Melissa McCarthy
A fearless comic performer with a gift for jaw-dropping physical humor, Melissa McCarthy was a force of nature in such hit features as "Bridesmaids" (2010) and "The Heat" (2013), as well as a nuanced dramatic talent in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (2019). Born Melissa Ann McCarthy on August 26, 1970 in Plainfield, Illinois, she relocated to New York City at the age of 20 to try her hand at the city's comedy scene. After gaining experience as a stand-up, McCarthy headed west to Los Angeles, where she joined the acclaimed improvisational troupe the Groundlings. She made her first screen appearance in 1997 with a guest appearance opposite her cousin, actress Jenny McCarthy, on her eponymous comedy series (MTV, 1997), and logged minor roles in "Go" (1999) and other films and episodic series before earning her star-making turn as the anxious chef Sookie St. James on "Gilmore Girls" (The WB/CW, 2000-07). Her gift for physical comedy and ebullient presence made her a go-to for sidekicks on subsequent series like "Samantha Who?" (ABC, 2007-09) and features like "The Back-Up Plan" (2010) with Jennifer Lopez. While starring in the romantic sitcom "Mike & Molly" (CBS, 2010-16), McCarthy finally broke away from the "best friend" persona with an unfettered turn as a filter-free member of Maya Rudolph's wedding party in "Bridesmaids" (2010). In addition to the film's unexpected runaway success, McCarthy also enjoyed an Oscar nomination for her performance, as well as an Emmy win for "Mike & Molly." Now firmly established as a comedy star, McCarthy settled into a string of hit feature comedies that hinged on her talent for slow-building eruptions of chaos, including "Identity Thief" (2012), "The Heat" (2013), with Sandra Bullock, "Spy" (2015) and "The Boss" (2016), which she co-wrote and produced with her husband, actor/director Ben Falcone. She was also a popular guest on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ), hosting five times between 2011 and 2017 and earning an Emmy win in the latter year for, among other moments, an uproarious turn as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. She reteamed with "Bridesmaids" star/co-writer Kristen Wiig for Paul Feig's remake of "Ghostbusters" (2016), and logged time in two largely overlooked comedies - "Life of the Party" (2018), which she co-wrote with Falcone, and "The Happytime Murders" (2018), a raunchy comedy featuring puppets - before seguing into dramatic material for "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (2019). McCarthy's turn as author turned celebrity forger Lee Israel earned not only critical praise but an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. The success of the film was followed by another flurry of activity, including more dramatic work in the crime drama "The Kitchen" (2019) and several comic collaborations with Falcone, including 2020's "Superintelligence."
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Melissa McCarthy
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
40% |
|
Unfrosted | Donna Stankowski (Character) | - | 2024 |
31% |
|
Genie |
Flora (Character), Executive Producer |
- | 2023 |
66% |
|
The Little Mermaid | Ursula (Character) | $298.2M | 2023 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Relighting Candles: The Tim Sullivan Story | Executive Producer | - | 2023 |
20% |
|
The Starling | Lilly Maynard (Character) | - | 2021 |
22% |
|
Thunder Force |
Lydia (Character), Producer |
- | 2021 |
30% |
|
Superintelligence |
Carol (Character), Producer |
- | 2020 |
24% |
|
The Kitchen | Kathy Brennan (Character) | $12.2M | 2019 |
98% |
|
Can You Ever Forgive Me? | Lee Israel (Character) | $8.8M | 2018 |
89% |
|
Love, Gilda | Self | $624.2K | 2018 |
23% |
|
The Happytime Murders |
Detective Connie Edwards (Character), Producer |
$20.7M | 2018 |
38% |
|
Life of the Party |
Deanna (Character), Screenwriter, Producer, Executive Producer |
$52.8M | 2018 |
25% |
|
Cook Off! | Amber Strang (Character) | - | 2017 |
74% |
|
Ghostbusters | Abby Yates (Character) | - | 2016 |
22% |
|
The Boss |
Michelle Darnell (Character), Screenwriter, Producer |
$63.0M | 2016 |
95% |
|
Spy | Susan Cooper (Character) | - | 2015 |
No Score Yet |
|
B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations | Unknown (Voice) | - | 2015 |
