Melissa McCarthy’s 15 Best Movies, Ranked

Melissa McCarthy is one of the most beloved comedy movie stars in Hollywood, having given hysterical performances in such hit comedies as The Heat, Spy, and This Is 40. Ever since her star-making turn in Bridesmaids, McCarthy has been one of the world’s most renowned comedic actors. McCarthy has also proven her dramatic chops with roles like literary forger Lee Israel in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which earned her an Oscar nod for Best Actress, and author Frances Welty in the miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers.

McCarthy is one of the few performers to earn an Academy Award nomination for a zany comedic performance in a straightforward, raunchy comedy. She has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has even written some of her own starring vehicles, like Tammy and The Boss, which allowed her to build her own characters from the ground up. From donning a proton pack in the Ghostbusters reboot to co-starring in some great dramas along the way, McCarthy has starred in some truly great movies over the years.

15

The Hangover Part III (2013)

Cassie

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

The Hangover Part III Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Hangover Part III

R

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

6/10

Release Date

May 24, 2013

Runtime

100 Minutes

Director

Todd Phillips

Writers

Todd Phillips, Craig Mazin

Prequel(s)

The Hangover, The Hangover Part II

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Bradley Cooper In The Premiere of ‘If’

    Bradley Cooper

  • Headshot Of Ed Helms In The Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix's 'Family Switch'

    Ed Helms

Franchise(s)

The Hangover

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Neither of The Hangover sequels lived up to the iconic original. Still, where the second one just rehashed the first movie’s story, the third switched up the genre to a fast-paced action thriller and had a much darker sense of humor than its predecessors. The Hangover Part III sees the Wolfpack captured by a mob boss, who is played hilariously by John Goodman. Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) stole from the mob boss and disappeared, and since Alan is the only person to keep in touch with him, they have to retrieve his items, or he will kill Doug.

A poster for The Hangover with the main characters

Related

The Hangover Trilogy Ranked

The award-winning Hangover trilogy became a financial success thanks to a wild night gone wrong in Las Vegas, but which movie in the trilogy is best?

Posts

Melissa McCarthy is Cassie, a pawn shop worker and someone Alan finds himself romantically attracted to. McCarthy doesn’t have a huge role, but she’s a great comedic match for Zach Galifianakis as Alan’s eccentric love interest. She plays an important role at the end of the movie since it is Cassie and Alan who partially cause the next amnesiac adventure for the Wolfpack, one left up to the viewers to decipher.

14

The Boss (2016)

Michelle Darnell

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

01380968_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Boss

R

Comedy

Release Date

April 7, 2016

Runtime

91 minutes

Director

Ben Falcone

Writers

Melissa McCarthy

Producers

Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Kevin J. Messick, Rob Cowan

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Kristen Bell

    Kristen Bell

    Claire

  • Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

    Melissa McCarthy

    Michelle Darnell

  • Headshot Of Peter Dinklage In The Los Angeles premiere of 'Unfrosted'

    Peter Dinklage

    Renault

  • Headshot Of Kathy Bates In The CBS Fall Schedule Celebration At Paramount Studios

    Kathy Bates

    Ida Marquette

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

One of several starring vehicles that McCarthy wrote for herself with her husband, Ben Falcone, The Boss revolves around a business magnate who loses her fortune and claws her way back to the top. McCarthy is the woman who loses it all, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and the 47th wealthiest woman in the country who loses everything after getting busted for insider trading. She soon teams with her former personal assistant on a new venture and discovers the value of family.

McCarthy draws on her improv background to fully embody the role of Michelle Darnell. She’s surrounded by well-matched co-stars, from Kristen Bell as the “straight man” to Peter Dinklage as the villain to Kathy Bates as a mentor-turned-rival. The script is conventional and predictable, but McCarthy gets the most out of every gag. Critics hated the movie, delivering scathing reviews, but the audience loved it, and McCarthy won the People’s Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Comedy.

13

The Happytime Murders (2018)

Detective Connie Edwards

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

The Happytime Murders Film Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Happytime Murders

R

Comedy

Action

Crime

Mystery

Release Date

August 22, 2018

Director

Brian Henson

Writers

Todd Berger, Dee Austin Robertson

Cast

See All

  • Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

    Melissa McCarthy

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Elizabeth Banks

  • Headshot Of Maya Rudolph In The Premiere of ‘If’ at the SVA Theatre.

