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Things You Might Not Know About Melissa McCarthy

Telisa Carter

August 12, 2016

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Melissa McCarthy is one of the most buzzed about people in Hollywood right now, and for good reason – she is amazing! McCarthy is so much more than an actress, she is a comedian, writer, fashion designer, producer, mother and wife, and does it all with an infectious personality and talent that is hard-pressed to be matched. Over the past few years it seems her star has risen to incredible heights in the industry, and fans have flocked to her films to witness her comedic prowess. Despite being a central figure in Hollywood, and always being in the spotlight, not many know too much about the stunning star, so check out 10 things you never knew about Melissa McCarthy!

10. Getting Started

Melissa McCarthy began her career with comedy as part of the famed Improv group the Groundlings, but it was thanks to her famous cousin Jenny McCarthy that she got her start on TV. In 1997 Melissa made her very first TV appearance on an episode of The Jenny McCarthy Show and two years later made her film debut with a 50 second spot in the film Go. Fans are well aware that her big TV break, however, was as Sookie St. James in Gilmore Girls, and her big film break was in Bridesmaids.

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9. Guy Fieri

Her role in Bridesmaids as Megan was definitely memorable, and as it turns out, she had a very interesting inspiration for the hilarious character: Food Network star Guy Fieri. “Every scene I would have my glasses on the back of my head. I tried for a long time to convince them to let me wear short, white, spiky hair, and they were like, ‘You can’t actually BE Guy Fieri,'” she said.

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8. Money-Maker

Given her streak of successful movies it isn’t surprising to learn that Melissa McCarthy and her films make a lot of money, but some of her successes truly are impressive. As of right now, her films have made more money than those of big-time male comedians including Kevin Hart, Will Ferrell, and Jack Black. Then in 2015, Forbes had McCarthy ranked as the third highest paid actress of the year. She came in just behind power house females Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johannson with earnings of $23 million. She was paid $14 million alone for her role in the Ghostbusters remake.

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7. Production Company

Not only does she act, she also owns her own production company! McCarthy along with her husband Ben Falcone started their own production company, On the Day Productions. The company is still new, however, and only has two credits so far, but is sure to line up much more thanks to McCarthy’s standing in the industry.

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6. True Passion

She may be a very talented comedian and actress, but it seems McCarthy’s life-long passion has been style and fashion. When she was only a teenager, McCarthy met famed shoe designer Brian Atwood and became best friends with him thanks to their mutual love of fashion and, before even getting into acting, McCarthy studied textiles at Southern Illinois University and then moved to New York to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. Although she spent time working as a costumer for a dance company, she never fully got to live out her dream until she teamed up with Sunrise Brands and created her first clothing line collection, Melissa McCarthy Seven7. McCarthy created the line for plus-size women who she thinks are overlooked in the fashion industry, and has stated she “wants to put an end to body shaming plus-size women.”

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5. Facing Criticism

As a plus-sized actress, Melissa McCarthy has faced a lot of criticism in Hollywood for how her looks compare to that of other A-list actresses, but she has had fantastic responses to all the haters out there. Last year, McCarthy revealed what happened when she came face-to-face with a critic who bashed her for her appearance in the film Tammy. She told him, “I hope you don’t have a daughter,” and he revealed he did, to which she said, “If she comes home and someone says you can’t have a job because you’re unattractive, are you gonna say, ‘That’s right?'” He responded, “No, I would never want that to happen. I would never in a million years want that to happen.” She also said that she feels bad for critics who feel that her looks is all she has to offer. “I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate. I just thought, that’s someone who’s in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot. I laugh my head off every day with my husband and my kids who are mooning me and singing me songs.”

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4. Personal Life

Many are very surprised to learn that McCarthy is married to fellow actor Ben Falcone, and he often pops up with cameos in many of her films. The pair were married on October 8, 2005, and have welcomed two daughters together. Vivian was born on May 5, 2007 and Georgette “Georgie” was born in March 2010, and fans will remember that McCarthy’s real-life pregnancy with Vivian was written into the last season of Gilmore Girls. Vivian also appeared in her mother’s film The Boss, portraying the younger version of her mother’s character.

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3. Award-Winning

Melissa McCarthy’s breakout role in Bridesmaids was so good that it even earned her an Oscar nomination! She was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, but didn’t win. Have no fear because she has been honored for other roles. In 2011 she was awarded the coveted Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Molly Flynn in the hilarious series Mike & Molly. She also been given many other acting awards across various associations.

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2. Other Roles

Due to her prominence in films now, many often forget that McCarthy actually had many other roles apart from Gilmore Girls, Bridesmaids and all of her successful films now. Most notably she appeared in the 2000 film Charlie’s Angels, as well as White Oleander, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Nines co-starring with Ryan Reynolds. As for TV, it is also forgotten that she played the best friend to star Christina Applegate in the series Samantha Who? and of course had a long and successful run on the sitcom Mike & Molly.

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1. Not Into Tech

Technology may be absolutely everywhere these days, but Melissa McCarthy is not succumbing to the obsession. In an interview with More magazine, she revealed that she prefers to stick to her old-school ways. “My voice mail says, ‘Please don’t leave a message.’ I don’t check email. I don’t want to be that person who has their face buried in a screen. It makes me feel bad when people do it to me. I’m like, ‘You literally have something in front of your face; I feel awkward talking to you.'”

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Telisa Carter

Telisa enjoys learning and writing about all things entertainment in the world of Hollywood. When she isn't catching up on her favorite TV shows, she likes to read, and obsess over all things football.