Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy married her long-time partner Ben Falcone in 2005. They have two daughters: Vivian and Georgette. Falcone often makes cameo appearances in films and series with Melissa.

Melissa McCarthy was born on August 26, 1970, to Michael and Sandra McCarthy, in Plainfield, Illinois. Her father has Irish roots, while her mother has a mixed ancestry of English and German.

She was raised in a farm with a strict Catholic upbringing. She is related to the actress Jenny McCarthy and the sports player Joanne McCarthy.

She pursued her initial education from St. Francis Academy in Joilet Illinois. Her initial interest in fashion led her to study Textiles at Southern Illinois University. She later moved to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology.

In her early days in NYC, she worked as a costumer for a dance company before entering the stand-up comedy circuit. She was also a part of The Groundlings, a comedy troupe that is based in Los Angeles, California.

She would embark on an acting career in the late 1990s. She received her first role in television for the NBC comedy series ‘Jenny’ in which she starred opposite her cousin Jenny McCarthy.

Her first film appearance was in the comedy movie ‘Go’ (1999) where she had a minor role. Thereafter, she was seen in minor roles in movies such as ‘Drowning Mona’ (2000), ‘Charlie’s Angels’ (2000), ‘The Third Wheel’ (2002), and ‘The Life of David Gale’ (2003).

In 2000, she did a voiceover for the character DNAmy for the the three episodes of the animated series ‘Kim Possible’. She also appeared in two episodes as Molly in the TV series ‘D.C.’.

Melissa received her big break when she was cast as Sookie St. James in the TV series ‘Gilmore Girls’. She essayed the protagonist’s upbeat best friend and her business partner. The show ran for many years, and Sookie remained a recurring character.

She gained more recognition in the industry once she became a part of the regular cast in ‘Gilmore Girls’. The hit Warner Bros. TV series allowed her to find more roles.

Melissa’s most successful TV appearance has been her role in ‘Mike & Molly’, where she played the leading character. The unusual script combined with McCarthy’s charm ensured the show’s success as it ran for 6 seasons. She also received an Emmy Award for her role.

McCarthy is best recognized for her role as Megan Price in the comedy ‘Bridesmaids’ (2011). Directed by Paul Feig, the movie was both commercially and critically successful and grossed over $288 million worldwide.