Melissa McCarthy biography, husband, weight loss, kids, net worth, age, now 2025

Melissa McCarthy Biography

Melissa McCarthy is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and fashion designer. She shot to fame with her breakout role in "Bridesmaids" (2011), followed by hits like "The Heat" (2013), "Spy" (2015), and "Ghostbusters" (2016).

Early Years

Melissa Ann McCarthy was born on August 26, 1970, in Plainfield, Illinois, USA. She grew up on a farm in a large Catholic family. Her father, Michael, was of Irish descent, while her mother Sandy had English, Irish, and German roots.

Melissa was an energetic, creative kid who never missed a chance to make everyone laugh. Her parents, who adored their daughter, encouraged her theatrical ambitions. "I used to put on shows for my poor mom while she was cleaning and doing laundry. I was always making up funny songs," Melissa recalls.

Notably, her cousin Jenny McCarthy also became an actress, known for "Dirty Love" and "Scary Movie 3".

Fashion was another one of McCarthy's passions. After high school, she attended Southern Illinois University, majoring in Textile and Costume Arts. In her early years, Melissa worked as a costume designer for dance shows until her acting dreams took over.

Acting Career

Melissa began performing on stage in Los Angeles. There, she honed her skills at The Groundlings, a school specializing in improvisational comedy and sketch shows. Alumni from this school include Jennifer Coolidge, Will Ferrell, and Lisa Kudrow.

Melissa McCarthy on stage at The Groundlings theatre

McCarthy made her TV debut in 1997 with an appearance on the comedy series "The Jenny McCarthy Show." The sketch show was created by her cousin Jenny, who'd already made a name for herself as a Playboy star.

Young Melissa McCarthy in a behind the scenes look at the Jenny McCarthy show.

Two years later, Melissa made her film debut in the comedy "Go", which also featured young Katie Holmes and Sarah Polley. In the early 2000s, the charismatic actress landed many projects, though mostly in supporting roles. Melissa appeared in films like "Drowning Mona" with Danny DeVito, the philosophical drama "Disney's The Kid" with Bruce Willis, Alan Parker's detective film "The Life of David Gale" and the cult film "Charlie's Angels" with Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu.

But most TV viewers remember McCarthy for her role as Sookie St. James, the optimistic friend and colleague of Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), in the comedy-drama series "Gilmore Girls". Melissa's character appeared in all seven seasons, and McCarthy also returned for the series revival "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" in 2016.

Melissa McCarthy Reveals WORST Part of Filming Gilmore Girls

In 2007, McCarthy co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in the sci-fi psychological thriller "The Nines" about people whose lives are mysteriously connected by the number "nine". The film also featured Hope Davis and Elle Fanning. That same year, McCarthy starred in the ABC series "Samantha Who?" with Christina Applegate.

Melissa McCarthy in the thriller 'The Nines'

McCarthy's real breakthrough came in 2010 when she landed the lead role in the sitcom "Mike & Molly." The series was produced by Chuck Lorre, creator of popular projects "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory". The story followed police officer Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell) and his girlfriend Molly Flynn (Melissa McCarthy), an elementary school teacher. The two meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, supporting each other as they try to lose weight and overcome life's other temptations.

Melissa McCarthy in the sitcom 'Mike & Molly'

Along with her character, Melissa was also losing weight - she managed to lose about 77 pounds since filming began, thanks to a high-protein, low-carb diet, regular exercise, and what she called a "super-boring life" that included a 7:30 pm curfew. For her role in the series, which ran until 2016, McCarthy won an Emmy—and would go on to earn five more nominations.

During the filming of 'Mike & Molly', Melissa managed to lose about 77 lbs

McCarthy's next career-defining role came in the hit comedy "Bridesmaids". In this raunchy wedding comedy, she played Megan, the groom's blunt but loveable sister. The film was written by comedian Kristen Wiig, a fellow Groundlings alum and "Saturday Night Live" star. She also played the lead role. Critics embraced the hilarious comedy. The film was awarded several prizes, and Melissa received three awards at various film festivals as the best supporting actress.

Melissa McCarthy in the comedy 'Bridesmaids'

This success opened doors to bigger roles and McCarthy's fanbase exploded. In 2013, she played the lead role in the road movie "Identity Thief" with Jason Bateman. Despite poor reviews, the film dominated the box office, earning $174 million worldwide. That same year, the actress could be seen with Sandra Bullock in the comedy "The Heat". Critics dubbed McCarthy "box office gold" as the film outearned even "Identity Thief".

Identity Thief - Singing to the Radio

That year, McCarthy and husband Ben Falcone launched their production company "On the Day". Their first film was "Tammy", for which Melissa wrote the script (she also got the lead role), and Falcone served as the director. McCarthy's character loses her job, her car, and discovers her husband cheating. She's forced to crash with her boozy grandmother (Susan Sarandon), who dreams of seeing Niagara Falls.

