Molly Shannon Quotes

Powerful Molly Shannon for Daily Growth

About Molly Shannon

Molly Helen Shannon, an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer, was born on July 16, 1964, in Sharon, Massachusetts, to Gerald Shannon, a factory worker, and Peggy Shannon, a homemaker. Raised in a large Irish Catholic family, her early years were filled with laughter and storytelling, laying the foundation for her future career in comedy. Molly moved to New York City at age 19 to attend the School of Visual Arts but soon found her calling in improvisational comedy, joining Chicago's Second City Theatre. Here, she honed her skills alongside future Saturday Night Live (SNL) cast members such as Tina Fey and Steve Carell. In 1995, Shannon joined SNL as a cast member, where she created memorable characters like "Mariah Carey" and "Sally O'Malley." In 2001, Molly left SNL to focus on film projects, including her critically acclaimed performance in the movie "Wet Hot American Summer" (2001). She also starred in "Scary Movie 3" (2003) and "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" (2011), among others. In 2015, she returned to SNL as a host and received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Shannon has also ventured into writing and producing. She co-created and starred in the HBO series "Divorce" (2016–2019), earning praise for her portrayal of a woman navigating a long-term marriage's end. Molly Shannon continues to make audiences laugh while exploring complex, relatable characters on both the big and small screen. Her unique comedic style and emotional depth have solidified her as a beloved figure in the entertainment industry.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I always wanted to be a part of something magical."

This quote by Molly Shannon expresses her desire to be involved in something extraordinary, enchanting, or captivating – something that transcends the ordinary and taps into our collective sense of wonder and imagination. It suggests an individual driven by a passion for creativity, beauty, and experiences that leave a lasting impact.


"I want to touch people's hearts and make them laugh."

This quote highlights Molly Shannon's intention as a performer, specifically an actor or comedian. She seeks to emotionally connect with her audience, touching their hearts through the shared experience of her performances, while also bringing laughter and joy into their lives. It suggests that she believes in using humor as a means of healing, strengthening bonds, and uplifting people's spirits.


"You just have to love yourself first and then others will follow suit."

This quote emphasizes self-love as a foundational step in building relationships with others. The suggestion is that before we can genuinely care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. By loving ourselves, we cultivate a positive sense of self-worth, which naturally attracts love from others. In essence, the quote underscores the importance of personal growth and self-acceptance as key ingredients in forming meaningful connections with others.


"I think everyone has a bit of an oddball inside of them, even if they don't show it."

This quote suggests that everyone, regardless of their outward appearance or behavior, possesses unique, quirky, or unconventional aspects within themselves. These "oddball" traits may not always be visible to others, but they are an essential part of each individual's identity. The quote encourages people to embrace these personal idiosyncrasies and accept their inner oddities as a testament to their individuality.


"Life is too short to be unhappy or to waste time on things that don't make you happy."

The quote by Molly Shannon underscores the importance of prioritizing happiness in life, implying that our precious time should not be spent on activities or situations that do not bring us joy. In essence, it encourages individuals to seek out what truly makes them happy, avoid unnecessary unhappiness, and cherish their time for personal growth and fulfillment.


I lead a very normal life. I'm just so happy being a mother that everything else revolves around that. If a movie falls through or a TV show doesn't get picked up, I'm pretty easygoing about it because I'm just like, 'Yay, I get to be with my kids more!'

- Molly Shannon

Through, Very, TV, Revolves

I used to get painful crushes on really unavailable guys.

- Molly Shannon

Used, Get, Guys, Crushes

People would be like, 'Oh, 'Saturday Night Live' is such a stepping stone!' And I remember being like, 'A stepping stone?! This is my everything! I could just stop right here! This is the pinnacle!'

- Molly Shannon

I Remember, Here, Saturday, Stone

I went to NYU drama school, so I was a very serious actress. I used to do monologues with a Southern accent, and I was really into drama and drama school. And then, in my last year of drama school, I did a comedy show, and the show became a big hit on campus.

- Molly Shannon

Southern, Very, Became, Monologues

I think things get a lot better after high school. I think the ones that struggle during that time tend to have better experiences after.

- Molly Shannon

Think, Experiences, I Think, Struggle

I guess I have a positive attitude about divorce because I have some friends who've gotten divorced, and I'm like, 'Well, if it's better, then - good!'

