Molly Shannon (born September 16, 1964 in Shaker Heights, Ohio) is an American actress and writer. In 1969, at age four, Shannon survived a car crash that killed her mother, three year-old sister, and cousin. She later went on to graduate from Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio. After high school, Shannon attended the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in New York City. She graduated with a BFA in Drama in 1987.