Why They’re Interesting: Molly Kearney joined Saturday Night Live in 2022, becoming the show’s first openly nonbinary cast member. The North Olmsted native made a quick impression, appearing in segments as Guy Fieri, an Irish nun, Ohio’s next unlikely attorney general and more.
Lake Erie Love: When they’re back in Northeast Ohio, you can find Kearney near Lake Erie — and often on Put-In-Bay, where they worked a variety of service jobs for more than a decade. Kearney worked as a cave tour guide, pedicab driver, ice cream stand worker, bartender and server. Oh, and add “comedian” to that list: The island is also where Kearney honed their stand-up performances, starting as a teen at venues like Mojito Bay and Put-In-Bay Brewing Co. “I was underage, so I had to go in, and then leave immediately,” Kearney says. “Tommy Dailey, who ran those bars, he would let me climb onstage and just do 10 minutes of comedy.”
SNL Role Models: Kearney says their comedic style has been likened to other SNL greats. “I did a roast battle once, and someone said that it’s like Chris Farley and Melissa McCarthy had a baby,” they say. Kearney counts other SNL actors as influences, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Rachel Dratch.
Second to Nun: A standout sketch in Kearney’s first SNL season was pairing up with host Aubrey Plaza as an Irish nun duo. Kearney reprised another role as a nun in their second season. “I’m either men or nuns,” they say, with a laugh, “and I love my typecast. I’ll do it for the rest of my life.”
Meet Cleveland's Most Interesting People of 2024.
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