- Molly Shannon

Positive Attitude, Some, Divorced

I'm very driven by writing. Coming from 'Saturday Night Live,' because it's such a writing job, and we all write our parts on the show and create characters, I'm so respectful of good writing.

- Molly Shannon

Saturday, Show, Very, Respectful

When I was 12, my friend and I tried to sneak onto a plane from my hometown of Cleveland to New York City! My dad encouraged us - he was a wild guy, big on jokes.

- Molly Shannon

City, Big, Plane, Cleveland

If you can write and create original characters, do your own show, develop your own material, it gives you more power than just waiting around to be hired.

- Molly Shannon

Waiting, Original, More, Hired

I just try to laugh at the little things. Like, I'm always amazed by how long it takes two kids to get dressed and out the door. Every morning I say, 'Come on! Let's go! Five minutes!' And they're still in their underwear. Or they say they're ready, but they're not wearing shoes.

- Molly Shannon

Door, Long, Two, Underwear

Without a doubt, the worst part of being a mom is having to floss my kids' teeth every night. It's so tedious.

- Molly Shannon

Night, Part, Having, Every Night

I'm no way one of those comedians who want to do drama. I really do love comedies. I hope to go back to it.

- Molly Shannon

Love, Want, Go, Comedies

I think I'm a really hard worker, and I feel like my attitude is to just enjoy the process of being creative and developing and 'just throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and see what sticks.'

- Molly Shannon

Feel, Against, I Think, Sticks

I've definitely read stuff that I've been offered where I've been like, 'I can't do this. I think somebody would be better in this than me.' I don't want to do something if I don't feel like I can do a good job serving the material.

- Molly Shannon

Feel, Been, I Think, Serving

She's true to herself and she's determined. She has things going against her, but she forges ahead despite all of that. I think that's encouraging. She's got some problems, but she has hope and tries to plow through things. I think that's a good role model.

- Molly Shannon

Through, Some, Tries, Herself

I used to watch 'SNL' when I was babysitting, after I put the kids to bed. It was the Gilda Radner and Bill Murray era. I loved it.

- Molly Shannon

Bed, Used, Bill, Babysitting

I had to babysit a lot when I was in high school, and I missed a lot of parties. I felt this longing, like, 'Oh no, I'm going to miss meeting the love of my life at that party!' I feel like that's very Mary Katherine Gallagher.

- Molly Shannon

Love, My Life, Very, Longing

My dad was a real fun guy, and despite his personal problems, he was a great father. It wasn't easy, but he did a good job of raising my sister Mary and I all by himself.

- Molly Shannon

Father, Raising, Dad, Sister

I went to drama school at New York University.

- Molly Shannon

New York, Drama, New, Drama School

When I see a mom embarrassed because her kid is having a temper tantrum, I'm like, 'Please! Do you think I've never gone through that?' Women tend to be too hard on themselves.

- Molly Shannon

Kid, Through, Embarrassed, Tantrum

Losing my mom at such a young age had a profound effect on my life.

- Molly Shannon

Mom, My Life, Young, Young Age

Mary Katherine Gallagher is an exaggerated version of me, how I felt when I was little.

- Molly Shannon

How, Katherine, Exaggerated, Version

I love comedy, but I did always consider myself a dramatic comedian.

- Molly Shannon

Love, Always, I Love, Comedian

The love of a parent, that connection, it's eternal.

- Molly Shannon

Love, Parent, Eternal, Connection

There was a period where I stopped auditioning because I was like, 'I don't have the heart.' There's just so much rejection.

- Molly Shannon

Like, Period, Stopped, Auditioning

I never think I want to try to be funny. And humor, if there is anything funny, should come from a real place.

- Molly Shannon

Think, Want, Come, Real Place

I actually went to college with Adam Sandler. He was a dramatic actor, too!

- Molly Shannon

College, Actor, Actually, Dramatic

I like both movies and TV, so I don't have some big grand plan.

- Molly Shannon

Movies, Big, Some, Grand

I definitely have loads of respect for writers and the art of writing.

- Molly Shannon

Art, Writing, Definitely, Loads

When I was on 'Saturday Night Live,' all I did was work.

- Molly Shannon

Work, Night, Saturday Night, Saturday

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