Will Ferrell recalls the first time Molly Shannon debuted Mary Catherine Gallagher on SNL
The Shrink Next Door star takes some time to flip through the SNL memory book
Aux News Will Ferrell
Under the radar comedian Will Ferrell—you may have heard of him—has carved out a lengthy career as a film actor, with titles such as Talladega Nights, Anchorman, Zoolander, Land Of The Lost, and Step Brothers. But did you know he was also a beloved member of Lorne Michael’s little late night sketch series Saturday Night Live? It’s true, it’s true.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ferrell walks through his lengthy career which began on stage at Saturday Night Live in 1995.
When recalling his favorite SNL memory, he manages to narrow it down to the exact moment he heard the audience break out in riotous laughter when Molly Shannon debuted her Mary Catherine Gallagher character. Shannon premiered Gallagher at a particularly tough time for the sketch show, and Ferrell says he found reassurance in this moment.
“And that was the first time I heard the audience really shriek, and I still get goosebumps thinking about it,” Ferrell says. “I just remember it being, like, ’Oh, wow, I think we might be OK here.’”
Shannon and Ferrell would later star in the 1999 spin-off film Superstar, all about the tree-kissing, finger-smelling, clumsy Catholic school girl Mary Catherine Gallagher. Ferrell co-starred as Gallagher’s dreamy school crush, Sky Corrigan, with fellow SNL alum Mark McKinney featured in a small role as a priest.
Ferrells also recalls when one critic called him “the most annoying newcomer” upon his entry into SNL in 1995. This only fueled his comedic fire, so much so he had the quote etched on a nameplate and hung on his office door.
“You have a choice with that stuff: to read it and believe it,” he says, “or to just laugh at it but also kind of dig in and go, ‘Oh, you hate me? You haven’t even begun to hate me.’ And that’s my competitive side, that, ‘Oh, just wait, I’m going to go at it even harder.’”
Ferrell’s next project is Apple TV+’s dark comedy series, The Shrink Next Door, in which psychiatrist Paul Rudd weasels his way into Ferrell’s life with the intent of exploiting him. The Shrink Next Door arrives to Apple TV+ on November 12.
60 Comments
This was the first time she debuted the character? Not the second, third or fourth debut of the character?
Sorry, I just want to make sure I remember how words work.
Did anyone besides me think this was the dumbest recurring character in SNL history?
Gilly on line 1. Goat Boy holding on line 2.
Even as a dumb little kid, Martin and Ackroyd’s “2 wild and crazy guys” bit was like nails on a chalkboard.
I may get crucified by the 50-and-over crowd, but Belushi’s Samurai hasn’t aged well either (because it wasn’t that funny to begin with)
I’m old and if you ask me, Belushi has never been funny. But men aren’t funny.See what I did there? 😜
I see what you did there and I agree. Belushi was rarely funny on SNL and only a little bit after.
quite precocious, i do declare!
Aww, I liked their finger-dance walk thing.
She’s probably not even top 5, Mr. Peepers, The kid in the bathtub that Michael Myers played, The one where Jimmy Fallon couldn’t keep from laughing, the other one where Jimmy Fallon couldn’t keep from laughing.
It’s like everyone forgot Mango.
x1000 on Gilly and Goat Boy – also, Ed Grimley (Martin Short) and Opera Man (Adam Sandler) should also be deleted from the archives.
I like a-Opera man, that’s-a no lieTo your opinion: Bye-byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye
And yes, goat boy.
No, and it’s not even close. I love Julia Sweeney, but Pat overstayed their welcome by about ten years.
10 years? No way. Julia Sweeney was only on SNL for four years. I’d say Pat overstayed its welcome for roughly 17 years. Ten isn’t enough to cover it.
And the joke of Pat is definitely something that wouldn’t fly well today.
Not that you mention Pat with an appropriate pronoun it makes me want to re-watch some of those becuase I think they might have an unexpected relevance in a modern context. Thinking of Pat with a non-binary pronoun destroys the premise of the joke but also kinda exposes that premise for the bullshit that it was (and still is for many people). I doubt any of that was intentional but it might be interesting to watch. But anyway, as far as overstaying it’s welcome Pat is definitely up there. for me it’s Target Lady but at least she didn’t get a movie…
Pat started out amusing, then got old.MCG sucked from sketch one.
I hated Mary Catherine Gallagher enough that it bled into me just generally not liking Molly Shannon.
Really low and unfair opinion of her after this, and the cheerleader shit. Ferrell suffered from it, too… Anchorman had to win me over. Ad it did! …So what’s my opinion worth, anyway? I’m gonna stop typing now…
Yeah, I thought Ferrell was way too loud and stupid on SNL too. Actually, despite being just the right age for SNL around this time, I thought most of the cast was pretty bad. I have a lot more nostalgia for it now, possibly because Ferrell and a few others have had much better post SNL output.
