Molly Shannon shares rare photos of stunning redheaded daughter Stella as she turns 23

Molly Shannon celebrated her daughter Stella Chesnut’s 23rd birthday with a pair of photographs showing just how much she has grown.

The Saturday Night Live favourite shared the pictures on Instagram, pairing a smiling portrait of her redheaded daughter with a childhood photograph of Stella beneath an umbrella.

Her long red curls featured in both images, giving the birthday tribute a sweet connection between past and present. The update comes during a milestone year for Stella, who recently completed her acting degree and is following her mother into the entertainment industry.

Molly shares Stella and younger son Nolan with her husband, artist Fritz Chesnut. While the actress is familiar to audiences through her comedy characters and television roles, her latest family post put her eldest child centre stage.

Stella follows in her mother’s footsteps

Stella has been preparing for a career in acting for several years, studying drama at New York University before graduating this spring.

Her choice of university carries particular significance for the family. Molly also studied at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with a drama degree in 1987. In 2025, the university awarded her an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree, and she addressed its graduating class.

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When it was Stella’s turn to celebrate her own graduation, Molly shared a photograph of herself embracing her daughter at the ceremony. “Couldn’t be prouder!!” she wrote on Instagram in May, marking the completion of Stella’s studies. The occasion gave the actress another opportunity to celebrate her daughter’s achievements, several months before her birthday.

Stella has already begun adding screen credits to her name, including an appearance in Goosebumps: The Vanishing, the second season of the television anthology.

Molly confirmed over the summer that her daughter had earned her BFA in acting and was already working, making this birthday the start of a new chapter beyond university.

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Supporting Molly’s Hollywood milestone

The celebrations have gone both ways this year, with Stella joining her father to support Molly when she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June.

The honour recognised a career spanning sketch comedy, film and television. Molly’s longtime collaborator Will Ferrell and The White Lotus co-star Connie Britton were among those involved in the ceremony. 

For audiences who first discovered Molly through Saturday Night Live, the occasion celebrated the performer behind characters including enthusiastic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher.

Her work since then has included The Other Two, Divorce and The White Lotus, demonstrating a range that extends well beyond the comedy sketches that first made her famous. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s announcement also highlighted something especially important to Molly: her pride in being Stella and Nolan’s mother.

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What Molly has said about motherhood

Molly has spoken publicly about how meaningful raising her children has been, particularly after losing her own mother at a young age.

During an An Evening With… event discussing her life and memoir, Hello, Molly!, she reflected on the relationship between that early loss and becoming a parent herself.

“Being a parent to my children is very healing,” she said. She also discussed the limits of professional success, explaining that achieving her ambitions could not undo the loss she had experienced as a child. “Fame doesn’t fix anything,” she said during the conversation. 

While Stella has chosen acting, Nolan has different interests. Molly has previously explained that her son does not intend to enter show business and has spoken proudly about his talent for surfing. Both children have her support as they pursue their own paths.