Molly Shannon Delivers Surprise SNL Sketch as Overzealous Choir Director

Molly Shannon popped up on Saturday Night Live this past weekend for an unexpected cameo, marking another return to the late-night institution where she built her early career.

The 61-year-old performer appeared in a sketch called "Cast List 2" during the May 16 episode, reuniting with former castmate Will Ferrell. The bit centered on high school students eagerly awaiting the announcement of their school musical's cast assignments.

Shannon's character, Ms. Peebles, serves as the school's choir teacher and music director—a role that comes with a reputation for being rather physically demonstrative with her students. When she takes the stage, her character immediately addresses the elephant in the room, insisting that allegations of being "too handsy with boys" are unfounded.

"A couple of things about me," she declares. "First of all, some people say that I'm too handsy with boys. That's a lie. I don't know who started it. And number two, I am tough as nails, but guess what? I get results."

To prove her point, she calls over a student and asks him to hit his highest note. As he attempts the vocal run, she instructs him to tighten his core, touches his stomach while complimenting his physique, and then yanks up his pants as he strains higher. The sketch escalates from there as she grabs him from behind in increasingly inappropriate ways.

Shannon's SNL history runs deep. She was a cast member from 1995 to 2001, earning her breakthrough during that tenure. Most recently, she appeared during the show's 50th anniversary special and hosted in 2023.

The "Cast List 2" sketch itself has a backstory—it was originally written and cut for time during Will Ferrell's hosting stint in 2019, making this weekend's airing a resurrection of the previously shelved material.