With 'The Boss' premiere, we’re looking back at the key performances of the new queen of comedy.
For the actress, who’s better known for the part of an obnoxious and delightfully vulgar bridesmaid, Melissa McCarthy constantly blows us away with the ability to play her loud-and-proud characters in a shockingly exquisite way. Which is a no-brainer, considering she’s been on our radar for the last 17 years, popping up both on TV and film. On April 8 her newest benefit comedy, The Boss, hits the theaters and in May we’ll say goodbye to her tamer character in the Mike & Molly series finale. In the meantime, we’re remembering the key moments of her career that put McCarthy into the higher echelon of Hollywood comedy elite.
Go (1999)
Melissa McCarthy’s big screen debut only lasted for about a minute in the 1999’s drug-themed comedy Go, but it was more than enough to convince everyone that her career was a go (pun intended). The rest of the movie was equally funny: the elaborate plot revolved around three storylines of different characters, all involved in one hilarious drug deal. The movie starred tons of late-90s teen darlings—from Katie Holmes to Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf.
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
Melissa was always up for fighting several battles at once. She managed to launch successful careers in cinema and TV at the same time, and her first big achievement on the small screen was the role of Sookie St. James, the best friend of Lauren Graham’s Lorelai in Gilmore Girls. Sookie was a friend we all secretly wanted to have: She’s fun, she’s loyal and she’s a killer cook. All of this makes it incredibly weird that we won’t be seeing Sookie making a much-needed comeback in the upcoming Gilmore Girls Netflix revival. McCarthy said she wasn’t invited, while the creators told the press the actress is just too busy. Whatever the case is, please solve it and bring Sookie back!
Mike & Molly (2010-2016)
Given the fact she’s spent seven years on Gilmore Girls, Melissa obviously knows how to handle serialized comedies and that came in handy when she’s got the lead part in CBS’s sitcom Mike & Molly, which is about to run its finale this May. The show followed two lovely characters, who met at the Overeaters Anonymous group, and fall head over heels in love. With Molly, Melissa was playing it super safe: her character is sweet, caring and (most of the time) rational, which made her big screen reinvention as the ultimate bad girl even more shocking…
Bridesmaids (2011)
When the cast of your movie is filled with fabulous and hilarious ladies it may be tricky to stand out, but Melissa McCarthy had absolutely no trouble turning this riot of a chick-flick into the redefining moment of her career. In real life, people like Melissa’s Megan is someone you’d try to avoid inviting to your wedding at all costs, but in Hollywood raunchy roles like this one bring you an army of new fans and an Academy Award nomination.
Identity Thief (2013)
After Bridesmaids' success and newly found Queen of Comedy status, McCarthy was ready to take Hollywood by storm and send a tornado of jokes our way. First came Identity Thief, a crime comedy with Jason Bateman playing an account who becomes the victim of a professional identity thief named Diana (although we’d rather go with Dirty Diana). The movie didn’t do so well in the critics department, but amused viewers all over the world and cemented Melissa’s status: She didn’t just steal identities, she kept stealing our hearts, too.
The Heat (2013)
Melissa was already hot when it was time to team up with Sandra Bullock, but once this ultimate girl power buddy cop comedy came out, McCarthy truly blazed up. Once again McCarthy was swearing her way to the top, while showcasing some fantastic comedic timing. There’s gotta be a whole class on comedy at the FBI Academy, right next to the room where they show you how to interrogate someone using the highly effective technique of Russian roulette.
St. Vincent (2014)
Melissa also found some time to star in this Bill Murray-fronted dramedy about a moody Vietnam War veteran who becomes an unlike babysitter to McCarthy’s on-screen teenage son. The sentimental movie gave us a rare chance to see McCarthy playing a straight man to Murray’s eccentric Vincent.
Spy (2015)
Bond who? Last year Melissa finally got a chance to prove that she can carry a movie on her own, and she passed with flying colors. The Paul Feig-directed action comedy saw McCarthy playing a CIA analyst who finally gets her chance to become a real agent and wreak some serious havoc in the process while trying to catch dangerous criminal queen Rayna (hysterically devious Bridesmaids alumni Rose Byrne). McCarthy didn’t get lost in the tsunami of jokes and celebrity cameos—she ran the parade as a true boss, and we’re dying to see how far this lady can go from there.
