Skip to main content

Thomas Mann as Greg and Molly Shannon as Denise in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Shannon says she approaches comedy knowing the emotional strength of the character, and always thinking about the character in a very serious way – what the heart wants, or where they are.

While Molly Shannon is best known for her six-year stretch on Saturday Night Live, she's also been quietly building a big-screen career as a character actor, most recently co-starring in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, in which she plays the mother of the title girl. The Globe and Mail reached her on the phone in New York.

Q: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl will probably get a lot of "we laughed, we cried" reactions. What was your reaction, when you first saw it?

A: I loved it. We shot in Pittsburgh, and the whole movie was made in 23 days. Alfonso [Gomez-Rejon, the director] did such an incredible job. He has a very intimate way of shooting. It felt very collaborative.

In your role, you struck a balance between humour and sadness. Is that all you, or was it that in collaboration with the director?

I think Alfonso [Gomez-Rejon] had faith in me as a performer, in knowing I can do comedy and drama. As a director, he's right there. I can do it any way he wants: bigger versions, smaller versions, quieter versions. In that scene where I meet Thomas Mann's character, you can tell that I'm sad, I'm lonely and I'm kind of turned on and maybe I'm a little buzzed. It's a range of emotions. It's funny and it's sad. That's really due to Alfonso.

I feel you did a great job of helping to create that balanced emotional tone of the film. I'm sure Alfonso wouldn't mind you taking credit for that.

Well, I always approach comedy knowing the emotional strength of the character. I never think, "let's try to be funny." I'm always thinking about the character in a very serious way – what the heart wants, or where they are. There's always an understanding of the emotional truth underneath everything. Does that makes sense?

It does. And when all that emotional truth from your character comes at the protagonist, the kid doesn't know what to make of it. What's your take on that character played by Thomas Mann?

I think he's shy. He keeps at arm's length, so that he won't get hurt by other students, other people. He's scared.

He's an amateur filmmaker, more or less pushed into making a film about the dying girl. It's not his inclination. He'd rather do his usual punny films, right?

It's going to ruin his whole set-up! His whole set-up is "don't get too close, don't get too far – just stay in the middle and maintain a low profile. Don't [screw] up!" The movie pushes him out of that narrow lane.

Did you enjoy working with him and the other young actors?

They're so excited about acting, and so happy to be in this film. It reminded me of when I first started drama school. How into scene studies we were, and the characters, and challenging yourself and taking risks. That's the kind of thing you do at drama school. Their enthusiasm was infectious.

I've only spoken with you for 10 minutes, and I must say, you seem to still have that enthusiasm.

[Laughs] I think that's because I struggled really hard before I got my first break, which was Saturday Night Live. I was always broke, bouncing cheques. I used to go the the bank and whisper to the bank teller, "Could you tell me what my balance is?"

That's a common enough story though, isn't it?

Yes, but those days can seem like yesterday to me. I remember finishing waitressing shifts and counting single dollar bills. I can't believe I get to continue to be a working actress. So when I get picked up in a limousine and come to New York for a press day and check into a fancy hotel, I'm like, "thank God!"

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Follow related authors and topics

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe