Melissa McCarthy celebrates her 50th birthday today. So the actress – even without size zero – made it to the top.
She is tough, charming and primarily known for her humorous film roles. However, fans also love Melissa McCarthy for the fact that she does not fit the ideal measurements of 90-60-90. However, because of her character, the actress has often faced hostility in her life. It should therefore not be taken for granted that the 50-year-old is now one of the most sought-after and best-paid Hollywood stars.
"Female hippopotamus", "figure of a tractor", "enormous size": insults like these have repeatedly gnawed McCarthy's self-confidence over the years. The fact that she is at peace with herself today is only thanks to her husband and her two children, she explained in an interview with the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" in 2019. "When you have people around you who know every quirk and quirk of you and still love you for who you are, then it is suddenly very easy to relax and to accept yourself."
Fight against bodyshaming
Before McCarthy's self-acceptance came about, they shaped ugly events like this: "Years ago I was at a press conference for 'Tough Girls' or' Tammy 'and someone from a very large organization kept asking me,' Why do you always have that Need to be so grotesque? ' It was a huge interview with about 100 people in one room and he smiled mockingly. I asked, 'What are we talking about here? I can't answer your question because I don't understand.' He then said, 'You look sloppy, you don't wear make-up, your hair is not done, you scream at people.' And I said, 'Okay, have you ever asked a guy that? I play a role. You have to leave the house more often if you don't believe that women like this exist for real,' "she reported in 2019 to the US American "InStyle".
A few years earlier, something even more violent had happened to her: During a conversation, an interviewer asked her again and again whether she was "shocked" that, given her "enormous size", she could actually work in the film business. "He said, 'Oh, you can actually work with your enormous size?' I just remember the blood draining from my face. I thought, 'With my enormous size, I could attack you very quickly.' "
The blasphemy attack by the film critic Rex Reed (81) made headlines in 2013. In an article that appeared in the US newspaper "New York Observer", he insulted McCarthy as a "female hippopotamus" and claimed that she had the figure of "a tractor". These allegations rebounded from the actress. She then told the New York Times: "20 years ago this comment would have hurt me very much. But now I'm more afraid that texts like Reed's could get wrong with young girls."
Incidents like this wouldn't just affect you personally. "It happens all the time, up to a certain point it is even fascinating because men are never asked such a thing," she also emphasized in an interview with "InStyle". That is why the actress has made it her business for years to campaign for equality in the film industry.
Success on the big screen
Instead of worrying about diets and perfect curves, Melissa McCarthy used her curves to make her roles authentic. Above all, the eccentric cook Sookie St. James in the hit series "Gilmore Girls", which helped the actress to gain international fame. "Gilmore Girls" was followed by the leading role in the television series "Mike & Molly", for which McCarthy received an Emmy in 2011 for "Best Actress in a Comedy Series". Then she also gained a foothold in the film industry. McCarthy was nominated for an Oscar in both 2012 ("Bridal Alert") and 2019 ("Can You Ever Forgive Me?").
McCarthy enjoys fashion
Away from the film sets, Melissa McCarthy has shown her fashion sense more than once. At public appearances she repeatedly demonstrated that a sense of style is not a question of clothing size. With this attitude, she decided in summer 2015 to launch her own fashion collection. What is most important to you? "I make fashion for everyone. I find it strange that most collections simply stop at a certain size. Women don't do that either, so why should the clothes?" Said the actress in an interview with the "Women's Wear Daily ".
Her knack for new fashion designs was no coincidence. McCarthy studied fashion design in New York for a while before starting her acting career. "It's not like size 44 and up suddenly lose interest in fashion," she emphasized. The actress gave a little insight into her clothing line "Melissa McCarthy Seven7" on Instagram.
Although McCarthy always stood by herself and her curves, the actress has since lost more than 30 kilos. The US star has meanwhile arrived at size 42. Your secret? A "super boring life", revealed McCarthy in an interview with "extratv.com". "You shut everything down, just don't do anything fun, and go to bed at 7:30 pm – that's the trick."
But whether with more or less pounds on the ribs – the fact is, Melissa McCarthy now feels good in her skin. On the US talk show "CBS This Morning" in 2015, the actress made it clear: "I really stopped worrying about it. I stopped analyzing too much, thinking too much, doing too much."