American actress and comedian Molly Shannon has shared a throwback story about Will Ferrell from their early Saturday Night Live days, revealing that the comedian once joked actors could eventually be replaced by robots.
Appearing on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, Shannon reflected on first meeting Ferrell in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s through the Groundlings comedy troupe. She recalled serving him while working at a small café, and said the pair “clicked right away”, marking the beginning of a friendship that has lasted around 30 years.
Both joined Saturday Night Live in 1995, becoming key figures in a memorable era of the sketch show. Shannon went on to create characters such as Sally O’Malley, while she and Ferrell also collaborated on projects including A Night at the Roxbury and Superstar.
Shannon said that early in their SNL careers, Ferrell expressed doubts about the long-term future of acting, suggesting the industry might not last in its current form. She recalled him joking that technology could eventually replace performers entirely.
At the time, she admitted she found his comments overly gloomy and dismissed them. Ferrell, she added, took a light-hearted approach, joking that he would be happy in other careers such as dog grooming, driving or coaching.
Looking back, Shannon said she now finds his prediction amusing, noting that the pair often “die laughing about it” today.
