Molly Shannon talks new movie with Florence Pugh, opens up about daughter pursuing acting
The actress and comedian talks about the new Zach Braff-directed film.
Molly Shannon is beloved for playing characters full of hijinx and hilarity, but her latest role in "A Good Person" strikes a more serious tone.
The actress and comedian joined "Good Morning America" on Monday to discuss the film, which is directed by Zach Braff, and shared what made her want to take on the role of a mom whose daughter struggles with addiction and tragedy.
"To work with Florence Pugh, she's just the greatest actress, she's such a powerhouse -- I was so excited," Shannon said. "It was really the combination of getting to play Florence's mom -- and then I have a scene with Morgan Freeman -- it's just a dream come true."
She hailed the 27-year-old star's ability to "command a set like no one else," adding that Pugh is also "really funny and kind and thoughtful."
The film captures intensity both mentally and physically, which Shannon said played to both her and Pugh's strengths.
"[We] work the same way ... we both like to really go for it ... we're both very physical performers I would say," Shannon explained. "There's a scene in the bathroom where she's going to get drugs and I chase her up and try to stop her, and we have this very physical scene ... and I'm trying to pull the pills away from her, and it was really athletic and she's really tough. She's very strong. So, it was exciting."
The "Saturday Night Live" alum said she hopes viewers take away how to "embrace the mystery of life."
"Things in life that can set you back and be so painful, but if you can get through that, there sometimes can be beauty in the loss and you find new connections," she continued. "If we get through these challenges, we can hopefully get to a better place."
Shannon said her real life daughter Stella Shannon Chesnut, who studies acting in New York City, will attend the film screening with her on Monday night.
Shannon shares her daughter with husband Fritz Chesnut, an artist. The couple also have an 18-year-old son named Nolan Shannon Chesnut.
"It was so funny because a lot of my friends were so sad when their kids were going off to college, but I felt so lucky because I happened to be shooting a TV show here in new York -- right when she was starting college. I was flying back and forth. So it wasn't so sad for me," the mother of two said.
Speaking of her daughter following in her footsteps, she added, "['SNL' boss] Lorne Michaels says, '[Kids] want to be in the family business, they see that you love your business,' and it's kind of like that," Shannon explained. "I'm so excited for her."
Shannon's television project, "The Other Two," a comedy series on HBO Max created by Chris Kelly, returns for a third season May 4.
Speaking of the project, which follows a pair of siblings whose younger brother becomes famous overnight, Shannon said, "It's brilliant. It'll be a wild season 3 ... I can't wait for people to see it."
In "A Good Person," Shannon plays Diane, the mother of Pugh's character, Allison.
According to the film's official synopsis, "Daniel (Morgan Freeman) is brought together with Allison (Florence Pugh), the once thriving young woman with a bright future who was involved in an unimaginable tragedy that took his daughter’s life. As grief-stricken Daniel navigates raising his teenage granddaughter and Allison seeks redemption, they discover that friendship, forgiveness, and hope can flourish in unlikely places."
In addition to Shannon, Freeman and Pugh, the movie stars Chinaza Uche as Nathan, Celeste O'Connor as Ryan and Zoe Lister-Jones as Simone.
"A Good Person" premieres March 24.
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