Molly Shannon on The Wizard of Oz

I have been like an email pen-pal with Molly since Sundance 2016 when we bonded during a funny backstage kerfuffle. She might even consider me a semi-stalker, but for me it’s unbridled adoration. That was the year I realized the depth of her amazing talent while premiering the film Other People, a dramatic star turn in complete contrast to her legendary antics on SNL. Her commitment to character  transcends  expectations in everything she does. Molly Shannon on the Wizard of Oz is not what you would expect. Her love of this film is tied to a deeply personal story. A moment of upheaval in her life at an early age. Yet, as she always does, Molly shines thru as the “SUPER STAR” she is. - John Cooper

About the Episode

Everyone’s favorite “Superstar”, Molly Shannon, shares why and how Victor Fleming’s 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz has blown her mind. From her first viewing at age four, to her star turn as Dorothy in Cleveland’s Heights Youth Theater production, The Wizard of Oz is a metaphorical reflection of many of Molly’s life experiences. We hear from her about the iconic performances by Judy Garland as Dorothy and Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West, an only-in-Hollywood moment at an L.A. grocery store, and art as a conduit to healing.

The Wizard of Oz aired on network television every December from 1959-1991, becoming a holiday tradition for generations of Americans. Millions of us know this film by heart, but Molly’s story is unique in her deeply personal connections to the movie’s themes of home and belonging, friendship, self-determination, and what we hope to find over the rainbow.