The Life And Times Of One Of The Highest Paid Actresses In The World, Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy has defied Hollywood stereotypes and become one of the most successful women in the industry against all odds. There’s no denying that Melissa McCarthy is funny. This woman takes major comedy risks, and they almost always pay off.

Keep reading to learn more about how Melissa became the all-star comedienne that she is today. Whether you fell in love with her on Gilmore Girls, in Bridesmaids, or on SNL, Melissa McCarthy has stolen hearts and screens all over the world.

The Beginning

She went to St. Francis Academy in Illinois and she started her career in entertainment by doing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles and later in New York City. She practiced sketch comedy with The Groundlings, a famous improv troupe based in LA.

Before Bridesmaids

The first time she was in a movie was when she had a minor role in the comedy Go in 1999. After that, she was cast in films like Drowning Mona, Disney's The Kid, Charlie's Angels, The Third Wheel, and The Life of David Gale. In 2000, she was cast as Sookie St. James in the hit show Gilmore Girls.

A Breakout Year

That role launched Melissa McCarthy into superstardom. In 2011, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for her work on Mike & Molly. The next year she was nominated for an Emmy for her work on Saturday Night Live.

Married Life

Melissa was pregnant with Vivian during the last season of Gilmore Girls and her pregnancy was written into the show. Ben often makes cameo appearances in Melissa McCarthy's movies and TV shows.

A Production Team

McCarthy usually earns around $10 million per role, but she took a smaller upfront salary for Tammy in exchange for a larger cut of the film's earnings. Tammy grossed $84.5 million in North America and $16 million in other territories for a total gross of $100.5 million. On the Day made Tammy for $20 million.

Her Own Fashion Line

Melissa teamed up with Sunrise Brands to create her first clothing collection. Her line is made for all women and it includes sizes up to a size 28.

Weight Loss

Melissa has lost an estimated 75 lb since Mike & Molly started airing. She says that she's lost the weight by eating a high protein diet and going to sleep early.

Pleasantly Surprised

When Jackson announced her name, she was genuinely shocked and so overcome with emotions. It was difficult for her to get through the rest of the nominees.

A Very Canadian Heist

Hopefully, this movie gets made at some point, but maybe in America, we're just way more into baseball than hockey. Maybe McCarthy needs to steal the World Series trophy instead. Now that's a movie I can get behind.

The Best Of Friends

Octavia Spencer ended up taking home the Oscar, but I bet losing doesn't feel so bad when you lose to one of your best friends. I'm sure Melissa McCarthy will win an Oscar one day.

Making Money Moves

She made the list again in 2017 and 2018. The future looks bright for McCarthy.

Her Inspiration For Her Bridesmaids Character Might Surprise You

I definitely didn't realize that she was acting like Guy Fieri, but now that I know, I can't unsee it.

She Prefers Real Face Time

Technology has done so much for communication, but when it comes down to it, there's nothing like a good old fashioned conversation.

Now That's Commitment

Melissa went back to work very quickly after each of her children were born. She only took three months off with her first child, and four months off with her second.

She Went Through A Goth Phase

Melissa said even though she looked goth, she never acted the part. She was too much of a goody-two-shoes. We're glad Melissa went back to a look that fits her personality better.

She Used To Be A Cheerleader

Melissa told Rolling Stone, “I thought I battled weight throughout high school, but I look back at pictures of me as a cheerleader, doing sprints, lifting weights, doing gymnastics, playing tennis, and while I wasn’t reed-thin like some girls – we’re so expletive up in this country that somehow equates that with better – I was a size six the entire time. So what on Earth was I freaking out about? Like, I would kill, absolutely kill, to look like that now.”

She Gave Herself A Deadline

A week before her 30th birthday, she got a call from her manager about auditioning for Gilmore Girls. Luckily for her (and for us), she got the part and the rest is history.

Marriage Is Weird

\"She's been known to tap on my teeth before she goes to bed. And then, before sleeping, she’ll say, 'I just need to hook it,’ which means she has to jam her hand into my armpit. I’ll say, ‘Well, no, don’t put your hand there. It’s not comfortable.’ See, she wants to tickle me, and I don’t want her to do that. She’ll say, ‘I won’t move it. I won’t move it.’ And so finally I let her hook it – and then, of course, she tickles me.” Weird. But also cute.

She Has No Problem With Cursing

Melissa explained, \"I mean, once this reporter was like, 'Why are your characters so disgusting?’ And I was like, ‘Jeez, what do you mean?’ He goes, ‘You know, they’re disgusting. Look how she swears.’ I said, ‘If a guy was swearing like that, would you call him disgusting? So now, you tell me what part of the movie I was disgusting in?’\"

She Doesn't Let Her Kids Watch All Of Her Movies

Georgie (Melissa's youngest daughter) was pretty mad at Jason Bateman after she watched him \"hurt\" her mom in a movie.

She's Gotten Into Fights With Reporters

Another reporter asked if she ever doubted that she would make it in the industry because of her \"tremendous size.\"

How She Got To The Top

Melissa told Glamour, \"In the fight for fairness, everything else goes to a whiteout. I always think, Is the deal fair? Would you be asking the same thing of a guy in this position? And if the answer is 'It probably wouldn't be happening to a guy,’ I’ll dig my teeth in for months.”

She Wasn't Always Rich And Famous

Melissa explained to Glamour, \"And then I thought, I don’t want to continue this pattern. I want to be able to pay the phone bill and not panic.\"

She Has A Weird Relationship With Blueberries

\"I used to think that buying blueberries or an avocado was absolutely unnecessary—they were too expensive. Then once I started being able to buy a pint of blueberries, I would not eat them. I just kept throwing them away because I was like, 'I should wait and do some­thing special with them.' For 15 years I would just throw away blueberries and avocados. I can’t tell you how much I wasted. At one point I was just like, ‘How about you just start eating blueberries? It’s getting weird.’\"

She Used To Be A Waitress At A Nursing Home

I think that's a very true statement. Have you ever seen an unhappy person eating a sandwich?

She Wormed Her Way Into An Oscar Nominated Movie

At one point it was looking like nobody was going to make the movie, so Melissa fought to get it made and to star in it. Her role in the film earned her an Oscar nomination, so I'd say that was a good move.

Nobody Thought Bridesmaids Was Going To Be A Smash Success

Melissa told InStyle, \"I remember thinking, 'I don't know if this will work at all, but it seems like the funniest thing I’ve ever been a part of.’ My husband actor and producer Ben Falcone and I were over at Paul Feig’s house the night it opened, and everyone kept telling us that it was not going to open well. And then we were watching the numbers come in, and we jumped up, got in the car, and ran in and out of two different movie theaters. They were both packed, and the audiences were enjoying it. I felt like that was a whole change, like, maybe our sensibility works and we’re not alone. Maybe I can write stuff.\"

She Loves Working With Her Husband

Reporters often ask her about the difficulties of working with Ben, and she always responds, \"It's fun. We met doing this. We know we’ve been hit by a lucky stick… it’s, like, the best thing I’ve ever had in my life.\"

On Other Women In Hollywood

Melissa said that she wants Amy Adams to run for president, she wants Viola Davis to wake her up every morning and direct her life, and she admires how fame hasn't changed Alison and Octavia.

She's A Hard Worker

Melissa said that her husband, Ben sometimes calls her a shark because sharks always have to be in motion. Ben is content to sit and relax, but Melissa likes to be constantly moving towards a goal.