Cutting her teeth as a stand-up comedian in New York, where she appeared in clubs like Stand Up New York and The Improv, Melissa McCarthy jumped from having bit parts in TV series to the 2nd highest paid actress in 2016, just behind Jennifer Lawrence.
After her stand-up days, McCarthy appeared in several TV shows, before making her mark in Gilmore Girls. As the clumsy but endearing chef Sookie, McCarthy made the character her own. And Hollywood noticed. After Gilmore Girls wrapped, McCarthy had no issues finding jobs; she was cast in a series of comedies in both TV and film. Her most iconic work is of course in Bridesmaids, which hurtled the comedian to immense heights.
Since then, she turns in one hilarious performance after another, here’s a look at her top 5.
Airplane Scene from Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids naturally ranks at the top of the list. Her character, Megan, is tomboyish and unapologetically uncouth. For her scene-stealer role, McCarthy was nominated for an Oscar, a rarity for a comedic performance, which is a testament to her acting. And her acting reached its greatest height in Bridesmaids with this scene, showing how hilarious she can be.
Getting Fired in Tammy
In the movie, McCarthy goes on a road trip with her grandmother (Susan Sarandon). Although the pair shares some hilarious moments together, it’s her scene opposite her real-life husband (Ben Falcone) that delivers the most laughs. Tammy works at a fast-food joint Tipper Jack’s, and when her boss (Falcone) fires her, she does not take it well at all.
Cleansing my Palate Scene from Spy
Playing opposite Jude Law and Jason Statham, this 2015 comedy sees McCarthy doing a parody on spy movies. She plays a bumbling spy with a huge crush on a super-spy, played by Law, and her awkwardness comes through in full force in this restaurant scene, opposite Law.
Dandelion Meeting Scene in The Boss
McCarthy plays a wealthy CEO who loses everything after being found out for insider trading. After doing time, she concocts a plan to sell Dandelion cookies, much like how girl scouts sell cookies to raise money. She aims to use this as a means to rebuild her empire. This hilarious scene below sees her unleashing her brash personality onto a bunch of unsuspecting, innocent group of young girls, and dealing with a hard nut of a troupe mother.
In The Happytime Murders, McCarthy plays Detective Connie Edwards, who pairs up with a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet to look into some unexplained murders of the puppet cast of a ‘90s children’s TV show.
Acting in a comedy opposite humans is one thing, but acting with puppets is another. McCarthy practically has to do all the heavy lifting to carry out the movie’s comedic effects, and she does it so effortlessly. The majority of the movie depended on McCarthy to bring out the laughs. Standout scenes include the one where she gets high with a bunch of puppets, on sugar. McCarthy never fails to deliver her comedic timing and physical humour.
