Melissa McCarthy

Actress • Comedian • Writer • Producer

Birth Name: Melissa Ann McCarthy

Birth Date: August 26, 1970

Age: 54 years old

Birth Place: Plainfield, Illinois

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."

Melissa McCarthy

Actress • Comedian • Writer • Producer

Birth Name: Melissa Ann McCarthy

Birth Date: August 26, 1970

Age: 54 years old

Birth Place: Plainfield, Illinois

Spouses: Ben Falcone

Awards

Credits

The 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

UnfrostedStream

Live with Kelly and MarkStream

Oscars 2023: Highlights

The Little MermaidStream

GenieStream

GenieStream

Relighting Candles: The Tim Sullivan Story

God's Favorite IdiotStream

God's Favorite IdiotStream

The Great GivebackStream

The Great GivebackStream

Kelly Clarkson Presents: When Christmas Comes AroundStream

A Night in the Academy Museum

Only Murders in the BuildingStream

Nine Perfect StrangersStream

Nine Perfect StrangersStream

Cocktails and Tall Tales With Ina Garten and Melissa McCarthyStream

Thunder ForceStream

Thunder ForceStream

The StarlingStream

Celebrity IOUStream

FOX Presents the iHeart Living Room Concert for America

SuperintelligenceStream

SuperintelligenceStream

Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways

The Kelly Clarkson ShowStream

Today With Hoda & Jenna

The Kitchen

The Jess Cagle Interview

Late Late Show With James Corden: Best of the Week

Life of the PartyStream

Life of the PartyStream

Life of the PartyStream

Life of the PartyStream

Can You Ever Forgive Me?Stream

The Happytime Murders

The Happytime Murders

Love, GildaStream

Ellen's Game of Games

Access

Sister Circle

Ghostbusters - TV Special

Daily Pop

NobodiesStream

NobodiesStream

Cook Off!

Desus & MeroStream

ENCORE: Behind the Scenes With Barbra Streisand

ChelseaStream

Sunday Today With Willie Geist

The Making Of: The Boss

Little Big Shots

Little Big Shots

Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows

GhostbustersStream

The BossStream

The BossStream

The BossStream

The Daily Show with Trevor NoahStream

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Melissa McCarthy Seven 7

Melissa McCarthy Seven 7

Spy Interview Special

The Making Of: Spy

The Weekly with Charlie Pickering

The Late Late Show With James Corden

Hot OnesStream

SpyStream

B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors