"There's no one who could replace him": Molly Shannon on SNL cast member Lorne Michaels
Jul 06, 2025
Washington DC [US], July 6 : Actress and comedian Molly Shannon, who was a Saturday Night Live cast member from 1995 to 2001, shared why Lorne Michaels is "irreplaceable" as the sketch comedy show's showrunner, reported People.
Shannon also discussed longtime cast member Kenan Thompson as a potential successor to Michaels.
The White Lotus actress shared why "Lorne is irreplaceable" as Saturday Night Live's showrunner.
"It's his show, his vision," Shannon, an SNL cast member from 1995 to 2001, said of Michaels, 80, who created the show in 1975.
"There's no one who could replace him. It would not be the same show," she said, adding, "He's just a one-of-a-kind genius. Brilliant. Smart."
On sharing her thoughts about longtime SNL cast member Kenan Thompson, stepping in as a potential replacement as showrunner whenever Michaels departs, Shannon praised Thompson, saying, "I love this idea. He's the greatest -- I adore Kenan," said Shannon of Thompson, a cast member on SNL since 2003, reported People.
"Kenan is so talented. That's an excellent idea," added Molly, who famously portrayed SNL character Mary Katherine Gallagher, reported People.
Shannon appeared in supporting roles in several films, including Happiness (1998), A Night at the Roxbury (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Osmosis Jones (2001), My Boss's Daughter (2003), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), More of Me (2007), Evan Almighty (2007), and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015).
On television, Shannon was seen in Enlightened (2013), Divorce (2016-2019), The Other Two (2019-2022), The White Lotus (2021), I Love That for You (2022), and Only Murders in the Building (2024), winning her first Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for the lattermost.
Shannon won the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the highly acclaimed drama Other People. She had two films premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival: The Little Hours and Fun Mom Dinner.
