Molly McNearney is an American screenwriter and author. She is popularly known for being a co-writer of the television show, Jimmy Kimmel Live. Despite very humble beginnings, she rose through the ranks, winning several accolades along the way.
The popular screenwriter took things a step further in 2018 when she made her acting debut in the movie Dumplings, where she played the character Delia Shepherd. To most people, however, this Molly is simply the wife of Jimmy Kimmel.
Molly McNearney Bio
She was born on March 13, 1978, in StLouis, Missouri, United States. Growing up, Molly attended St Clare of Assisi Primary School in Chesterfield. Right after that, she attended St Joseph High School, an all-girls high school in suburban St Louise, Missouri.
While in high school, she developed an interest in writing and hopes to one day become a journalist. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Kansas – William Allen High School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Molly McNearney spent several years in college and finally graduated in advertising in 2000.
Subsequently, she worked as an advertising salesperson for ABC until 2003, when she was promoted to personal assistant to the executive producer of the television show, Jimmy Kimmel Live. In 2004, she became an assistant writer on the show, eventually being promoted to lead writer in 2008. While one could downplay this achievement, it’s interesting to know that at that time she was the only female writer on the show.
Ever since Molly McNearney became a writer on the popular TV show, she’s been on the rise. Molly went on to achieve several feats, from writing jokes for the White House Correspondent’s Dinner in 2012 to co-writing plots for the 68th Primetime Emmy Award that same year. With 5 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and 2 Writer’s Guild of America awards, Molly McNearney can be ranked among the best screenwriters in the business. At its current pace, it’s only natural that we expect more accolades to its name in the years to come.
Spouse (Jimmy Kimmel) and children
It’s clearly impossible to talk about Molly McNearney without mentioning her husband, Jimmy Kimmel. According to Molly, their paths first crossed in 2004 when she was introduced to him by the show’s executive producer Jimmy Kimmel Live. She also remembers using insulting words to him that day. As a result, she only felt contempt towards him and no kind of attraction whatsoever.
However, things took a different turn in their relationship in the year 2010 when they started hanging out after shows alongside other writers. In no time, they became very good friends. What ultimately won her heart was her attention to detail. Later that year, he asked her out right after he cooked dinner with his favorite food.
In 2013, they made it official by tying the knot in a star-studded wedding ceremony with celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Matt Damon and Christen Bell. However, it is important to note that this is not Kimmel’s first marriage as he was previously married to Gina Maddy. The marriage began in 1998 and fell apart in 2002.
On July 10, 2014, Molly gave birth to herfirst child – Jane. It is also important to note that this was not Kimmel’s first child as he already had two children from his previous marriage to Gina Maddy. Their names are both Katherine and Kelvin.
A few years later, precisely on April 21, 2017, she gave birth to her second child. This time it was a boy and they called him Williams John. Their joy was cut short, however, when they learned he had been born with a very rare heart defect and needed surgery. As fate would have it, he had a very successful operation and is a much healthier child today.
His parents and siblings
There is little information available in the media regarding Molly McNearney’s parents and siblings, as she rarely talks about them. However, she once revealed that her parents’ names were Michael McNearney (father) and Michelle McNearney (mother). That said, she is the second of her parents’ three children. She has an older brother named Michael Jr. McNearney and a younger sister named Kelly McNearney.