Biography

Melissa Ann McCarthy (born August 26, 1970) is an American actress, writer, producer, comedian, and fashion designer. She is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards and has received nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She began appearing in television and films in the late 1990s, and first gained nationwide recognition for her role as Sookie St. James on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000–2007). She played Dena on the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? (2007–2009), before starring as Molly Flynn on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly (2010–2016), the latter of which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as two other nominations during subsequent seasons. She has also been nominated five times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her five appearances as a host on Saturday Night Live, eventually winning in 2017. McCarthy received widespread recognition and critical acclaim for her performance in the comedy film Bridesmaids (2011); for her work in the film, she received nominations for the BAFTA Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also had supporting roles in The Nines (2007), The Back-up Plan (2010), Life as We Know It (2010), This Is 40 (2012), and The Hangover Part III (2013). McCarthy then starred in the comedy films Identity Thief and The Heat, both released in 2013. In 2014, McCarthy starred in the comedy film Tammy and the comedy-drama film St. Vincent. In 2015, she headlined the action comedy film Spy, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination. In 2016, she starred in the comedy films The Boss and Ghostbusters. Following starring roles in the 2018's comedy films Life of the Party, and The Happytime Murders, she then starred as Lee Israel in the biographical drama Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), for which she received critical acclaim and nominations for the BAFTA Award, the Golden Globe Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone founded On the Day, a production company. In 2015, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, launched her clothing line, Melissa McCarthy Seven7, and was named the third highest-paid actress in the world by Forbes. In 2016, Forbes named her the world's second highest-paid actress in the world, with earnings of $33 million.