Get the 411 on Molly Kunz, one of the stars of NBC’s The Irrational.
In The Irrational, Law & Order’s Jesse L. Martin plays a behavioral psychology professor and a leading expert in his field. Martin’s Alec Mercer uses his finely honed ability to read body language and assess human emotion to help solve crimes.
Meet Molly Kunz - Biography Details
Molly Kunz Has Been Performing Since She Was Young
Madison, Wisconsin native Molly Kunz spent her formative years enmeshed in the performing arts, as she explained to Hollywood North Magazine. According to Kunz, her “childhood was full of music:”
"Yes, I grew up performing in musicals. I did choir, show choir, played piano, danced, ballet, tap and jazz. My childhood was full of music, which made this role really special to me."
Nowadays, the actress lives in Los Angeles, but she admitted to getting homesick for Wisconsin:
"I live in LA now but I grew up in Wisconsin, on the lakes and I love the water. I moved to LA a few years ago for my career and I really missed that."
Molly Graduated From University of Wisconsin-Madison
Kunz attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned her diploma in 2014. In September 2022, she was featured in her college’s alumni magazine (via her personal Instagram) and recognized for her starring role in the 2021 film The Wolf and the Lion.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has existed since 1848, when Wisconsin became a state. Other notable alumni include Malcolm in the Middle star Jane Kaczmarek and legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Molly Worked With Colin Farrell in One of Her First Major Roles
In one of her first appearances on screen, Molly Kunz worked opposite Oz Cobb himself, Colin Farrell, in Widows in 2018.
The film was helmed by 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen, and according to Kunz, McQueen “pulled [her] aside” and directed her to tear Farrell’s character a new one, as she explained on Instagram:
"We had Steve McQueen directing that film, and he's a fantastic director. There's a scene where I'm kind of yelling at Colin [Farrell] in the car and really cussing him out – he's an idiot, and it's an enormous shift in the power dynamic for those characters. Steve actually pulled me aside in between takes and he said, ‘Next take, I want you to improvise; I trust you. Just really hand him his ass on a platter. I know that you can just tear him to shreds, and really don't be afraid of him."
McQueen also gave Kunz some heartfelt advice in the process, letting her know that she “[deserved] to be here just as much” as her co-star:
"You deserve to be here just as much as he does.’ And I think it was incredible to have someone say that to you explicitly, and someone you respect so much. Everyone on that set made me feel welcome and like I was part of the group, which was extraordinary."
Molly Previously Starred in Chicago Fire Before The Irrational
Before landing the full-time gig on The Irrational, Molly Kunz appeared in several other movies and television projects.
She portrayed the lead character, Alma, in The Wolf and the Lion, where she worked with real animals. Reportedly, Kunz was one of the only people on set who could get near her furry, temperamental scene partners.
Kunz also guested on two 2022 episodes of another NBC procedural, Chicago Fire, where she played Sara McBride, a young firefighter who finds herself in trouble after an accident involving damaged power lines.
Molly Had To Train Hard for Wild Eyed and Wicked
In 2023, Molly Kunz starred as the protagonist in the fantasy-horror film Wild Eyed and Wicked. She gave life to the hero character, Lily Pierce, the daughter of a family hunted by a monstrous creature. Lily decides enough is enough and that it’s time to fight back.
Speaking to Cinema Scholars, Kunz detailed the training that went into her role, which included familiarizing herself with how to handle a broadsword:
"I had done strength training in preparation because I knew I would be doing a large chunk of it myself. And I did. I also had broadsword training and fencing lessons. So I had a little bit of a foundation going into it. Plus, the armor. So, there are moments of fight sequences that are – when she has the helmet on – a stunt double. Also, the actual riding of the horse because it’s just not safe to get on a huge animal like that clanking around with armor and scaring them. That had to be done by someone else. The director’s wife, who owns the horse, had this relationship with the animal, so it was safe for her to do that."
She also described the grueling experience of wearing 40 pounds of armor day in and day out while filming but did concede that wearing the armor made her feel “badass:”
“But wearing the armor, for those hours, it was an extra forty pounds. Just chain mail and plates. Then you also have your shield and sword and then the helmet too sometimes! It was physically very demanding and challenging, especially when you have this breakneck speed of a shoot. We’re shooting long days and we’re shooting nights, and it was incredibly demanding. But I was so excited to take that on. It’s so fun and you put it on and you’re like “Yeah, I’m a badass! Look at me!” I would never have that opportunity and just so cool and difficult, but that’s why we do it.”
How To Follow Molly Kunz Online
Molly Kunz can be found on social media through Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
New episodes of The Irrational air on NBC on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET. Read more about the full cast of The Irrational.
