Arts & Literature
![Sean Wilsey - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B001IR3D3A.jpg)
Hello, Molly!: A Memoir
A candid, compulsively readable, hilarious, and heartbreaking memoir of resilience and redemption by comedic genius Molly Shannon
At age four, Molly Shannon's world was shattered when she lost her mother, baby sister, and cousin in a car accident with her father at the wheel. Held together by her tender and complicated relationship with her grieving father, Molly was raised in a permissive household where her gift for improvising and role-playing blossomed alongside the fearlessness that would lead her to become a celebrated actress.
From there, Molly ventured into the wider world of New York and Los Angeles show business, where she created her own opportunities and developed her daring and empathetic comedy. Filled with behind-the-scenes stories involving everyone from Whitney Houston to Adam Sandler to Monica Lewinsky, many told for the first time here, Hello, Molly! spans Molly's time on Saturday Night Live-where she starred alongside Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Cheri Oteri, Tracy Morgan, and Jimmy Fallon, among many others. At the same time, it explores with humor and candor her struggle to come to terms with the legacy of her father, a man who both fostered her gifts and drive and was left with the impossible task of raising his kids alone after the loss of her mother.
Witty, winning, and told with tremendous energy and heart, Hello, Molly!, written with Sean Wilsey, sheds new and revelatory light on the life and work of one of our most talented and free-spirited performers.
At age four, Molly Shannon's world was shattered when she lost her mother, baby sister, and cousin in a car accident with her father at the wheel. Held together by her tender and complicated relationship with her grieving father, Molly was raised in a permissive household where her gift for improvising and role-playing blossomed alongside the fearlessness that would lead her to become a celebrated actress.
From there, Molly ventured into the wider world of New York and Los Angeles show business, where she created her own opportunities and developed her daring and empathetic comedy. Filled with behind-the-scenes stories involving everyone from Whitney Houston to Adam Sandler to Monica Lewinsky, many told for the first time here, Hello, Molly! spans Molly's time on Saturday Night Live-where she starred alongside Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Cheri Oteri, Tracy Morgan, and Jimmy Fallon, among many others. At the same time, it explores with humor and candor her struggle to come to terms with the legacy of her father, a man who both fostered her gifts and drive and was left with the impossible task of raising his kids alone after the loss of her mother.
Witty, winning, and told with tremendous energy and heart, Hello, Molly!, written with Sean Wilsey, sheds new and revelatory light on the life and work of one of our most talented and free-spirited performers.
Editorial Reviews
"Hello, Molly! paints a portrait of a resilient spirit persevering through tragedy and the cutthroat world of fame to build a fulfilling life for herself." -- Associated Press
"Molly Shannon's memoir is filled with mischief and pathos. . . . Shannon has an uncanny knack for transgression in pursuit of higher truth. . . . Parts are as plain and strong as Hemingway, with some internal monologues that are downright Joycean. Really. It's very sad and very, very funny. Redemptive and uplifting." -- New York Times
"[An] incredibly charming memoir...For every story of loss, of striving, and of doubling down in Hello, Molly!, there is also a determination to find joy and pleasure, to foster community, and to laugh." -- Time
"This memoir is life-changing. I laughed. I cried. Just like being with Molly herself." -- Amy Schumer
"I grew up fully recognizing the enormity of Molly Shannon's onscreen abilities-her absurdity, her chaos, but also her grace and humanity. All of these characteristics are effortlessly portrayed in one of the most achingly beautiful memoirs I have ever read. Hello, Molly! is proof that through our stories, our past, our losses, and our brokenness shines light. From the highly relatable struggles of trying to break through as a comedic actress, to SNL, to negotiating self-identity after fame, Hello, Molly! at its finest is a vulnerable, brutally honest, and unrestrained glimpse at the human condition: how the flaws of our loved ones and the darkness of our past will continue to define us." -- Awkwafina
"Heart-breaking and hilarious, Hello, Molly! is the most inspiring memoir I've ever read. Forget what you think you know about Molly Shannon. There is a reason she is one of the greatest comic actors working today. Her story is unbelievable and told with such a charming bluntness it made me choke on my coffee more than once...It is a glimpse into the mind of a true survivor, a lesson on how one turns trauma into art, and it might just have the secret to life and happiness." -- Aubrey Plaza
"A deep and brutally honest depiction of the strong and talented woman I know, who has been able to pull the positive out of every situation and turn massive hurt into humor. Every page flows with Molly's positive yet pragmatic philosophy of life, love, family, work, and art. Filled with touching and surprising anecdotes that teeter from the nostalgic ...
