You know her, you love her, it’sMelissa McCarthy. The actress, writer, comedian, and producer grew up on a farm in Plainfield, Illinois where Hollywood seemed like an unattainable dream. At age 20, she made it to New York and attempted stand-up, which she discussed withConan O’BrienonConan O’Brien Needs a Friendwas “the first thing I ever did performance-wise.” After six months, she enrolled in acting school, where she focused on intense drama work for seven years.
She moved to Los Angeles to pursue her love of comedy, and landed at the iconic The Groundlings sketch comedy school, a place she called home for over 10 years and described as “her college.” It was there that she met her future husband and frequent collaboratorBen Falcone, honed her skills as a comedic performer, fully realized her love of wigs, and even fractured her nose for a joke, which she explained onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Since landing one of her first major acting roles as Sookie St. James inGilmore Girls, McCarthy has become one of the busiest and most sought-after performers in Hollywood. Her shameless performance as Megan alongsideKristen Wiig,Rose Byrne, andMaya Rudolphin the hit 2011 comedyBridesmaids, earned her a much-deserved Oscar nomination and shot her to the top of the comedy world. That year, she also won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy for her work on the long-running seriesMike & Molly.
In between starring in movies likeThe HeatwithSandra Bullock,Can You Ever Forgive Me?(which landed her a second Oscar nomination),Spy,St. Vincent, andLife of the Party, McCarthy somehow finds the time to hostSaturday Night Live(and we are forever grateful). During her recent chat with Conan, she explained her relationship withSNL, which she deemed as “the holy grail.” Unfortunately, the rare time she missed a show at The Groundlings ended up being the show that people fromSNLvisited to recruit new cast members. Everything seems to have a way of working out, though, as she’s hosted the show 5 times, winning an Emmy for her hosting duties in the process.
Let’s look back at some of Melissa McCarthy’s most outrageously hilarious moments fromSaturday Night Live.
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All Tim (Jason Sudeikis) wants to do is sit down at his desk and get to work. Things don’t exactly go as planned, though, when his rambunctious coworker Arlene (McCarthy) cannot help but pine for his affection. Despite Tim’s polite attempts to turn her down, Arlene doesn’t take “no” for an answer. Instead, she tries to make him jealous with various gift deliveries sent to her desk from (supposedly) other men, including flowers, balloons, and an “I love you” mug. This is McCarthy’s physical comedy at its best, with Arlene getting increasingly handsy and unapologetically sexual as the sketch progresses. Will Arlene win over the heart of her “Italian stallion?”
Taste Test
Linda (McCarthy) loves Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing, so when the opportunity to taste test the new line of products came her way, she was the first in line. Linda proves that the customer isn’talwaysright, though, as her taste buds pick up completely different flavors than her fellow taste-testers, Mark (Taran Killam) and Sue (Abby Elliott). Tensions soar to an all-time high for Linda when she learns that the person with the best comment wins an extra $50, which she emphasizes, “could really get [her] out of a couple of jams.” The end of the sketch gets very messy as Linda tries to prove her enthusiasm for the product. McCarthy’s commitment level to her characters is truly admirable. Let’s not forget to appreciate the wonderful character detail of Linda’s Spock sweatshirt, which goes hilariously unacknowledged in the sketch.
Pizza Business
Ever have a really good idea for a small business, but just don’t have enough money to get it started? That’s the exact situation Barb Kelner (McCarthy) finds herself in. Barb’s ready to open her business as soon as possible, but the man she’s meeting with at the bank (Sudeikis) isn’t quite sure her business plan (or lack thereof) qualifies for a loan. See, she doesn’t want tomakepizza, she wants toeatit. She explains to a less-than-convinced bank employee that people tend to over-order pizza, and, if given the loan, she would use that money to open up her “Pizza Eater” business.
Outside the Lines
A few years ago, Rutgers University’s basketball coachMike Whitewas fired for consistent abusive behavior toward his players. His aggressive coaching style, however, is no match for women’s basketball coach Sheila Kelly (Melissa McCarthy). In this ESPN news parody, shocking footage is revealed of Sheila’s unethical and unorthodox coaching techniques. Not only does she shove and kick the players, but she also makes them serve her a fancy meal on the court in the middle of practice, interrupts their classes with a taser, and drives a golf cart through the gym. One of McCarthy’s many strengths is her ability to quickly and convincingly channel absurd levels of rage.
Million Dollar Wheel
In one of two hilarious game show parodies on this list, McCarthy plays the buoyant and bubbly Nanell, a last-minute hire to replace the previous letter-turner who has since quit working on the show. As her job implies, Nanell’s simple task is to turn the tiles to reveal the letters that the contestants correctly guess. However, Nanell is very bad at her job, and continues to turn over the incorrect tiles. No matter how many times the host (Bill Hader) tells her she’s doing her job incorrectly, she pushes through with a hand twirl or a spin, and a big smile.
Guess That Phrase
The object of this game is pretty simple: three contestants take turns guessing letters in an attempt to solve a puzzle of a common phrase. One of the contestants is the unkempt and delusional Kathleen (McCarthy) who really wants to win but is also terrible at guessing the correct phrase. She creates her own rules, interrupts her competitors, and reaches for imaginary balloons. Kathleen also explains to the host (Beck Bennett) exactly what it means to “pass that mash.” Go ahead and give this golden goose a gander.
P.J. Doesn’t Fit Into Women’s Group
In an attempt to better each other and attain personal growth, a group of upper-class suburban women decides to start a women’s group. This innocuous get-together takes a very dark turn, however, when P.J. (McCarthy) explains her detailed plan to avenge her father’s death. This is quite different from the other women’s goals, which include worrying less, cooking more, and taking more photographs. McCarthy’s genuine and straightforward delivery makes this sketch laugh-out-loud funny.
Art Exhibit
Are you telling me that you don’t know who Danny Trans is? Well, he’s going to be really mad at the museum repairwoman (McCarthy) if she doesn’t fix the Internet for the interactive exhibit in the other room. Unfortunately, her search for the hidden wall jack is interrupting a live exhibit of Mexican painterFrida Kahlo(Nasim Pedrad). McCarthy’s character won’t go down without a fight (literally) and tells an impatient Frida Kahlo impersonator, “If you mess up my working relationship with Danny Trans, I will slap that unibrow right off your face.” She also may or may not have stolen her cousin’s dog. This McCarthy sketch flew under the radar and didn’t get as much appreciation by the audience as it deserved, but it’s a prime example of how McCarthy can help a simple premise reach its maximum potential.
The Summer of Diane
In this short and serene sketch, a man (Bobby Moynihan) remembers his eventful day in the park when he met Diane (McCarthy), the woman of his dreams. Diane had a way with words and a love for meat. She wasn’t afraid to be her authentic self and stand out in the crowd. She reminded you that life was meant to be lived. She was…Diane.
Honorable Mention: Ham
Tragically, this sketch is hard to get your hands on, likely due to music rights. (There are a few blurry versions available, one of which can be foundhere.) It’s a two-minute masterpiece involving a cooking show contestant (McCarthy) who uses her moment in the spotlight to perform a dance routine in honor of ham. Accompanying her in this bold presentation are her backup dancers, played by Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan, who are dressed head to toe in pig costumes, snout and all.
Need more McCarthy? Ofcourseyou do. Check out the limited seriesNine Perfect Strangerson Hulu andThe Starlingon Netflix. She also produces the new Netflix documentaryBob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greedwith her husband.
KEEP READING:Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd on ‘The Starling’ and What It Was Like Working With Kevin Kline
