SNL cast member Molly Kearney, a UD alum, leaves show and heads to Springfield

Molly Kearney, a University of Dayton alum, was the first nonbinary cast member of "Saturday Night Live" (PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC).

Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC

Credit: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC

Molly Kearney, a University of Dayton alum, was the first nonbinary cast member of "Saturday Night Live" (PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC).

Molly Kearney, a University of Dayton alum, is leaving “Saturday Night Live” after two seasons on the iconic NBC sketch comedy show, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this fall.

Kearney, the first nonbinary cast member on “SNL,” joined the show in 2022. Born and raised in Cleveland, they earned their bachelors in theatre from UD and got their start in stand-up comedy on Put-in-Bay island in Lake Erie.

Kearney was also selected for Comedy Central’s “Up Next” showcase and performed at Clusterfest in San Francisco in 2019. They are a past cast member of The Lincoln Lodge, the nation’s longest-running independent standup showcase in Chicago. They can also be seen in Amazon’s “A League of Their Own” and the second season of the Disney+ series “The Mighty Ducks.”

In addition Kearney was remembered for being fun and accessible at UD, according to UD Theatre alum and current faculty member Jenna de Gruy.

“Everybody loved Molly because they were such a big part of so many aspects of campus,” De Gruy previously told this news outlet. “They made themselves accessible to everyone in this way that even though none of us were their best friend, they made us feel special. They brought lot of laughs and light to the student theatre organization because they always found ways to make everyone easier/lighter.”

Kearney is taking their comedy on the road this season with plans to stop in Springfield at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in the Kuss Auditorium of the Clark State Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $20. For tickets or more information, visit pac.clarkstate.edu/shows/2024-2025.

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