When Mary Katherine Gallagher made herSaturday Night Livedebut in 1995, the character was an immediate sensation.
It was nice to have people respond to this character that really came from my heart.
Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher on the October 25, 1997 episode ofSNL, hosted by Chris Farley.
Photo: Courtesy of Molly Shannon
(And it did respectable business at the box office, grossing more than twice its production budget.)
She feels alone and disconnected and all she wants is to be loved!
To celebrate 25 years ofSuperstar, Shannon caught up withVogueabout all things Mary Katherine Gallagher.
Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher on the October 25, 1997 episode ofSNL, hosted by Chris Farley.
One of the audition exercises was to walk through a door and make up a character on the spot.
I kept improvising and theFolliesteam loved the character so much that they put her in the show.
Was that Mary pretty similar to the version wed get to know onSNL?
Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection
Ive forgotten some of the details, but the show was a whodunnit and Mary was the murderer.
I wore a red jacket and red capri corduroy pants that I probably got from a thrift shop.
When I got the chance to audition forSNLyears later, I had really perfected that character.
Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher on the February 24, 1996 episode ofSNLhosted by Elle MacPherson.
How did Mary play during yourSNLaudition?
There was this woman who called herself the local talent scoutbut she really wasnt.
It was terrible advice.
Photo: Getty Images
Each week was a constant battle in terms of trying to get your material on the show.
But even then I still dont think they fully got this character.
You kinda have to see Mary Katherine Gallagher in action to really get it.
Photo: Courtesy of Molly Shannon
Were sitting down at a table reading, [saying] Mary falls into chairs, Mary does backflips.
They didnt know how wild I was gonna get.
I remember goingcrazyduring the dress rehearsal and it going so well.
Photo: Courtesy of Molly Shannon
And then my life pretty much changed after that.
Was Mary an instant sensation?
It certainly felt that way.
Lorne Michaels with Shannon on the set ofSuperstar.
The reaction was wild because people were laughing but they also really seemed to relate to her.
Were there any guest hosts who requested a Mary Catherine Gallagher sketch?
Im not sure if Aerosmith requested one or just mentioned that they found her funny.
Photo: Courtesy of Molly Shannon
Usually I would just do them whenever I felt like it.
Shannon as Mary Katherine Gallagher on the February 24, 1996 episode ofSNLhosted by Elle MacPherson.
Was there ever a host whowasnta fan of the character?
Photo: Courtesy of Molly Shannon
I never got that impression.
So we have Kevin to thank for the skit where Mary breaks into Tinas dressing room.
And Tina was as nice and fabulous as can be.
Photo: Courtesy of Molly Shannon
Do you have a personal favorite Mary Katherine Gallagher sketch?
I really had so much fun doing them all.
He was just so game.
Photo: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
I always liked when it was connected to music.
I also really love the Gwyneth Paltrow one, and the one with Matthew Broderick.
There isnt one that I didnt enjoy!
Shannon and her co-stars shooting the finale ofSuperstar.
On the topic ofSuperstarwhose idea was it to give Mary her own movie?
Thats such a good question that I genuinely dont know the answer to.
It was probably Lorne, and Sherry Lansing at Paramount.
Photo: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
She read the script on a plane and immediately green-lit the project.
It was sort of a big deal for a woman to lead her own movie at that time.
I mean, it still kinda is.
Shannon with a group of Catholic schoolgirls at theSuperstarpremiere.
More than anything else on this planet, she wants to kiss a boy.
Hows she gonna achieve that?
Shell have to become a superstar!
Shannon (center) with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake during the cold open of theSaturday Night Live40th Anniversary Special in 2015.
When Mary talks about her grandmother, thats really me and my dad, Jim Shannon.
Marys life was sorta my lifemy mom died when I was really young and my dad raised me.
My dad would always tell me that I bore a striking resemblance to a young Elizabeth Taylor.
We would talk about acting and listen to Judy Garland records.
Were there other plotlines you remember toying with before settling on the high school talent show competition?
Did you filmSuperstarbetween seasons onSNL?
I remember flying back and forth between Toronto and NYC a lot.
