Molly

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Lore & Background

Gordon’s artistic roots run deep in Los Angeles, where she was raised by director Bryan Gordon and writer–director Jessie Nelson. A child of the theater scene, she performed on LA stages from a very young age alongside childhood friends Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein. At just four years old, she starred in Fiddler on the Roof with Platt, followed by How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at age five. The trio formed a group called the Theater Geeks of America, performing regularly at local retirement homes. Her comedic sensibilities were shaped by watching Saturday Night Live and attending shows by The Groundlings troupe. At 17, she portrayed Dot in her high school's production of Sunday in the Park with George. Although she briefly attended New York University in 2014 to pursue acting professionally, she left after only two weeks due to dissatisfaction with the program, choosing instead to work as a hostess at Balthazar and take night classes.

In Their Own Story

Gordon’s professional trajectory accelerated rapidly after her move to New York. Her first film appearance was in Nelson's 2001 drama I Am Sam as Callie, followed by a small role as a trick-or-treater in Nora Ephron's 2005 film Bewitched. In August 2015, she was cast as Nicky in the TNT pilot Animal Kingdom, which debuted on June 14, 2016; she remained a series regular until season 3 of the show's six-season run. Her breakthrough came with supporting roles in major studio comedies Life of the Party (2018) and Good Boys (2019). She then garnered critical attention for playing Annabelle, or "Triple A," in Olivia Wilde's Booksmart (2019), citing the film's grounded realism as a draw. In 2021, she played Maya, Rachel Sennott's ex-girlfriend, in Emma Seligman's Shiva Baby. By June 9, 2022, Gordon announced she would produce, star in, and co-direct Theater Camp, inspired by a 2020 short film she cowrote with Noah Galvin, Ben Platt, and Nick Lieberman. The film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21. While editing that project, she was offered the role of Claire Dunlap in The Bear, which premiered in June 2023.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracking Gordon's diverse portfolio, her career is defined by a blend of comedy and musical storytelling across film and television. She co-wrote and starred in Oh, Hi!, directed by Sophie Brooks, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Looking ahead to 2026, she is scheduled to play Rebecca Hampstead, the daughter of Hugh Jackman's character, in The Sheep Detectives, an adaptation of the 2005 book Three Bags Full. On stage, she began rehearsals for Alice by Heart in December 2018, a musical directed by her mother Jessie Nelson and Steven Sater at MCC Theater; the show opened on February 26, 2019, and concluded its run in May of that year. In television, beyond The Bear, she held recurring roles in Ramy (2022–2023) and appeared in three episodes of the series in 2019. Her filmography also includes Am I OK? (2022).

Did You Know?

• Gordon performed with Ben Platt at age four in Fiddler on the Roof and at age five in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
• She left New York University after only two weeks due to dissatisfaction with her program.
• While editing Theater Camp, she was offered the role of Claire Dunlap in The Bear.
• Gordon formed a group called the Theater Geeks of America with Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein, performing at local retirement homes.