Molly Shannon says Will Ferrell predicted AI would replace actors

Molly Shannon reflects on her decades-long friendship with Will Ferrell — and a surprisingly prescient comment he made early in their careers.

During a performance op Jimmy Kimmel Live!Shannon recalled meeting Ferrell in the mid-1990s while working at what she described as a “cappuccino, scone place” in Los Angeles. Introduced through the comedy troupe Groundlings, the two immediately connected. “We hit it off right away,” she said, recalling serving him a scone and a latte. “We’ve been friends ever since. For 30 years.”

Both were hired at “Saturday Night Live” in 1995, where they became part of a defining era for the long-running sketch series. Shannon created characters including Sally O’Malley, while the pair also worked together on projects such as ‘A Night at the Roxbury’ and ‘Superstar’.

But Shannon said an early conversation on “SNL” stood out. While she was excited about landing the job, Ferrell was more cautious about its longevity.

“I don’t know. Who knows how long this will last?” he told her at the time. “I just don’t think it will last long, and I think eventually actors will be replaced by robots, and they won’t need human actors anymore.”

Shannon said she initially dismissed the idea as overly pessimistic, recalling saying to him, “You’re being so dark.”

Ferrell, she added, joked that it would work out anyway. “He said, ‘I could have a job as a dog groomer, a UPS driver or a coach and still be happy.’”

Looking back, Shannon said, “But Will was right,” adding that the two “laugh about it now.”