Lorne Michaels with Shannon on the set ofSuperstar.
Yeah, but Lorne took really good care of me.
It was his show and his movie.
Plus, it honestly felt extremely glamorous.
Did Lorne give you any words of wisdom going into the filming?
He was involved every step of the way and just really trusted me.
Lorne loves Mary Katherine Gallagher and he was really happy with the script.
What was your headspace going into that first day of filming?
It was also so much fun to work with people around my own age.
Everyone was so wonderful, but I didnt socialize a lot because I had to work so much.
What are some of your core memories from filming?
I went through a break-up in real life right before filming began.
It really helped with the emotion of that pool scene, because I truly was heartbroken.
Our wonderful producer Susan Cavan said, I think Mary should say, Do you think Im pretty?
It was such a great note.
That was during the same time so, it felt like a realFuck you!to that guy.
Do you remember any scenes that were improvised?
I think its all mostly to the script.
That was me thinking about how your body changes and having to get your first bra at that age.
Its all that stuff connected to my boobs and puberty and losing my mom.
Koren and I wrote it during a lunch break and asked Bruce if we could just play around.
He really wasnt into it until the production team said we could cheat it really fast between set-ups.
I really fought to have that scene in the movie.
I think the script literally said Mary slams the door seventeen times or something like that.
And the door on set actually broke!
I slammed it so hard that it broke off and they had to re-do the hinges.
How was working with the fabulous Glynis Johns?
She was such an elegant lady.
Shes exactly how you think she would be based onMary Poppins.
She would always come to my hotel for a cup of tea and to talk about our characters.
And did you know she only just passed away recently?
She lived to be 100 years old!
Do you remember how she felt about getting the films only F-bomb?
You better fucking figure it out!
God, shes hysterical.
She really embraced the comedy, and Bruce got along with her really well.
He was so good at talking to her and making her feel comfortable.
Do you remember filming anything that got cut from the final film?
It was still a fairly happy ending, but we did test screenings and audienceshatedit.
They really wanted her to win, so we reshot the final scene.
Shannon and her co-stars shooting the finale ofSuperstar.
Were you happy with the finished film?
I know Im biased, but I thought it was so good!
I still couldnt really believe I was the lead in a movie.
It was an absolute dream come true to watch the film and feel so proud of it.
The night that it opened, I drove around to different theaters across Burbank.
What do you remember observing during those screenings?
I would sneak into different theaters wearing a baseball cap.
He looked at his mom and said, I think that lady is the superstar!
Damn right she is!
It made me really emotional.
And then when Halloween came around, all these people would dress up as the character.
Has it been a pretty constant stream of people running up to you and screaming Superstar!
since the late 90s?
Yes, and I never get sick of it!
It has never stopped, from the first time I played Mary up to now.
My boyfriend looks up, doesnt say anything, and immediately goes back to eating.
Sometimes I think its funnier to do a little Superstar!
Whenever I do anything even remotely glamorous, I still say You know what its time for?
That was one of my favorite days of shooting.
Did you ever encounter any ire from Catholics or Catholic organizations who didnt enjoy the character?
But we definitely got some letters from people who didnt find her funny.
Shannon with a group of Catholic schoolgirls at theSuperstarpremiere.
Ive always felt that shed probably be interested in studying psychology or learning how trauma affects the brain.
I always thought she would do something studious.
I thought she might be a Real Housewife, but I like your idea much better.
Thats the fun part, thoughMary would be funny in a bunch of different contexts.
Would she be a mother?
Is she a student?
Where does she work?
You last played Mary in 2015, onSNLs 40th-anniversary special.
Do you have any interest in reprising her?
I really havent thought about it.
I would love to do that.
Im totally open to bringing her back in the right capacity.
I truly think its Marys sense of hope.
She bleeds a little bit, but shes tough as nails.
Theres a pureness of spirit there and I think thats a reason that people related to this character.
She feels awkward at school and is sort of a freak.
She feels alone and disconnected and all she wants is to be loved.
Who cant relate to feeling that way at some point in their life?
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