    Maya Rudolph

  • Headshot of Leslie David Baker In The 8th Annual BAFTA/LA

    Leslie David Baker

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Most of the puppeteering projects produced by The Jim Henson Company are family-friendly, but The Happytime Murders – directed by Jim Henson’s son, Brian Henson – is anything but. Set in a world where humans co-exist with puppets, The Happytime Murders is a hilariously NSFW “buddy cop” caper about a human cop (played brilliantly by McCarthy) and a puppet P.I. teaming up to investigate the killings of a retired sitcom cast.

It delivers sex, violence, foul language, and everything else one would never expect to see in a Muppet movie. The reviews were terrible, though, and critics hated the movie. With that said, it was a callback to the Peter Jackson classic horror comedy Meet the Feebles. However, this Melissa McCarthy movie gets credit for working with the Jim Henson Company, although with an adult-oriented, R-rated, raunchy comedy.

12

Unfrosted (2024)

Donna Stankowski

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Unfrosted Movie Poster Showing Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Hugh Grant, and Amy Schumer standing by an Explosion and a Flying Cow

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Unfrosted

PG-13

Biography

Comedy

History

ScreenRant logo

4/10

Release Date

May 3, 2024

Runtime

93 Minutes

Director

Jerry Seinfeld

Writers

Jerry Seinfeld, Spike Feresten, Andy Robin, Barry Marder

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Jerry Seinfeld In The 2024 Met Gala

    Jerry Seinfeld

  • Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

    Melissa McCarthy

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

In 2004, Jerry Seinfeld tried to make a comeback with a directorial effort in Unfrosted. This movie tells a fictional version of the real-life story of the creation of the Pop-Tarts toaster pastries. While that doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, this was one of several movies that came out in recent years about the creation of consumer products (such as recent releases about the creation of the video game Tetris, the rise of McDonald’s​​​​​, and the creation of Air Jordan sneakers). Unfrosted was definitely not the best in this niche subgenre.

Seinfeld not only directed the movie but also starred as Bob Cabana (based on William Post), the man who created the Pop-Tarts. Melissa McCarthy stars as Donna “Stan” Stankowski, a NASA food scientist who joins Kellogg’s to help develop and create the product. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and 50% from the audience. While it received Razzie awards and nominations, it also earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Television Movie.

11

The Kitchen (2019)

Kathy Brennan

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Kitchen

R

Crime

Action

Drama

ScreenRant logo

5/10

Release Date

August 9, 2019

Runtime

102 minutes

Director

Andrea Berloff

Writers

Andrea Berloff

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Bill Camp

    Bill Camp

  • Headshot Of Rob Yang

    Rob Yang

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

In 2019, Melissa McCarthy took on a role in a comic book adaptation, but not one based on superheroes. This came three years before she had a cameo in the MCU’s Thor: Love & Thunder, and this film was based on a DC/Vertigo Comics limited series by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle. McCarthy is Kathy Brennan, who takes over the organized crime operations in Hell’s Kitchen in the 1970s with friends Ruby (Tiffany Haddish) and Claire (Elisabeth Moss) after the FBI arrests their husbands.

Critics mostly dismissed the film, with a 23% Rotten Tomatoes score, praising the three women leads but saying they struggled with a “sagging story.” Audiences gave it a much higher 69% score, with most viewers praising the actors and performances, even in the bad reviews that didn’t care as much for the story. One big problem was comparing the movie to the superior Widows, which had a similar storyline.

10

Go (1999)

Sandra

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

01149398_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Go

R

Crime

Comedy

Thriller

Release Date

April 9, 1999

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

Doug Liman

Writers

John August

Producers

Mickey Liddell, Paul Rosenberg

Cast

See All

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Sarah Polley

    Ronna Martin

  • Headshot Of Timothy Olyphant In The World Premiere of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

    Timothy Olyphant

    Todd Gaines

  • Headshot Of Katie Holmes

    Katie Holmes

    Claire Montgomery

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Desmond Askew

    Simon Baines

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

McCarthy made her feature film debut in the sprawling ensemble cast of Doug Liman’s crime caper Go. A Pulp Fiction-style intertwining character piece, Go chronicles the aftermath of a drug deal from three different perspectives. There were many copycats that followed Pulp Fiction, but Go is one of the few that even came close to matching its greatness. Although it was initially a box office bomb, its sharp script and dazzling direction have given Go a second life as a cult classic.

