01of 16The GroundlingsSean Bishop/Courtesy The GroundlingsBefore ever hitting the screen,Melissa McCarthywas a member of The Groundlings comedy group, an L.A.-based improvisational theater company in which she met her now-husband, actor-directorBen Falcone, in 1998. The training helped her find her comedic footing, she once told PEOPLE.“You can play eccentric. You can play someone with a peculiar point of view, but it’s always better to know the thought process behind it, [and] I think that is almost always right,” she shared.
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The Groundlings
Sean Bishop/Courtesy The Groundlings
Before ever hitting the screen,Melissa McCarthywas a member of The Groundlings comedy group, an L.A.-based improvisational theater company in which she met her now-husband, actor-directorBen Falcone, in 1998. The training helped her find her comedic footing, she once told PEOPLE.
“You can play eccentric. You can play someone with a peculiar point of view, but it’s always better to know the thought process behind it, [and] I think that is almost always right,” she shared.
02of 16Sookie St. James, ‘Gilmore Girls’Warner Bros./EverettIn 2000, “I got [the role] like, two weeks before my 30th birthday,” McCarthy recalled of the part of docile small-town chef St. James. “That was pretty wild because it was the first time ever that I could actually say I was an actor.”
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Sookie St. James, ‘Gilmore Girls’
Warner Bros./Everett
In 2000, “I got [the role] like, two weeks before my 30th birthday,” McCarthy recalled of the part of docile small-town chef St. James. “That was pretty wild because it was the first time ever that I could actually say I was an actor.”
03of 16Molly, ‘Mike & Molly’Monty Brinton/CBS"I said even before the pilot that I had no interest in playing the harping woman," McCarthy told PEOPLE of her Emmy-winning role as Molly Flynn on the CBS sitcom. “If he was just dumb and I was just bitchy, I don’t know who wants to root for that.”
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Molly, ‘Mike & Molly’
Monty Brinton/CBS
“I said even before the pilot that I had no interest in playing the harping woman,” McCarthy told PEOPLE of her Emmy-winning role as Molly Flynn on the CBS sitcom. “If he was just dumb and I was just bitchy, I don’t know who wants to root for that.”
04of 16Dena, ‘Samantha Who?‘Everett"It didn’t survive that dang writers’ strike … I was kind of heartbroken … But god, we had so much fun," McCarthy said of her sidekick role in the short-lived 2007 ABC comedy, which co-starredChristina Applegateas a woman who loses her memory following a car crash.
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Dena, ‘Samantha Who?’
Everett
“It didn’t survive that dang writers’ strike … I was kind of heartbroken … But god, we had so much fun,” McCarthy said of her sidekick role in the short-lived 2007 ABC comedy, which co-starredChristina Applegateas a woman who loses her memory following a car crash.
05of 16Megan, ‘Bridesmaids’Universal Studios.It goes without saying that the actress stole entire scenes of the 2011 hit with her hilarious one-liners and no-holds-barred antics as the bawdy sister of the groom. “I love when I watch something and I get red because I’m so embarrassed for them,” she shared of her part in the film. “I thoroughly enjoy that.” Her work earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, among other accolades.
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Megan, ‘Bridesmaids’
Universal Studios.
It goes without saying that the actress stole entire scenes of the 2011 hit with her hilarious one-liners and no-holds-barred antics as the bawdy sister of the groom. “I love when I watch something and I get red because I’m so embarrassed for them,” she shared of her part in the film. “I thoroughly enjoy that.” Her work earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, among other accolades.
06of 16Mullins, ‘The Heat’Gemma La Mana/Twentieth Century FoxReteaming withBridesmaidsdirector Paul Feig in 2013, McCarthy had a blast playing a slightly off-kilter law enforcer working to take down a Boston drug lord. And working withSandra Bullockwasn’t so bad, either. “Sandra is just one of the coolest, nicest people,” McCarthy said. “That whole bar dance scene somehow felt like we got wasted.”
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Mullins, ‘The Heat’
Gemma La Mana/Twentieth Century Fox
Reteaming withBridesmaidsdirector Paul Feig in 2013, McCarthy had a blast playing a slightly off-kilter law enforcer working to take down a Boston drug lord. And working withSandra Bullockwasn’t so bad, either. “Sandra is just one of the coolest, nicest people,” McCarthy said. “That whole bar dance scene somehow felt like we got wasted.”
