Shannon, 61, opened up about the first time she met Ferrell, 58, on the April 17 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live<\/a>. At the time, Shannon worked at a \u201ccappuccino, scone place.\u201d A comedian from the Groundlings, the famed improv and sketch comedy group in Los Angeles, told her, \u201cMolly, I really want you to meet this really funny guy from the Groundlings named Will Ferrell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, she brought him into the restaurant . . . and I waited [on] him and and we clicked right away,\u201d she remembered. \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018Can I take your order? It’s so nice to meet you, Will.’ And he said, \u2018I will have a scone.’ And so, I brought him a scone and a latte.\u201d<\/p>\n Molly Shannon (left) and Will Ferrell on ‘Saturday Night Live’ That was the end of it. \u201cWe’ve been friends ever since. 30 years,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n The actress eventually went from working at restaurants to appearing on Saturday Night Live, where she was hired in 1995. Ferrell was hired that same year. One of her SNL characters was Miss Colleen, co-host of “Dog Show” with Ferrell. One of her earliest film appearances came in 1998’s A Night at the Roxbury, based on an SNL sketch, which starred Ferrell and Chris Kattan. A year later, when Shannon starred in her sketch-based film Superstar, Ferrell also appeared in that film.<\/p>\n Shannon also shared that even though Ferrell is \u201calways upbeat,\u201d \u201cgenuine\u201d and \u201cvery intelligent,\u201d there was one night that he had a dark prediction while they were making SNL.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had just started, and I was so excited like, \u2018Oh my god, this job’s so great,’ \u201d she remembered. \u201cAnd Will was kind of dark, and he was like, \u2018I don’t know. Who knows how long this is going to last?’ \u201d<\/p>\n 30 years ago, she remembered Ferrell saying, \u201cI don’t know. I just think it’s not going to last long, and I think actors are eventually going to be replaced by robots, and they’re not going to need human actors anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n Shannon said, \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018What are you crazy?’ I was like, \u2018You’re being so dark.’ And he was like, \u2018No, I really think we’re going to be replaced by robots. They won’t need humans.’ And I thought he was crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Ferrell had a backup plan. \u201cHe said, \u2018But you know, it would be fine because I could have a job working as a dog groomer or as a UPS driver or as a coach and still be happy.’ \u201d<\/p>\n Will Ferrell (left) and Molly Shannon in ‘Superstar’ \u201cBut Will was right,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cAnd we die laughing about it now.\u201d Kimmel joked that Ferrell didn’t predict robots replacing UPS drivers, too.<\/p>\n Shannon ultimately left SNL in 2001, and Ferrell departed a year later.<\/p>\n Back in January 2025, Shannon was one of the former SNL stars who spoke to PEOPLE in honor of the show’s 50th anniversary<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all did this because it’s the greatest job in television,\u201d Shannon said. \u201cUnderneath it all is love.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Molly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b8d007c18ecf247d97623a94e7685055.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: NBC\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n![\"Will](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4b3c8e294f83999cbb9ba73ce19f4a12.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Paramount\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n