"Molly Shannon's memoir is filled with mischief and pathos. . . . Shannon has an uncanny knack for transgression in pursuit of higher truth. . . . Parts are as plain and strong as Hemingway, with some internal monologues that are downright Joycean. Really. It's very sad and very, very funny. Redemptive and uplifting." -- New York Times
"[An] incredibly charming memoir...For every story of loss, of striving, and of doubling down in Hello, Molly!, there is also a determination to find joy and pleasure, to foster community, and to laugh." -- Time
"This memoir is life-changing. I laughed. I cried. Just like being with Molly herself." -- Amy Schumer
"I grew up fully recognizing the enormity of Molly Shannon's onscreen abilities-her absurdity, her chaos, but also her grace and humanity. All of these characteristics are effortlessly portrayed in one of the most achingly beautiful memoirs I have ever read. Hello, Molly! is proof that through our stories, our past, our losses, and our brokenness shines light. From the highly relatable struggles of trying to break through as a comedic actress, to SNL, to negotiating self-identity after fame, Hello, Molly! at its finest is a vulnerable, brutally honest, and unrestrained glimpse at the human condition: how the flaws of our loved ones and the darkness of our past will continue to define us." -- Awkwafina
"Heart-breaking and hilarious, Hello, Molly! is the most inspiring memoir I've ever read. Forget what you think you know about Molly Shannon. There is a reason she is one of the greatest comic actors working today. Her story is unbelievable and told with such a charming bluntness it made me choke on my coffee more than once...It is a glimpse into the mind of a true survivor, a lesson on how one turns trauma into art, and it might just have the secret to life and happiness." -- Aubrey Plaza
"A deep and brutally honest depiction of the strong and talented woman I know, who has been able to pull the positive out of every situation and turn massive hurt into humor. Every page flows with Molly's positive yet pragmatic philosophy of life, love, family, work, and art. Filled with touching and surprising anecdotes that teeter from the nostalgic ...
Readers Top Reviews
A. ReaderkwcSusan L.
What a wonderful memoir. It was funny, it was sad, it was uplifting…… I had heard Molly Shannon on a podcast tell the story about sneaking on a plane as a child and flying to NYC. Her dad seemed like such a character to encourage this kind of stuff - I wanted to read the memoir to hear more about him! I was not disappointed lol. This was truly a great read.
bigmama
Great read. Molly was born and raised in Shaker Hts., Ohio (suburb of Cleveland). Loved her character Val on Will & Grace.
RF
Hello, Molly! By Molly Shannon; Sean Wilsey is an excellent memoir by one of my favorite actresses and comedians ever. I loved this! This was such a wonderful glimpse into the fascinating life of the complex, intriguing, and truly enjoyable woman of the hour: Molly Shannon. Through this book I was able to learn more about her childhood, some of the tragic, monumental, and pivotal events that shaped the woman that she later became. I also loved the moments where she delved into her Saturday Night Live days (those pages really brought me back to my own adolescence). This book really helped give me insight into such a wonderfully talented, and just a wonderful person overall, woman. 5/5 stars
Anna Goellner
I want more! Molly’s approach to life is energizing and inspiring. Her memoir brought me so much joy and really spoke of what it is to be a human in this world.
Shane Dane
memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, tellalls and then there's this. A compendium of love which is so well organized and pithy, one suspects she could have been a scientist. First, she loves everyone. Even says ok to some agent in LA who says don't do Mary Katherine Gallagher and her father who drunk drives his family out of existence and she still loves in and out of the closet. Thankful for Deb Palumbo's brother who always believed and to George Cheeks, an honest attorney. Mostly to you Molly, a marvelous experience.
