Hello, Molly!

At the age of four, Molly Shannon lost her mother, her baby sister, and a cousin when a car accident occurred with her father at the wheel. She was then raised by that same grieving father, and their bond became the thread that held her childhood together. In a lenient household where she was free to invent characters and act out scenes, her talent for improvising grew, along with a fearlessness that would later carry her into acting.

Shannon then set out for the show business worlds of New York and Los Angeles, where she made her own openings and shaped a bold, empathetic style of comedy. Along the way she recounts behind-the-scenes encounters with figures including Whitney Houston, Adam Sandler, and Monica Lewinsky, many of which appear in print for the first time here.

A large part of the story unfolds during her years on Saturday Night Live, where she worked alongside Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Cheri Oteri, Tracy Morgan, Jimmy Fallon, and many others. She is best known for playing the character Mary Katherine Gallagher on the show.

Running alongside these chapters is a frank and funny look at her efforts to come to terms with her father's legacy. He nurtured her gifts and drive, yet he was left with the enormous task of raising his children alone after losing his wife. Written with Sean Wilsey, the book offers a new view of the life and work of one of comedy's most talented and free-spirited performers.