McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone are the founders of the production company On the Day Productions, under which they have collaborated on several comedy films including Life of the Party (2018), Super Intelligence (2020), and Thunder Force (2021). In 2015, she launched her own clothing line for plus-sized women, named Melissa McCarthy Seven7, and she received a motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[6][7]
Her career started with stand-up comedy in Los Angeles, and later in New York City.[16] McCarthy is an alumna of The Groundlings, an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe based in Los Angeles, California.[17] She also performed in New York City as a drag queen under the moniker Miss Y, including at the Wigstock festival.[18]
Career
1997–2010: Early work, Gilmore Girls and supporting roles
In 2007, she starred opposite Ryan Reynolds in the science fantasy psychological thriller The Nines, written and directed by John August. She later starred in the independent comedies The Captain, Just Add Water, and Pretty Ugly People.[22] Also in 2007, McCarthy starred as Dena Stevens on the ABC sitcom Samantha Who?.[23] McCarthy played Samantha's socially awkward childhood best friend, whom Samantha hasn't seen since seventh grade. When Samantha wakes from her coma, Dena convinces Samantha that they have always been best friends. While Andrea eventually forces her to reveal the truth, Samantha still remains friends with Dena.[24] She guest starred in Rita Rocks and on Private Practice.[25] In 2010, McCarthy played supporting roles in films The Back-up Plan and Life as We Know It.[26]
2011–2017: Mike and Molly, Bridesmaids and mainstream success
In 2013, McCarthy co-starred in the crime comedy Identity Thief with Jason Bateman.[42][43]Identity Thief, her star vehicle, opened at No. 1 at the box office, and grossed $174 million worldwide[44] despite negative reviews.[45] R. Kurt Osenlund of Slant Magazine praised McCarthy's performance, writing that she "gives a performance leagues better than anything to be expected in a mainstream, early-in-the-year release, padding a typically sketched character with layers of hilarity and pathos. McCarthy owns 'Identity Thief' with a turn of limitless surprise, making an otherwise adequate comedy soar as a star vehicle. She is riveting in simply-penned moments of remorse and confession, adding tearful depth to her ace timing and formidable physical comedy."[46] Peter Debruge of Variety magazine praised McCarthy but criticized the script, saying "Melissa McCarthy proves she’s got what it takes to carry a feature, however meager the underlying material."[47] She received People's Choice and MTV Movie Awards nomination for her performance.[48] Later in 2013, McCarthy co-starred with Sandra Bullock in the buddy cop comedy The Heat. The film was released in the United States and Canada on June 28, 2013, to both critical and commercial success.[49] With McCarthy being called "box office gold," The Heat grossed $229 million worldwide.[50] She won American Comedy Award for Best Comedy Actress - Film, and well as received nominations an Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in a Comedy and MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.[51][52]
In 2013, McCarthy founded the production company On the Day Productions with her husband Ben Falcone.[53]Tammy was the company's first project. The film cost $20 million.[54] McCarthy co-wrote the script for the road comedy film, which was released in 2014. McCarthy's character loses her job and her car, and then learns that her husband has been unfaithful. To get away, she is forced to rely on her alcoholic grandmother (Susan Sarandon) for transportation as they embark on a journey of self-discovery.[55] Although a box office success, grossing over $100 million from a $20 million budget, it received highly negative reviews from critics with McCarthy received Razzie nomination for Worst Actress.[56] On Rotten Tomatoes, the site's critical consensus reads, "Melissa McCarthy remains an engaging screen presence, but her efforts aren't enough to keep the jumbled Tammy on track."[57] Later in 2014, McCarthy played the female lead, opposite Bill Murray, in the comedy-drama film St. Vincent, directed and written by Theodore Melfi.[58] The film received positive reviews from critics and her performance as an overworked single mom was noted.[59][60] At the 20th Critics' Choice Awards, she received Best Actress in a Comedy Movie nomination.[61]
In May 2015, McCarthy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[62][63] In August 2015, Forbes ranked her as the third highest-paid actress of 2015, with earnings of $23 million.[2] Also in 2015, McCarthy played the lead in frequent collaborator Paul Feig's spy comedy Spy,[64][65] a role that earned McCarthy her first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.[66] The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $235 million worldwide against a $65 million budget. McCarthy's performance was praised by critics. Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun Times called her "as funny and as winning as anyone in the movies these days".[67] Tom Russo of The Boston Globe credited the film's success to McCarthy, writing, "part of what makes the action comedy such a loopy blast is the identity shifts she pulls on the audience."[68] Bill Goodykoontz of Arizona Republic called the film McCarthy's return to form, writing "Finally, after the promise shown in Bridesmaids, but sold short since by weak scripts in films like Tammy and Identity Thief, Melissa McCarthy gets a movie vehicle worthy of her talents."[69]
In 2016, McCarthy starred in the comedy film The Boss, a film based on a character which McCarthy had created in the Los Angeles Groundlings – a wealthy businesswoman "who goes to jail for insider trading, and struggles to reinvent herself as America's new sweetheart when she's released".[53] Although it received generally negative reviews from critics, it grossed over $78 million worldwide on a budget of $29 million. Also that year, she played an author and scientist in the all-female reboot of Ghostbusters, directed by Paul Feig.[70][71][72][73] The film grossed $229.1 million worldwide against its $144 million budget, making it a box office bomb with losses of over $70 million following theaters taking their revenue cut.[74] At the 43rd People's Choice Awards, McCarthy won Award for Favorite Comedic Movie Actress.[75]