The story follows Ronna (Sarah Polley), a grocery store clerk who agrees to try to score some drugs from her co-worker Simon’s dealer, although she has no idea the two men asking her to do this are working for an undercover narcotics agent, Burke (William Fichtner). However, everything goes wrong, and the story of what happens plays out through the eyes of different characters. McCarthy plays Sandra, a character who only appeared for one minute of total screen time.

9

The Nines (2007)

Margaret/Melissa/Mary

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

The Nines 2007

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Your comment has not been saved

The Nines

R

Drama

Documentary

Fantasy

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Thriller

Release Date

January 21, 2007

Runtime

100 minutes

Director

John August

Cast

  • Ryan Reynolds Profile Picture

    Ryan Reynolds

  • Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

    Melissa McCarthy

  • Headshot Of Hope Davis

    Hope Davis

  • Headshot Of Elle Fanning In the House of Suntory

    Elle Fanning

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The Nines is an often overlooked and forgotten 2007 sci-fi thriller starring Ryan Reynolds. In the film, Reynolds plays three different characters (Gary, Gavin, and Gabriel), all realizing bad things are happening in their lives while their timelines are starting to overlap. In each story, Melissa McCarthy plays a different character — Margaret, Gary’s PR handler; herself as an actor in Gavin’s TV show; and Mary, Gabriel’s wife. Hope Davis also stars as three different characters.

The film shows that there are several different worlds where Reynolds’ character lives different lives. The Nines received a 65% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the inventive story but saying it might be too metaphysical for mainstream audiences. Critics also praised the performances, and it was nominated for Best DVD Release at the 34th Saturn Awards.

8

The Little Mermaid (2023)

Ursula

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

The Littler Mermaid 2023 Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Little Mermaid

PG

Musical

Family

Fantasy

Adventure

ScreenRant logo

7/10

Release Date

May 26, 2023

Runtime

135 Minutes

Director

Rob Marshall

Writers

Jane Goldman, David Magee, Rob Marshall

Franchise(s)

The Little Mermaid

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Halle Bailey

    Halle Bailey

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Jonah Hauer-King

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Rob Marshall’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid received mixed reviews from critics. However, it was also flamed by online trolls who opposed the casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel. The film’s goal was to present great songs and inspired visuals, and in that aspect, it did, which included great singing by Bailey, who was more than up to the role. Also, one of the best casting choices for the movie was bringing in Melissa McCarthy to play Ursula, the villainous sea witch who cursed Ariel.

The Little Mermaid Live-Action Remake Halle Bailey Underwater

Related

The Little Mermaid Live-Action Remake Cast & Character Guide

The cast of The Little Mermaid remake boasts a Grammy-nominated singer, theater veterans, an Oscar-winner, child stars, debutants, and many more.

Posts

The movie had a nice box office total of $569 million, but it also cost $240 million to make, so it wasn’t as big of a success as Disney hoped. Its Rotten Tomatoes scores included a 67% from critics. Despite the early review bombing by online trolls, it still managed a fantastic 94% Hot rating from the Popcornmeter. McCarthy received a Saturn Award nomination for her performance in the movie.

7

Ghostbusters (2016)

Abby Yates

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

01147274_poster_w780.jpg

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Ghostbusters

PG-13

Action

Fantasy

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

8/10

3/10

Release Date

July 14, 2016

Runtime

117 minutes

Director

Paul Feig

Writers

Katie Dippold

Producers

Ivan Reitman, Joe Medjuck, Michele Imperato Stabile, Tom Pollock, Ali Bell, Amy Pascal

Cast

See All

  • Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

    Melissa McCarthy

    Abby “Wonton” Yates

  • Headshot Of Kristen Wiig In The 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards

    Kristen Wiig

    Erin Gilbert

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

The reception of the all-female Ghostbusters reboot got engulfed by sexist trolls, but it’s a really fun action comedy. With modern CGI effects and a nine-figure studio budget, the ghosts are more spectacular than ever, and there’s a rapid-fire gag rate to match. The writing and direction of the reboot might not be as sharp as the classic original, but the cast of hilarious women – McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones – are firing on all cylinders.

 Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman & Kristen Wiig as Erin Gilbert & Paul Rudd as Gary Grooberson from The Ghostbusters Franchise

Related

Every Ghostbusters Movie, Ranked Worst To Best (Including Frozen Empire)

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is finally out, but how does the latest Ghostbusters sequel rank alongside the originals, 2016’s reboot, and Afterlife?

Posts

The movie is not set in the same world as the original Ghostbusters, as this is a true remake. Several of the original Ghostbusters team do make appearances in small roles as other characters, which made for a fun connection. However, this was all about telling a new story with fresh female characters, and every woman in the cast pulled their weight and delivered great performances in a movie that was much better than most critics would admit.

6

St. Vincent (2014)

Maggie

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

st vincent

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

St. Vincent

pg-13

Drama

Comedy

Release Date

October 24, 2014

Runtime

103minutes

Director

Theodore Melfi

Writers

Theodore Melfi

Cast

See All

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Melissa McCarthy paired up with a classically curmudgeonly Bill Murray in St. Vincent, the story of a young boy forging an unlikely bond with the misanthropic war veteran next door. In the film, Murray is Vincent, an off-putting Vietnam veteran with a drinking problem whose wife, Sandy, has Alzheimer’s and no longer knows who he is. Soon, he develops a relationship with young Oliver, a boy bullied at school who has no friends, and quickly bonds with the cranky retiree.

Murray is typically hilarious as the cranky neighbor. McCarthy makes a great foil as Oliver’s mother, who is in the midst of a bitter divorce and is trying to make it as a single mother raising the child on a limited income. There are plenty of laughs in St. Vincent, but it also has a lot of heart, and it’s not afraid to indulge in sappy sentimentality. Murray received a Golden Globes nomination for his performance as Vincent, and the film has mostly positive reviews, sitting at 77% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

5

This Is 40 (2012)

Catherine

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

This is 40 Movie Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

This is 40

r

Romance

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

7/10

Release Date

January 10, 2013

Runtime

134minutes

Director

Judd Apatow

Writers

Judd Apatow

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Paul Rudd In The  'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Premiere

    Paul Rudd

  • Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

    Melissa McCarthy

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Judd Apatow walks a fine line between soapy melodrama and laugh-out-loud comedy in his coming-of-middle-age tale, This Is 40. The film is a surprising sequel to the smash hit Knocked Up, but it focuses on two of the supporting characters from that movie, married couple Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann). The bitter marital strife between Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann induces more anxiety than laughter, but they’re surrounded by scene-stealing supporting players like Albert Brooks, Megan Fox, and Chris O’Dowd, who get a huge laugh whenever they’re on-screen.

McCarthy appears in one of the movie’s funniest scenes as a fellow parent with a personal grudge against Rudd and Mann. Part of the story follows the two of them dealing with their daughter. McCarthy plays Charlotte, an angry mother who meets in the principal’s office with Pete and Debbie and begins a foul-mouthed tirade when she gets angry. What makes it all the better is that McCarthy improvised most of her lines.

4

The Heat (2013)

Shannon Mullins

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

the heat

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

The Heat

pg-13

Action

Comedy

ScreenRant logo

6/10

Release Date

June 28, 2013

Runtime

123minutes

Director

Paul Feig

Writers

Paul Feig

Cast

See All

  • headshot Of Sandra Bullock

    Sandra Bullock

  • Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

    Melissa McCarthy

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Paul Feig paired McCarthy with Sandra Bullock for a classic buddy cop duo in The Heat. Bullock is the “straight man,” a by-the-book FBI agent, opposite McCarthy’s loud-mouthed, rule-bending Boston detective. The two actors are comedy gold as the mismatched partners in the film, with McCarthy delivering all the humor that the movie needs with her over-the-top delivery, compared to Bullock’s more subdued acting.