At the time I thought they were very screamy and one-note, with a few exceptions like Ana Gasteyer and Tim Meadows. In recent rewatches I’m more at peace with them (still not that into Kattan though).
Molly Shannon is a god damned national treasure.
I thought those shrieks must have been piped in.
Non-Kattan category, I assume?
Because how Mango or Mr. Peepers got a second airing is beyond me.
Mr Peepers is comedy gold.It’s like I don’t even know you any more.
OK, yes – once.
As one of my teachers once told me, first time it’s funny, second time it’s silly, and third time’s a spanking.
Props for the Johnny Dangerously reference. Underrated classic. “Hey Ace, I’ll have a popcorn, a milk duds, and a whitefish.”
I may have to subject my kids to that one this weekend. Straight-up hysterical. And probably the last really good thing Piscopo did.
Last/first/only good thing.
She looked kind of like that.
Probably not.But we can all agree that Mike Myers Simon character was truly incredible. Could never get away with such an amazing bit today.
Dumbest recurring character? I’d give the nod to the far-overplayed Ed Grimley. I think they did about 150 sketches with him in it, and yet Martin Short was only on SNL for one year.
They even made an Ed Grimley kids cartoon. I was a kid who loved SNL and I couldn’t figure out why. I thought it was some kind of adult humor I just didn’t understand, but the character was just bad. Now I recognize Martin Short as a comedy genius, but I still don’t get that character. Closest I can think is he was trying to ride on Pee-Wee Herman’s coattails but failed miserably.
There have been way worse.
Were there any smart recurring characters?In fact, what would you consider good recurring characters? Wayne and Garth are tops for me, but that’s more based on the movies than the actual sketches.
Hans and Franz
Is that smart or good?I heard that Conan and Robert Smigel had written a Hans and Franz movie that never got made. Not sure it would have been much better than Night at the Roxbury.
I liked Billy Crystal and Christopher Knight’s Willie and Frankie, who just talk about the dumb ways they’ve injured themselves and act like it’s something that just happens like stubbing your toe.
You haven’t watched enough SNL over the years (I mean, consider yourself lucky) if that’s the single dumbest recurring character you’ve seen.
Nope, just you, buddy. 😀
I was all keyed up to emphatically agree with you until I read some of the responses and was reminded of some truly irritating recurring characters.Still, I think that MCG felt particularly annoying to me because when the character debuted, I was right at that age where it was super cool to stay up late and watch SNL. As a result, half of my classmates were doing their best (worst) MCG impressions at school the following Monday, which was… quite taxing to witness.
Yeah, I’d forgotten about some gems such as the copier machine guy, Mango, Simon, and a few others. Canteen Boy, Goat Boy
I didn’t love the character, but I did laugh pretty hard when Tina Turner is helping her to perform and says something like “I want you to find it! Reach deep down inside yourself…” and Mary Catherine cuts her off with “My mom told me never to do that.” High school me loved that joke.
Whats up with that: hold my beer. Or Ferrell and Kataan Roxbury brothers.
Greenerino, the Soyster. Eatin people with Senor Soylerino
I’ve mellowed on her over the years, but at the time she annoyed the hell out of me. I think it’s how labored the whole thing is, especially the TV-movie mention. The rigid formula is one of the reasons I don’t miss recurring characters on SNL.
This song is about me!
I’ve always loved Superstar without fully being aware she began as a character on SNL. I don’t think I’ve seen a sketch of her, I always assumed if anything she was an Update guest.
This was my experience with Wayne’s World. Sometimes the sketch show format didn’t do these characters any favours. See also: Coneheads… damn, I thought I might have a list here.
You should make a slideshow, it would be very popular.
I don’t have the stomach for the research it would require.
It’s not really a “debut” any time after the first.
Thank you for validating my editorial cringe at the headline.
That’s how I remember it happening too. Like the first real breakout character of the new cast after that godawful 94-95 drought. “OK maybe there’s something here after all.”
Counterpoint to the haters
I love SNL and i loved Ferell on SNL, loved him. But, i have never been a huge fan of his post snl life. I know im in the minority.I also just listened to Molly on Marons WTF. She has immense affection for Ferrrell. It is also one of the most heartbreaking episodes ive ever heard and all i wanted to do is hug Molly Shannon. Her mom died when she was @ 6, her dad, who is a drunk was driving. I dont think it is established if he was drunk when he fell asleep behind the wheel, but molly was in the car at the time. Just crushing.Love Molly
I never met someone like Mary Catherine Gallagher but I always felt like I had. Somehow I recognized her in some weird primal Jungian way.