Life & Work with Molly Kiernan of Highland Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Kiernan

Hi Molly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I first found comedy and writing at twenty-five while living in New York, super depressed and working as an assistant in jobs that had me rundown and burnt out. I was recovering from an eating disorder that had me in and out of treatment for years, and needed an outlet. My sister suggested I take an improv class, something that was never on my radar, and I knew I had reached a point of extreme desperation, because I agreed to give it a try. I signed up for a class at the Magnet Theater in Chelsea, NY, and never looked back. I fell in love with comedy, something I truly never thought I’d be good at. In addition to improvising, I started writing sketch and working as an assistant in TV. I worked my way up to being support staff in writer’s rooms, moved to LA, struggled through a pandemic and a strike, and got my first staff writer job at The Conners last year. It’s been really great, AND really hard, like really hard, but I’m so glad my life took the turn it did.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working as an assistant in TV can be great, but it can also be a nightmare. It can be emotionally exhausting to feel overworked and overlooked. But in my journey, there have been really great, supportive, and encouraging people throughout all of that. Those are the people that stand out, and those are the people I’ve continued to bond with and work with.

Getting through the pandemic and the strikes as an artist was really difficult. I know some people felt productive and creative during that time, but I certainly did not, and I’m still feel the fatigue of all of it. But I’ve tried to be patient with myself (easier said that done), and make sure to continue to try my best to make myself and others laugh. That’s carried me through, and allowed me to build a steady career that may not always feel flashy, but certainly is one I am super proud of.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I improvise and write sketch comedy for the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles. I am especially proud of my UCB sketch team, Loveseat, which performs monthly.

I also write for TV, with credits on The Conners and Lopez vs Lopez, and have acted in shows like Russian Doll, Real Husbands of Hollywood, and The Conners.

Some of my favorite work is the television pilot writing I’ve done with Kate Shine, an amazing comedian and performer in New York. Our pilot, Let’s Sick Together, is our passion project and is inspired by our real-life struggles with mental and physical illness.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think being kind to the people I work with has helped me a lot. It can feel really hard to do in such stressful environments, and I’ve certainly not always been perfect at it, but I really believe in it. It’s been especially rewarding and special to bond with other assistants. We are the future after all, duh.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mollybkiernan.com
• Instagram: @mollybkiernan

Image Credits
Stephanie Nelson
Bonica Ayala