07of 16Coach Sheila Kelly, ‘SNL’Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/GettyIn the wildly funny 2013 skit parodying the firing of Rutgers men’s basketball coach Mike Rice, McCarthy played an abusive women’s coach who hurled basketballs and toasters at her players before going at them in a golf cart. “I truly almost ran down those girls,” McCarthy admitted.The actress has been nominated for five Emmys — and won one — for her hosting work onSNLthrough the years.
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Coach Sheila Kelly, ‘SNL’
Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
In the wildly funny 2013 skit parodying the firing of Rutgers men’s basketball coach Mike Rice, McCarthy played an abusive women’s coach who hurled basketballs and toasters at her players before going at them in a golf cart. “I truly almost ran down those girls,” McCarthy admitted.
The actress has been nominated for five Emmys — and won one — for her hosting work onSNLthrough the years.
08of 16Diana, ‘Identity Thief’Universal PicturesPlaying a brazen identity thief opposite straight man Jason Bateman in 2013 was a blast for the star. “I just loved [the role],“McCarthy saidin a chat with ScreenSlam, adding that the movie was originally written for two men. Diana was “complicated and lonely and isolated and also this bigger than life person, too. Those are two strange things that don’t really mix but there they are. I had a really good time kind of figuring out that puzzle.”
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Diana, ‘Identity Thief’
Universal Pictures
Playing a brazen identity thief opposite straight man Jason Bateman in 2013 was a blast for the star. “I just loved [the role],“McCarthy saidin a chat with ScreenSlam, adding that the movie was originally written for two men. Diana was “complicated and lonely and isolated and also this bigger than life person, too. Those are two strange things that don’t really mix but there they are. I had a really good time kind of figuring out that puzzle.”
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Susan Cooper, ‘Spy’
Larry Horricks/Twentieth Century Fox
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Columbia Pictures
Joining the fierce foursome that made up the all-femaleGhostbustersreboot in 2016, McCarthy felt both pressure and gratitude.
Of working with costars Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth and director Paul Feig, she added, “Everybody who was involved with making this film had such tremendous love and respect for the originals. You wanted to make them proud. It all felt surreal and fantastic.”
11of 16Michelle Darnell, ‘The Boss’Universal PicturesMcCarthycreated the characterof Michelle Darnell in her improv years, bringing her to the big screen alongside Kristen Bell in 2016 in a film about a businesswoman fresh out of jail and looking for a new start.“She’s so extreme,“McCarthy told ScreenSlam of her character. “She’s the one I always thought, I want to expand her world. I thought, what would throw her off her axis? Being that bombastic and then helping her find her humanity, to me, those two meeting, it just sounded like the right kind of story.”
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Michelle Darnell, ‘The Boss’
McCarthycreated the characterof Michelle Darnell in her improv years, bringing her to the big screen alongside Kristen Bell in 2016 in a film about a businesswoman fresh out of jail and looking for a new start.
“She’s so extreme,“McCarthy told ScreenSlam of her character. “She’s the one I always thought, I want to expand her world. I thought, what would throw her off her axis? Being that bombastic and then helping her find her humanity, to me, those two meeting, it just sounded like the right kind of story.”
12of 16Lee Israel, ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?‘Twentieth Century FoxMcCarthy scored her first Best Actress Oscar nomination for her work in the 2018 drama, in which she played real author Lee Israel, a biographer-turned-criminal.“Within the first 15 pages of the script I thought, boy I like her quite a bit, I’m not sure why,“McCarthy recalledtoCBS Sunday Morning. “She was in absolute desperation.”
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Lee Israel, ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’
Twentieth Century Fox
McCarthy scored her first Best Actress Oscar nomination for her work in the 2018 drama, in which she played real author Lee Israel, a biographer-turned-criminal.
“Within the first 15 pages of the script I thought, boy I like her quite a bit, I’m not sure why,“McCarthy recalledtoCBS Sunday Morning. “She was in absolute desperation.”
