American actress with Mayo roots to be honoured with Oscar Wilde Award

American actress and comedian Molly Shannon will be honoured with an Oscar Wilde Award at the US-Ireland Alliance’s annual event. 

Held on 7 March at Bad Robot, the production company of JJ Abrams and Katie McGrath, the event is supported by Screen Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen. Shannon joins previously announced honourees Pierce Brosnan and Richie Baneham.

Trina Vargo, founder of the US-Ireland Alliance said, Molly’s Irish American characters on Saturday Night Live like Mary Katherine Gallagher and Sally O’Malley are iconic. The impact of her Irish ancestry on her life and career comes across in her 2022 New York Times bestselling memoir Hello, Molly!, as well as in the episode of Who Do You Think You Are? which took Molly back to her ancestral home of Achill, in Co Mayo. 

Shannon spent six seasons as a member of the repertory company on Saturday Night Live. In 2000, she received an Emmy nomination for 'Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.' Additionally, Molly was awarded the 2017 Independent Spirit Award for 'Best Supporting Actress' for her outstanding performance in the highly acclaimed drama Other People, written and directed by Chris Kelly.

On the silver screen, Shannon can most recently be seen starring opposite Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman in Zach Braff’s A Good Person. Other film credits include Tamara Jenkins’ Netflix film, Private Life alongside Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn, the Sundance favourite Wild Nights with Emily, Academy Award-nominated film, Promising Young Woman, opposite Carey Mulligan. The Little Hours, with Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Aubrey Plaza, and John C. Reilly; Fun Mom Dinner, Me, Earl and the Dying Girl, which won the Grand Jury Prize as well as the Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival; Life After Beth, Scary Movie 4 and Scary Movie 5; Hotel Transylvania and the sequel Hotel Transylvania 2; Bad Teacher, Superstar, based on a character created by Molly, Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette; Mike White’s Year of the Dog; Adam McKay’s Talladega Nights, Evan Almighty; How the Grinch Stole Christmas; A Night at the Roxbury, Analyze This, Happiness, Never Been Kissed, Serendipity, The Santa Clause 2 and Wet Hot American Summer.

On the small screen, Molly starred in Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider’s “The Other Two” which quickly became a fan favorite and Critics’ darling on HBO Max.

Her portrayal of the entrancingly hilarious Pat Dubek earned Molly a nomination in the comedy supporting actress category at the 2021 Critics’ Choice Awards. Shannon also starred in Showtime’s I Love That For You, which earned her a nomination in the supporting television actor category at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. In 2021, Shannon also received rave reviews for her role in Mike White’s critically acclaimed HBO limited series, The White Lotus. Additional television credits include the popular HBO comedy Divorce, opposite Sarah Jessica Parker; a recurring role on NBC’s Will & Grace, for which she received her second Primetime Emmy nominations, the Netflix miniseries Wet Hot American Summer, Seinfeld, Sex and the City,and guest arcs on HBO’s Getting On and Enlightened for which she received her third Emmy nomination.