forever for my whole life. It exceeded all my expectations. So I never thought of the job that way. I was like this is a fantastic job in television. This is just the coolest. It's live television, variety. Lorne Michaels is a legend. There's nothing like it. I'm working with this great group of people. There was nowhere I wanted to go."
Although she took a step back, Shannon is keeping extremely busy these days, with a huge tell-all memoir set to be released. In addition, she's working on a new TV series, 'I Love That for You', along with another project in the post-production phase, 'A Good Person'. Great to see the talented actress still active in the business in different types of roles.
