Molly Kearney’s 5 best sketches from their first season of ‘Saturday Night Live’
SNL star!Last year, actor-comedian Molly Kearney made history when they joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, becoming the long-running sketch comedy show’s first ever nonbinary performer.Born in Cleveland, the 31-year-old performer came up through the world of stand-up, cutting their teeth in Chicago’s robust comedy scene before a short stint in LA.
In the past year, Kearney’s made a few notable TV appearances (including Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers and the fantastic reboot of A League Of Their Own), but their time on SNL has sent them soaring to new heights.
Literally.Along with co-stars Bowen Yang and Punkie Johnson—and a handful of talented LGBTQ+ writers behind the scenes—Kearney’s freshman season was one SNL‘s queerest ever.
Whether they were playing a beleaguered Hello Kitty store manager, a quietly threatening super-powered mutant, or just being themself, Kearney has shown off an impressive range across 18 episodes, and a particular knack for exhibiting a controlled chaos in their comedy.Now that the season has come to an end, let’s take a look back at Kearney’s best sketches and characters so far, the moments that show why they’re destined for a memorable career in the hallowed halls of 30 Rock:From the October 8 episode with host Brendan Gleeson and musical guest Willow.In the second episode of the season, this pre-taped sketch gave audiences their first proper introduction to SNL‘s newest featured players, making it immediately clear what a shining star Kearney was.
