Molly Shannon, the 61-year-old actress and comedian, revealed that she used to "study" celebrities like Jennifer Aniston when they frequented Cravings Restaurant on LA's Sunset Strip in the early 1990s, where Shannon worked as a hostess. The restaurant closed in 2015.
Shannon shared these memories on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," recalling Aniston's visits before her breakout role in "Friends." "I was like, 'Wow, she's like a real [hustler],'" Shannon said. "She'd have her hair blown dry straight." Shannon was particularly impressed by Aniston's apparent business acumen.
"She had like, crystal blue eyes. And I was like, whoa, she is all business," the three-time Emmy nominee marveled. "So I would stand at my hostess stand studying what it was like to become a superstar, studying Jennifer Aniston."
Aniston's career took off in 1994 with "Friends," and Shannon joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1995. The two women later reunited on SNL in 1999 when Aniston hosted, participating in a comedic skit.
During her time waitressing at various establishments, including Melrose Baking Company and The Old Spaghetti Factory, Shannon also encountered Julia Roberts. She expressed bewilderment about Roberts' typical breakfast order at Cravings: just sausage.
"And I was like, 'That's so interesting!' Just sausage. I was like, 'Maybe she already had breakfast before?' Superstars eat sausage - just protein, no carbs," Shannon recounted on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on April 16.
Shannon also met Will Ferrell while waitressing. The "Saturday Night Live" veterans recently reunited for the 10-episode comedy series "The Hawk" on Netflix, where they play an estranged couple. The show premiered on Thursday and also features Luke Wilson, Jimmy Tatro, Fortune Feimster, Chris Parnell, and David Hornsby.
Shannon was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 22, with Connie Britton serving as a guest speaker. The actress is scheduled to appear on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" on Thursday night. She has also engaged in paid partnerships with brands such as THRIVE@50+, Tylenol, and Capital One.
Shannon has two children, Stella, 22, and Nolan, 21, from her 22-year marriage to painter Fritz Chesnut. Chesnut has an exhibition at the Cadogan Gallery in Milan, Italy.