Molly Gordon — Biography
Molly Gordon, an American actress, has established her presence in both film and television. Her notable film credits include appearances in Ithaca, Sin City Saints, and Life of the Party, where she played Maddie. She also took on the roles of Triple A in Booksmart and a character in Good Boys, all released in 2019. On the television side, Gordon is a regular cast member of the drama series Animal Kingdom, portraying Nicky since its debut. Her upbringing in Los Angeles was within a creative household; her father, Bryan Gordon, is a director in television and film, and her mother, Jessie Nelson, is a film producer and screenwriter. The family observes Jewish traditions.
Gordon's artistic journey began on the Los Angeles stage at a very young age. She shared formative theatrical experiences with fellow actor Ben Platt, appearing alongside him in productions of Fiddler on the Roof when she was just four years old and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying the following year. A fascination with comedy was sparked by her regular viewing of the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live and her attendance at performances by the improv group The Groundlings, influencing her desire to pursue comedic acting. At seventeen, she took on the role of Dot in her high school's production of Sunday in the Park with George. Gordon's academic path included a brief, two-week stint at New York University after finding her program unsatisfactory, and she did not pass her SATs.
Her cinematic debut occurred in her mother Jessie Nelson's 2001 drama, I Am Sam, in the role of Callie. This was followed by her appearance as a trick-or-treater in Nora Ephron's 2005 film Bewitched. In 2015, she also featured in Love the Coopers, sharing the screen with Timothée Chalamet. Seeking to dedicate herself to acting, Gordon relocated to New York City in 2014. In August 2015, she was cast as Nicky in the TNT pilot for Animal Kingdom, an adaptation of the Australian film from 2010. The pilot was greenlit for a full season of ten episodes in December 2015, and the series premiered on June 14, 2016, with Gordon as a series regular. In the 2018 comedy Life of the Party, she portrayed Maddie, the daughter of Melissa McCarthy's character. Gordon began rehearsals in December 2018 for the Off-Broadway production of Alice by Heart, taking on the role of Alice Spencer. This musical, directed by her mother Jessie Nelson who also co-wrote it with Steven Sater, opened at the MCC Theater on February 26, 2019, and concluded its run in May 2019. She played Triple A in the 2019 comedy Book
Gordon's artistic journey began on the Los Angeles stage at a very young age. She shared formative theatrical experiences with fellow actor Ben Platt, appearing alongside him in productions of Fiddler on the Roof when she was just four years old and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying the following year. A fascination with comedy was sparked by her regular viewing of the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live and her attendance at performances by the improv group The Groundlings, influencing her desire to pursue comedic acting. At seventeen, she took on the role of Dot in her high school's production of Sunday in the Park with George. Gordon's academic path included a brief, two-week stint at New York University after finding her program unsatisfactory, and she did not pass her SATs.
Her cinematic debut occurred in her mother Jessie Nelson's 2001 drama, I Am Sam, in the role of Callie. This was followed by her appearance as a trick-or-treater in Nora Ephron's 2005 film Bewitched. In 2015, she also featured in Love the Coopers, sharing the screen with Timothée Chalamet. Seeking to dedicate herself to acting, Gordon relocated to New York City in 2014. In August 2015, she was cast as Nicky in the TNT pilot for Animal Kingdom, an adaptation of the Australian film from 2010. The pilot was greenlit for a full season of ten episodes in December 2015, and the series premiered on June 14, 2016, with Gordon as a series regular. In the 2018 comedy Life of the Party, she portrayed Maddie, the daughter of Melissa McCarthy's character. Gordon began rehearsals in December 2018 for the Off-Broadway production of Alice by Heart, taking on the role of Alice Spencer. This musical, directed by her mother Jessie Nelson who also co-wrote it with Steven Sater, opened at the MCC Theater on February 26, 2019, and concluded its run in May 2019. She played Triple A in the 2019 comedy Book
