Why Molly Wright is fast becoming one of Australia’s most influential and promising young talents

The seven-year-old whose inspirational TED talk was viewed nearly 50 million times across 37 languages is now rubbing shoulders with Hollywood A-listers Sir Ben Kingsley and Aaron Eckhart.

Molly Wright's inspirational TED Talk went viral.

What if a game of peek-a-boo could change the world? It’s the question Molly Wright put to an audience three years ago when she stepped out on stage to deliver a TED talk.

For the next seven minutes, the then-seven year old had the audience captivated.

“My talk today is about the powerful things grown-ups can do that can shape us as children and the adults we become,” she told the crowd, beginning her presentation dressed in denim overalls, under the stage’s spotlight.

“Each time you talk to us, play with us, make us laugh, it not only builds and strengthens our relationships and mental health, it actually teaches us the most important life skills.”

The impact of the now 10 year old’s words, which centred on the importance of a child’s first five years, was felt deeply around the world. Especially so when Molly demonstrated the negative impact using our devices in front of small children could have.

“Every moment together is an opportunity to connect, talk and play,” she said.

“Imagine the difference we could make if everyone, everywhere did this.”

Molly Wright’s inspirational TED Talk on how children can thrive by 5 went viral. Picture: David Kelly

The Queensland schoolgirl became the youngest person ever to deliver a TED talk. It became the most popular talk in 2021 and is among the top three in the organisation’s history, surpassed only by talks given by Bill Gates and Elon Musk.

Molly’s talk has since been translated into 37 languages and has been viewed more than 47 million times on Facebook – and millions more times across other social media – reaching billions of people, ranging from ordinary households to celebrities.

US philanthropist Melinda Gates, the ex-wife of Bill Gates, was among those to throw their support behind Molly, as did pop singer Shakira.

“I’m so proud of you Molly ... You’re brilliant and I hope more kids like you find the courage to use their voice to help others like you have – keep it up!” Shakira shared to her 123 million Facebook followers.

Three years later, Molly is fastbecoming one of Australia’s most influential and promising young talents.

“It’s mind blowing,” says Molly, who was chosen to deliver the talk commissioned by the Minderoo Foundation as part of its Thrive by Five campaign. “It was amazing because I was standing there for the first time. I’d never done anything like this in front of a real live audience and it was such an amazing opportunity.”

Gold Coast girl Molly Wright now has movie deals and is passionate about many causes. Picture: David Kelly

Of all the lives it affected, Molly’s is at the top of the list. She is a star on the rise.

Since the talk, Molly has appeared in films, including Kidnapped (starring Aussie actor Todd Lasance), Mistletoe Ranch, Stan Original film Christmas on the Farm (with Hugh Sheridan) and the soon-to-be-released Australian horror The Red, and TV shows Troppo and Tim Minchin’s Upright.

Molly is just as impressive off the screen, and is a passionate advocate and wildlife conservationist. She has launched two organisations – Conservation Club and Molly’s Wildlife Warriors – which support endeavours such as the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital. She is also the ambassador for Australia’s first wildlife conservation film festival, Wild Earth Oceania, where she’s interviewed major players in conservation for various projects.

Recently, she stepped back out on the global stage, speaking at Festival de las Ideas (aka the Festival of Ideas) in Mexico to a crowd of more than 4000 people about the power of reading.
She spoke alongside Canadian filmmaker James Cameron (director of Avatar and Titanic) and cinematographer and key Pixar creative, Danielle Feinberg.

Molly was born in the UK and the family – parents Ally and Neil, and brother Freddie, 4 – who lived on the Gold Coast, recently relocated back to Manchester. She’s already kicking goals there, shooting feature films and TV series, and was chosen to star in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Jr by the Inner City Shakespeare Ensemble – a group supporting emerging actors, sponsored by actor Val Kilmer.

Last year, Molly was cast as in a lead role in the US indie feature Omaha. She then flew to New Zealand to play the supporting lead in survival thriller Deep Water, alongside Sir Ben Kingsley and Aaron Eckhart. Molly also plays a lead role in Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which will be released at the end of the year.

But when Molly isn’t in front of a camera or on stage, she insists she’s just an ordinary little girl. “I just got home from collecting tadpoles and I’ve got mud on the back on my shorts,” she laughs. “I also collect miniatures like little animals or cartoons ... that is the kiddie side of me. Then I have the literature, writing, acting, performing and public side.

“There’s two very different sides to me.”

Molly was born in Manchester, where her parents are from, but the family moved to the Gold Coast in 2017 to follow Neil’s work.

Ally, a former actor and teacher, noticed her daughter’s gifts early when Molly’s speech was above average for a toddler. “I didn’t know that she was speaking as well as she was until I had a trip to the doctor; she was younger than two but talked regularly and was very outspoken,” Ally says. She puts it down to reading to her daughter every night.

By the age of six, Molly was reading books by Roald Dahl, David Walliams and Enid Blyton, allowing her imagination to drift away in the stories that consumed her.

But in an unexpected turn of events, it was her mother’s health scare in 2018 which sparked Molly’s love for acting.

Ally, a teacher at the time, had been diagnosed with the bowel disease ulcerative colitis in 2015. A few years later, her health plummeted.

Young Queensland schoolgirl Molly Wright is no stranger to the camera. Picture: David Kelly

“There was a period of time where things were a bit ropy, and when I came out of hospital, I said to my husband, ‘I don’t want to be a teacher any more; I want to go back to acting’, which is what I did when I was younger,” Ally says. Within months, she started a business out of home called The Play Room (run out of the children’s playroom), giving advice to budding actors. It wasn’t long before her daughter wanted to join in.

“I wasn’t ready for bedtime,” Molly jokes. “I really got myself involved. I took direction, gave direction and then did some acting. I told my mum once that I felt like a character out of one of my stories ... I wanted to keep doing it.”

Molly attended acting workshops with Ben Parkinson, who was the casting director of the Kidnapped film, and also acting classes at The Warehouse Workshop in Helensvale with casting director Tom McSweeney.

Ally, who started acting at 11, had reservations about her daughter being part of what can be a difficult industry, but was never going to hold her back.

“I’ve got to say it wasn’t something I wanted Molly to initially get into,” Ally says. “There are so many factors that go into having a child in the industry; it can be very stressful but it’s also very wonderful. Mostly, it’s hard to navigate to make sure that she is balanced.”

Molly is quick to interrupt. “And I am, and I couldn’t be happier!” she says, bursting with enthusiasm and energy.

She may be a rising star but Molly is still the girl who loves to bury her head in a book and get lost in stories. And, of course, play peek-a-boo.