Melissa McCarthy on the set of the movie 'Tammy'

Then McCarthy played the lead role in the dramatic comedy "St. Vincent" with Bill Murray and starred in Paul Feig's comedy "Spy", the creator of "Bridesmaids" and "The Heat". Her role in the spy comedy with Rose Byrne, Jason Statham and Jude Law earned Melissa her first Golden Globe nomination (although the award went to Jennifer Lawrence).

Melissa McCarthy Got Injured in the Most Ridiculous Way on the Spy Set

A major event for Melissa was that in May 2015, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In August of the same year, the actress ranked third in the list of the highest-paid actresses according to Forbes.

In May 2015, Melissa McCarthy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

In 2016, McCarthy starred in the film "The Boss", directed by her husband Ben. The actress appeared as a wealthy businesswoman who ends up in jail, burning on shadow deals. The "younger version" of Melissa's character was played in the film by the actress's 9-year-old daughter, Vivian.

Melissa McCarthy in the movie 'The Boss'

That same year, Melissa reunited with Paul Feig for his all-female "Ghostbusters" reboot. Apart from her long-time colleague Kristen Wiig, the film featured Chris Hemsworth, and comedians Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. The film divided audiences - many fans openly criticized what they saw as an unnecessary reboot that prioritized gender politics over the original's legacy.

Ghostbusters (2016) - Abby's Possessed Scene

In May 2018, "Life of the Party" premiered in the USA, directed by Ben Falcone (the actress's husband) and starring McCarthy in the lead role. She played a middle-aged divorcee who goes back to college to complete her degree. That September, Melissa appeared in the action-comedy "The Happytime Murders," which follows crimes in Los Angeles involving stars from a popular '90s TV show.

On October 19, 2018, the comedy-drama "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" hit theaters, based on the memoirs of Lee Israel (played by McCarthy), one of America's most celebrated biographers. For this role, the actress was nominated for an Oscar.

Melissa McCarthy Gives Advice to Strangers on the Internet

In 2019, Melissa starred in the crime drama "The Kitchen," about the wives of 1970s New York gangsters, followed by Ben Falcone's comedy "Superintelligence" in 2020. Both films failed to connect with audiences, earning ratings of just over 5 on Kinopoisk.

Superintelligence Cast: Melissa McCarthy, James Corden, Ben Falcone & More

Around the same time, the mini-series "Nine Perfect Strangers" premiered, featuring McCarthy in a supporting role.

One of the most discussed recent projects featuring Melissa was the Netflix film "Thunder Force". What caught viewers' attention was seeing plus-size actresses like Melissa taking on superhero roles.

The Funniest Bloopers From Thunder Force ft. Melissa McCarthy

Fashion Industry

In 2015, Melissa McCarthy partnered with Sunrise Brands to launch her first clothing line, "Melissa McCarthy Seven7," designed specifically for plus-size women like herself. McCarthy stated, "There are people whose clothing size is larger than XXL. It's really frustrating when you can't find clothes you love just because you need a larger size."

Melissa McCarthy's Personal Life

In October 2005, Melissa McCarthy tied the knot with her long-time boyfriend, Ben Falcone, an actor and Groundlings alum. The couple has two daughters, Vivian (born 2007) and Georgette (born 2010).

Melissa McCarthy with her husband Ben Falcone

McCarthy's husband frequently pops up in her projects: you can spot him in small roles throughout season 3 of "Gilmore Girls," plus movies like "Bridesmaids" (that airplane scene), "The Heat," and 15 other films.

Melissa McCarthy with her husband and children

Melissa doesn't feel insecure about her weight and isn't trying to lose it.

Melissa McCarthy Now

In 2023, Melissa McCarthy was seen in the Disney film remake of "The Little Mermaid". She played the underwater witch, Ursula. While lead actress Halle Bailey faced casting criticism (primarily due to skin color), viewers found McCarthy's portrayal to be a perfect fit for the character.

Melissa McCarthy as Ursula from 'The Little Mermaid'

McCarthy also starred in the Christmas comedy "Genie," playing an ancient creature named Flora who grants wishes to whoever owns a magical box.

Bill Brown

I remember her from the TV series This Is Us. I was directly imbued with her game, and, in principle, the series was kind and very touching

2021-05-06 22:09:26
Michelle Crawford

I watched all the comedy movies with McCarthy. So if there is a movies and she is also playing there, then I`ll watch it

2021-04-24 13:02:26
Nathaniel Jayden Rogers

I like movies with her, especially if it is with humor:)

2021-04-05 15:17:32
Kathryn White

For some reason I think Melissa will still show herself as a cool actress.

2021-02-27 18:57:37
Nicholas Angel Cook

Oh well, Melissa McCarthy became famouse only because of the comedy movies :)

2021-01-09 19:16:19

Photos: Melissa McCarthy