2018–present: Dramatic roles and awards recognition
McCarthy starred and produced another comedy film directed by Ben Falcone, Life of the Party. The film was released on May 11, 2018. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $65 million. She also starred in The Happytime Murders, an adult puppet buddy cop crime comedy film directed by Brian Henson. The film was released on August 24, 2018, and received mostly negative reviews and was a box-office bomb, grossing $27.5 million worldwide against a $40–47 million budget. It went on to debut to $9.5 million, marking the lowest opening of McCarthy's career as a lead.[80]
Later in 2018, she starred as celebrity biographer Lee Israel in the dark comedy-drama film Can You Ever Forgive Me? directed by Marielle Heller. She replaced Julianne Moore, who was fired shortly before shooting was to begin.[81] McCarthy's performance as Lee drew high praise. Film Journal International said McCarthy's performance is "stunning", and her previous film roles "could not anticipate how fearlessly and credibly she inhabits Lee Israel."[82][83][84]
In 2019, McCarthy played the lead in the crime film The Kitchen. It received mostly negative reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb. Variety's Owen Gleiberman described the film as "just like Widows, except not as good." Gleiberman was critical of the script but praised McCarthy's fierce performance.[86] The following year, she returned to comedy with the leading role in the Superintelligence. In 2021, she starred in the superhero comedy film Thunder Force, and the comedy-drama film The Starling, both was released on Netflix.[87]
She executive produced and starred in the Hulu limited thriller drama series, Nine Perfect Strangers. The Guardian's Lucy Mangan said: "Most engagingly, there is Melissa McCarthy, sweeping all before her as charismatic, bestselling author Frances, who has recently been dealt harsh blows and is here to have pampered time to recover. As is so often the case with the magnificent McCarthy, she is the best, most arresting thing in the series, and every time she comes back on screen you wriggle with delight."[88] She received Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries for her performance in series.[89] In 2022, she co-starred with Ben Falcone in the Netflix comedy series, God's Favorite Idiot.
On June 28, 2019, it was announced that McCarthy was in talks to play Ursula in Disney's film The Little Mermaid, set to be directed by Rob Marshall.[90] On February 18, 2020, McCarthy confirmed her casting as the villainess during an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[91] The film was released in 2023 and grossed over $569 million worldwide against a total production budget of $250 million. Peter Debruge from the Variety wrote: "If Bailey is the film’s big discovery, then McCarthy is its no-brainer. Dolled up to look like Divine’s evil-stepsister in her glowing green lair, the comic star’s just delicious as the movie’s deep-sea villain. Her timing is impeccable, and though the part is virtually identical to the one Pat Carroll originated, she aces what’s demanded of these tricky remakes: Basically, McCarthy manages to hit every beat the super fans expect, while surprising with every pause and inflection."[92]
McCarthy starred opposite Jerry Seinfeld in the comedy film Unfrosted for Netflix.[93] She also set to star in the film Genie written by Richard Curtis.[94]
Personal life
McCarthy married her longtime boyfriend Ben Falcone, an actor and member of The Groundlings, on October 8, 2005.[95][96] The couple have two daughters, Vivian and Georgette.[97] McCarthy's pregnancy with Vivian was written into the last season of Gilmore Girls. Vivian and Georgette both made an appearance in the 2016 film The Boss, with the former playing a younger version of her mother's character.
Falcone often makes cameo appearances in McCarthy's films and TV series, such as a third-season episode of Gilmore Girls, The Nines, Bridesmaids, The Heat, Tammy, Identity Thief, Spy, The Boss, Life of the Party, The Happytime Murders, Thunder Force, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Nine Perfect Strangers.
In the April 2021 issue of Instyle, McCarthy said that, with regard to politics, "It's very polarizing, but, I mean, I'm on the left for sure, though I'm not an extremist. And I think just saying like, "Can't we all just be kind to each other?" and that gets a "F— you, lady," I don't know what to do."[98]
In August 2021, McCarthy joined the 40x40 campaign launched by Meghan Markle to mark her 40th birthday. 40x40 is a campaign that asks people around the world to spend 40 minutes of their time mentoring women reentering the workforce and combating the outsized economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women.[99]
Fashion line
McCarthy studied textiles at Southern Illinois University, and was interested in a fashion career before she pursued her interests in acting. When she moved to New York City, it was to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. One of her closest friends is shoe designer Brian Atwood. McCarthy also spent time working as the costumer for a dance company.[10]
In 2015, McCarthy announced her first clothing collection, Melissa McCarthy Seven7, for plus-size women. The line includes clothes up to size 28. In an interview with More, McCarthy stated that "people don't stop at size 12. I feel like there's a big thing missing where you can't dress to your mood above a certain number. Malls segregate "plus-size" clothes stores and hide these stores away from other sections of the mall."[100][101] Seven7, which was developed alongside Sunrise Brands,[102] debuted in August 2015 on the Home Shopping Network.[103][104][105]