McCarthy shares endlessly enjoyable chemistry with Bullock

The Heat’s script might follow a predictable plot, but as with any movie in this subgenre, the plot isn’t the main attraction; it’s all about the buddy dynamic. McCarthy shares endlessly enjoyable chemistry with Bullock as reluctant partners who gradually warm up to each other and become close friends. The film was a huge success, making $229 million on a $43 million budget. McCarthy earned nominations at the Teen Choice, Critics’ Choice, People’s Choice, and MTV Movie Awards.

3

Spy (2015)

Susan Cooper

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Spy

R

Comedy

Action

ScreenRant logo

7/10

11

7.5/10

Release Date

June 15, 2015

Runtime

120 Minutes

Director

Paul Feig

Writers

Paul Feig

Cast

See All

  • Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

    Melissa McCarthy

  • Headshot of Rose Byrne

    Rose Byrne

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

After spoofing the buddy cop genre in The Heat, Melissa McCarthy and Paul Feig reunited to satirize James Bond-style spy movies in the aptly titled Spy. McCarthy plays Susan Cooper, the guy-in-the-chair to a 007-style international man of mystery, played by Jude Law. It’s up to Susan to save the day when he’s seemingly killed in action. However, the 40-year-old CIA employee is over her head when she meets up with fellow field agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham).

McCarthy went on to earn a Golden Globes nomination.

Spy is a delightfully absurd parody of the Bond formula. A standout supporting role is played by a hysterically deadpan Jason Statham, who mocks his own invincible on-screen persona. The movie was a massive success, making $235 million on a $65 million budget. Critics also praised the movie, making it one of the best comedies of McCarthy’s career, with a Certified Fresh 95% Rotten Tomatoes score. McCarthy went on to earn a Golden Globes nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

2

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

Lee Israel

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Your comment has not been saved

Can You Ever Forgive Me

R

Biography

Comedy

Crime

Release Date

October 19, 2018

Runtime

107 minutes

Director

Marielle Heller

Writers

Jeff Whitty, Nicole Holofcener

Cast

  • Headshot of Jane Curtin

    Jane Curtin

  • Headshot Of Richard E. Grant in The UK premiere of 'What's Love Got To Do With It?'

    Richard E. Grant

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Pun Bandhu

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Gregory Korostishevsky

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

While Melissa McCarthy is best known for her comedy roles, one of the best performances of her career came in a biographical drama movie called Can You Ever Forgive Me? In this movie, McCarthy plays Lee Israel in an adaptation of Israel’s 2008 memoir. Israel is a freelance writer who tries to revitalize her career by forging letters from dead playwrights and authors. She also began stealing actual letters and autographed papers of famous people and replacing them with her forged copies, then selling the forged works and stolen originals.

Critics universally praised Can You Ever Forgive Me?, awarding it a Certified Fresh 98% Certified Fresh score, while audiences gave it a high 81%. The biggest praise went to McCarthy and Richard E. Grant’s performances. McCarthy earned a Golden Globes nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama and an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

1

Bridesmaids (2011)

Megan

Movie

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Leave a Review

Your comment has not been saved

Bridesmaids

R

Comedy

Romance

ScreenRant logo

8/10

7.8/10

Release Date

May 13, 2011

Runtime

125 minutes

Director

Paul Feig

Writers

Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo

Cast

See All

  • Headshot Of Kristen Wiig In The 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards

    Kristen Wiig

  • Headshot of Rose Byrne

    Rose Byrne

Powered by

Expand
Collapse

Melissa McCarthy’s breakout movie is still her very best by far and probably always will be. Bridesmaids nails the subversive Apatowian blend of raunchy humor and sincere character development. Kristen Wiig is the star of the movie as Annie, whose life goes into a tailspin when her best friend gets engaged, but McCarthy steals all her scenes as the groom’s wildcard sister, Megan. It’s extremely rare that comedies — especially big mainstream studio comedies — are recognized at the Oscars.

The Academy made an exception for Bridesmaids, and McCarthy received a surprising but much-deserved nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The movie was a massive success, making $306 million at the box office, and proved once and for all that Hollywood needs more female-led comedy movies. It also has a Certified Fresh 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, and a high 76% Fresh score from the audience members.

Headshot of Melissa McCarthy in The UK premiere of 'The Little Mermaid' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square

Melissa McCarthy

Birthdate

August 26, 1970

Birthplace

Plainfield, Illinois, USA

Notable Projects

The Heat, Spy