Born:
August 26, 1970
in
Plainfield, Illinois
Best Known For:
Bridesmaids and Mike & Molly.
Early-life:
Melissa Ann McCarthy was born in Plainfield, Illinois on August 26, 1970 to Sandra and Michael. She was raised on a farm. She began her career performing stand-up in New York at Stand Up New York and The Improv and began developing her acting skills at The Actors Studio. She moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s.
Career:
McCarthy made her TV debut in an episode of the sitcom Jenny, opposite her cousin Jenny McCarthy. Her first film appearance came in Go (1999). A year later, she was cast as Sookie St James in comedy drama Gilmore Girls. It ran for seven seasons until 2007. She later starred in the sitcoms Samantha Who? and Rita Rocks. Her big break came in 2010 when she was cast in a leading role in sitcom Mike & Molly. The following year, she received critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for her part in Bridesmaids (2011). Since then, McCarthy has continued to work on Mike & Molly and she has played lead roles in Identity Thief (2013), The Heat (2013) and Tammy (2014).
Quote:
"When I believe in something, I'm like a dog with a bone."
Trivia:
She was a member of Los Angeles-based sketch comedy troupe The Groundlings for nearly 10 years.