Molly Shannon Says Will Ferrell's Crazy Prediction from the '90s Is Coming True
Molly Shannon stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live on April 16 and ended up relaying an unexpectedly prophetic statement about the future of Hollywood delivered decades ago, courtesy of Will Ferrell.
Shannon, who appears alongside Ferrell in the upcoming Netflixseries The Hawk, told Kimmel that roughly 30 years ago, during their early days at Saturday Night Live, her future co-star went somewhere surprisingly dark during what she expected to be a celebratory conversation.
'I was so excited, like, 'Oh my god, this job's so great,' Shannon recalled. Ferrell, apparently, was not as excited and unusually serious. He told her he wasn't sure how long any of it would last. He said he believed actors would eventually be replaced by robots, and human performers simply wouldn't be needed anymore.
Shannon's reaction at the time was exactly what you'd expect. 'I was like, 'What, are you crazy?'
Three decades later, she's not laughing at him. She's laughing with him, and at herself for dismissing it. 'Will was right,' she told Kimmel. The two of them now apparently find the whole thing hilarious in hindsight, though Shannon did note that Ferrell's backup plan, becoming a UPS driver or a dog groomer, might not be as safe as he thought. Kimmel pointed out that UPS drivers are likely next on the automation list. Shannon added that dog grooming robots were probably coming too, leaving theoretical Ferrell with increasingly limited options.
The friendship behind that story goes back further than SNL. Shannon told Kimmel she actually first met Ferrell when she was waitressing at Melrose Baking Company in Los Angeles. A comedian from the Groundlings named Patricia Carter brought him in and introduced them. Shannon waited on him. He ordered a scone. 'We've been friends ever since,' she said. 'Thirty years.'
Shannon has plenty of practice with famous customers. She also worked as a hostess at Cravings on Sunset, where she once watched a pre-FriendsJennifer Aniston arrive early to check her table before a lunch meeting with agents. Shannon said she studied her from the hostess booth. 'I was like, wow, she is a hustler. This girl is good.' She also served Julia Roberts at the same restaurant, who, for the record, ordered only sausage.
The Hawk, the Netflix series Shannon mentioned, stars Ferrell as a golfer. Her current project, the action comedy Balls Up, is streaming now on Prime Video.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 4:41 AM.