13of 16Kathy Brennan, ‘The Kitchen’LRNYC/MEGAAs mob wives fending for themselves after their husbands go to prison,Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss and McCarthy “all gravitated to the script for the same reason,” McCarthy toldETin 2019. “I loved it becaues it was watching these three characters come into it, you saw them make a decision, when they’re forced in a corner, do I come out fighting or do I roll over and just take it? To watch these women come back and demand their power and their place is what made it so interesting.”
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Kathy Brennan, ‘The Kitchen’
LRNYC/MEGA
As mob wives fending for themselves after their husbands go to prison,Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss and McCarthy “all gravitated to the script for the same reason,” McCarthy toldETin 2019. “I loved it becaues it was watching these three characters come into it, you saw them make a decision, when they’re forced in a corner, do I come out fighting or do I roll over and just take it? To watch these women come back and demand their power and their place is what made it so interesting.”
14of 16Lydia Berman, ‘Thunder Force’Hopper Stone/NetflixThough playing a superhero alongside Octavia Spencer in the 2021 action-thriller was a highlight, for McCarthy, it was more about spending quality time with her friend of 20-plus years.McCarthy told PEOPLE of Spencer, “My girls have not known a minute of their lives without Octavia. In some ways, she’s not changed one bit. Her moral compass is no different from the day I met her. Her kindness is no different. She uses her talents and resources for good.”
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Lydia Berman, ‘Thunder Force’
Hopper Stone/Netflix
Though playing a superhero alongside Octavia Spencer in the 2021 action-thriller was a highlight, for McCarthy, it was more about spending quality time with her friend of 20-plus years.
McCarthy told PEOPLE of Spencer, “My girls have not known a minute of their lives without Octavia. In some ways, she’s not changed one bit. Her moral compass is no different from the day I met her. Her kindness is no different. She uses her talents and resources for good.”
15of 16Frances Welty, ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’Vince Valitutti/HuluPlaying a fancy attendee at a wellness retreat in the 2021 limited series felt like a timely moment to McCarthy. “I thought after the last year and a half or so [of the COVID-19 pandemic], people kind of owning that they need some help … I thought of, not only you can go get help, but you can get help from strangers, it just doesn’t have to be your close group,” she toldGood Morning Ameria.
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Frances Welty, ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’
Vince Valitutti/Hulu
Playing a fancy attendee at a wellness retreat in the 2021 limited series felt like a timely moment to McCarthy. “I thought after the last year and a half or so [of the COVID-19 pandemic], people kind of owning that they need some help … I thought of, not only you can go get help, but you can get help from strangers, it just doesn’t have to be your close group,” she toldGood Morning Ameria.
16of 16Ursula, ‘The Little Mermaid’Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey inThe Little Mermaid(2023).Walt Disney Studios/YouTubeThough almost every detail of the upcoming Disney remake has been shrouded in secrecy,McCarthy did giveEWsome hintsin a recent interview about her villainous character.“Something that I found really fun was, which of the lines — either talking or singing — is Ursula just muttering to herself?” McCarthy said. “She’s been isolated a long time, so it was fun to play around with which ones are her talking to her friends, which ones are her arguing with herself, and then which ones are actually intentionally outward to Ariel? The concept of that suddenly seemed really fun.“She also drew from her love of drag, adding, “To keep the humor and the sadness and the edginess to Ursula is everything I want in a character — and frankly, everything I want in a drag queen.”
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Ursula, ‘The Little Mermaid’
Melissa McCarthy and Halle Bailey inThe Little Mermaid(2023).Walt Disney Studios/YouTube
Though almost every detail of the upcoming Disney remake has been shrouded in secrecy,McCarthy did giveEWsome hintsin a recent interview about her villainous character.
“Something that I found really fun was, which of the lines — either talking or singing — is Ursula just muttering to herself?” McCarthy said. “She’s been isolated a long time, so it was fun to play around with which ones are her talking to her friends, which ones are her arguing with herself, and then which ones are actually intentionally outward to Ariel? The concept of that suddenly seemed really fun.”
She also drew from her love of drag, adding, “To keep the humor and the sadness and the edginess to Ursula is everything I want in a character — and frankly, everything I want in a drag queen.”
source: people.com
