Molly Shannon’s Role of a Lifetime

Molly Shannon, who recently received critical acclaim in “Year of the Dog” (seen in photo above) following six years as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” will turn her comedic acting talents to a new Lifetime Original Movie. A whimsical, lighthearted and touching comedy about an overworked and overextended wife, mom and career woman who splits into three separate versions of herself with distinct personalities in order to manage her chaotic life, “More of Me” will premiere this fall on Lifetime Television.

“We’re always seeking to infuse our original movies with a variety of genres and we know our loyal audience always enjoys smart, relatable and contemporary comedies,” said Libby Beers, Senior Vice President, Original Movies, Lifetime Television. Adding, “Molly Shannon is a genuine movie and television star and both her unique physical and comedic acting skills make her ideal for this role.”

In “More of Me,” Alice McGrath (Shannon) is a modern woman torn between her desire for perfection in her three worlds: as an environmental activist; as the perfect mother to rambunctious six-year-old twins; and as a loving wife to her husband, a civil engineer on the rise. When Alice finally becomes overwhelmed and hits her breaking point, she splits into three separate versions of herself—each taking over a different aspect of her life. Her emotional side is focused on being the perfect wife; her rational side steps in to take control of her career; and her conscience becomes the quintessential selfless mother. At first, Alice revels in her newfound freedom, but the limitations of her three personalities start to manifest when the three different “personas” begin to wreak havoc in each of her worlds, and she realizes that her sum is better than her individual parts.

Molly Shannon is best known as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 1995 to 2001, developing such memorable characters as Sally O’Malley and performing parodies of Courtney Love and Meredith Vieira. Shannon has successfully segued from television to film. She recently received critical acclaim for her starring role in “Year of the Dog” and will be seen in “Evan Almighty” opposite Steve Carell and in Bruce Leddy’s “Shut Up & Sing.” She recently appeared in Keenan Ivory Wayan’s “Little Man” and with Will Ferrell in “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” as well as a cameo “Scary Movie 4.” Her other feature film credits include “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Analyze This,” “Happiness,” “Never Been Kissed” and “A Night at the Roxbury.” Shannon also starred in “Superstar,” featuring her own popular “SNL” character, Mary Katherine Gallagher. On television, Shannon starred in the telefilm “12 Days of Christmas Eve” and a remake of the classic musical “The Music Man.” She also did multiple guest appearances on “Will & Grace” and “Sex and the City.”

“More of Me” is produced by Jaffe/Braunstein Films in association with Andrea Simon Entertainment for Lifetime Television. Executive producers are Howard Braunstein, Michael Jaffe (Lifetime’s “Write & Wrong” and “Not Like Everyone Else”) and Andrea Simon (“Hurricane Mary”). Robyn Snyder (Lifetime’s “A Life Interrupted”) is co-executive producer. Daisy von Sherler Mayer (“Madeline,” “Party Girl”) directs from a script written by Kelli Pryor (“A Stranger’s Heart”).

Lifetime is the leader in women’s television and one of the top-rated basic cable television networks. A diverse, multi-media company, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, LMN, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital (including LifetimeTV.com) are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of The Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.



Fashion Note: Grey’s Anatomy star Chandra Wilson could be seen tonight on the red carpet at the 2007 BET Awards carrying a handbag by Mary Norton. The award winning actress selected Mary Norton’s MIMI gold brocade clutch featuring elegant metallic hand-embroidery of gold pearls.