Molly Shannon let the Jonas Brothers and "Saturday Night Live" cast member Ego Nwodim in on a little secret.
On April 6, the comedian and actor appeared in a series of promos ahead of her "SNL" hosting gig. Joining her in the promos were Nwodim as well as Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas, who will perform as the Saturday show’s musical guests. And there was a nod to Mary Katherine Gallagher, one of Shannon's most iconic characters from when she was an "SNL" cast member.
During one promo, Nwodim called Shannon one of her “comedy heroes” and admitted to feeling nervous about their upcoming show.
“Honestly, I’m a little nervous to be performing with you,” Nwodim shared, prompting the Jonas brothers to nod in agreement.
Shannon responded by offering a helpful “tip.”
“Sometimes when I get nervous, I stick my fingers under my arms,” Shannon shared, stuffing her hands under her arms while everyone else followed her lead. “And I smell it like that.”
“OK, wow!” Nwodim replied. “That worked! I’m not nervous anymore!”
“See!” Shannon replied joyfully.
Shannon first made her mark on the “SNL” stage in the mid-90s as a featured player when she debuted Gallagher in addition to other characters. Shannon as Gallagher — a hyperactive and socially unpopular Catholic high schooler —delighted viewers of “SNL” throughout her time on the show.
In 2022, Shannon reflected on a pinnacle moment for the character when Whitney Houston perform alongside her.
“It was so nice. They were like, ‘She’s not going to be in the sketch. She’s not going to do it,’” Shannon recalled during an appearance on “The Howard Stern Show.” “And I was like, ‘She’ll do it. Let me go talk to her.’”
“I just told Whitney, ‘Look, I’m gonna play the Catholic school girl. You’re gonna be like, snotty girl and it’s all you have to do is just do whatever you want,’” she recalled. “‘You just have to kind of be, you know, snotty push in front of me. Out sing me, and so you can say whatever you want.’ She was like, ‘I’ll do it! I’ll do it!’ So that’s how I got her to do it.”
Shannon and Houston duked it out alongside each other on the stage as their two characters competed to have their voices heard while belting out “Sleigh Ride.” In the end, Shannon, as Gallagher, launched herself off the stage after going a little too far.
See if Shannon brings the popular character back to the live stage as she hosts Saturday, April 8, 2023.