77% |
|
St. Vincent | Maggie (Character) | $44.1M | 2014 |
24% |
|
Tammy |
Tammy (Character), Screenwriter, Producer |
$84.5M | 2014 |
65% |
|
The Heat | Shannon Mullins (Character) | $159.6M | 2013 |
21% |
|
The Hangover Part III | Cassie (Character) | $112.2M | 2013 |
20% |
|
Identity Thief | Diana (Character) | $134.5M | 2013 |
52% |
|
This Is 40 | Catherine (Character) | $67.5M | 2012 |
89% |
|
Bridesmaids | Megan (Character) | $169.1M | 2011 |
30% |
|
Life as We Know It | Deedee (Character) | $53.4M | 2010 |
17% |
|
The Back-up Plan | Carol (Character) | $37.5M | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
Pretty Ugly People | Becky (Character) | - | 2008 |
63% |
|
The Nines |
Margaret/ |
$62.7K | 2007 |
36% |
|
Pumpkin | Cici Pinkus (Character) | $305.7K | 2002 |
33% |
|
The Third Wheel | Marilyn (Character) | - | 2002 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
97% | 89% | Only Murders in the Building | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2024 |
No Score Yet | 55% | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Guest | 2020-2022 2024 |
No Score Yet | 42% | Jimmy Kimmel Live! |
Guest, Host |
2013-2019 2021 2023-2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hot Ones | Guest | 2023 |
No Score Yet | 18% | The Late Late Show With James Corden | Guest | 2016 2018-2022 |
85% | 76% | The Simpsons | Calvin (Guest Voice) | 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Great Giveback With Melissa McCarthy and Jenna Perusich |
Executive Producer, Host |
2022 |
33% | 73% | God's Favorite Idiot |
Amily Luck (Character), Executive Producer |
2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2010 2022 |
No Score Yet | 44% | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2015-2016 2020-2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ellen DeGeneres Show |
Guest, Host |
2011-2021 |
59% | 60% | Nine Perfect Strangers |
Frances Welty (Character), Executive Producer |
2021 |
No Score Yet | 50% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2016 2018 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen | Guest | 2020-2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Graham Norton Show | Guest | 2015-2016 2018 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Little Big Shots |
Executive Producer, Host |
2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Celebrity IOU | Self | 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways | Guest | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Finding Your Roots | Guest | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ellen's Game of Games | Guest | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Variety Studio: Actors on Actors | Guest | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nobodies |
Melissa McCarthy (Guest Star), Executive Producer |
2017-2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Chew | Guest | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Desus & Mero | Guest | 2018 |
No Score Yet | 57% | Saturday Night Live |
Unknown (Guest Star), Host |
2011 2013-2014 2016-2017 |
41% | 61% | Chelsea | Guest | 2016-2017 |
87% | 69% | Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life | Sookie St. James (Guest Star) | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Conan | Guest | 2011 2013 2016 |
No Score Yet | 63% | Mike & Molly |
Molly Flynn (Character), Director |
2010-2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Daily Show | Guest | 2014-2015 |
No Score Yet | 61% | Late Night With Seth Meyers | Guest | 2015 |
100% | 78% | Late Show With David Letterman | Guest | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Late Night With Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2011 2013-2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Tonight Show With Jay Leno | Guest | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Larry King Now | Guest | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet | Guest | 2012 |
No Score Yet | 80% | Private Practice | Lynn McDonald (Guest Star) | 2010 |
77% | No Score Yet | Samantha Who? | Dena (Character) | 2007-2009 |
No Score Yet | 88% | Gilmore Girls | Sookie St. James (Character) | 2000-2007 |
No Score Yet | 86% | Kim Possible | Unknown (Guest Voice) | 2002 |