Molly Shannon's family tragedy shaped one of her most famous characters

3 years ago 391

(CNN)One of Molly Shannon's astir celebrated "Saturday Night Live" characters was awkward, clumsy, Catholic schoolhouse pupil Mary Katherine Gallagher.

In an interrogation with Los Angeles Times, Shannon explained however the quality came to beryllium aft a tragic car mishap resulted successful the decease of her mother, sister and relative erstwhile the histrion was 4 years old.

"I was precise heartbroken and precise bittersweet and conscionable trying to clasp it each unneurotic arsenic a kid," she said. "There's nary mode that you could consciousness that benignant of heavy symptom astir your parent and your sister being dead, truthful you conscionable clasp it each in, and it comes up aboriginal successful life."

The mishap critically injured Shannon's father, who was driving nether the influence.

In quality arsenic Mary Katherine Gallagher Shannon would virtually propulsion herself successful the role, sometimes hurting herself successful the process.

She said she was truthful into it that she would sometimes aftermath up the adjacent time confused arsenic to wherefore she was bruised and battered.

"I didn't attraction if I chopped myself oregon I made myself bleed," Shannon said. "I did not springiness a s—. I looked astatine it similar punk rock. I was reckless, and due to the fact that of what I went through, I conscionable didn't attraction astir anything."

These days she's engaged with enactment connected shows including "The White Lotus" and "The Other Two" arsenic good arsenic her forthcoming biography.

Sharing her communicative makes her consciousness vulnerable, she said.

"You consciousness similar you enactment your bosom close determination connected the table, but I anticipation that my communicative tin assistance different people," she said.

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