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Emmy-winning actress Melissa McCarthy received the 2,552nd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday, 17 days before the release of her latest film, “Spy.”
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres; Paul Feig, who directed “Spy” and two other films starring McCarthy; and her husband, Ben Falcone, joined McCarthy at ceremony in front of TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX.
McCarthy paid tribute to all of the speakers and her supporters, but especially her parents.
“I’m not sure why they did it, I have no idea, but every time I said I’m going to quit college and do stand-up, my mom and dad said, ‘Great, work really hard at it, you can probably do it,”‘ she said. “They continued to say that for the 20 years it took me to actually do it steadily and I can’t fathom – – in a way you really give terrible advice. … Somehow that worked.”
Born Aug. 26, 1970, in the Chicago suburb of Plainfield, Illinois, McCarthy began her career as a stand-up comedian in New York City. She also spent nine years as a cast member of the famed improv and sketch comedy group The Groundlings.
McCarthy made her television debut in a 1997 episode of the NBC comedy “Jenny,” which starred her cousin, Jenny McCarthy. McCarthy portrayed the clumsy culinary genius Sookie St. James in the 2000-2007 The WB/CW drama “Gilmore Girls.”
McCarthy was also a cast member of the 2007-2009 ABC comedy “Samantha Who?”
McCarthy won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy in 2011 for her portrayal of fourth-grade teacher Molly Flynn on the first season of CBS’ “Mike & Molly.” She also received nominations in the category in 2012 and 2014 and for outstanding guest actress in a comedy in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for hosting “Saturday Night Live.”
McCarthy received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination in 2012 for her performance in the Feig-directed comedy “Bridesmaids.” McCarthy’s other starring film roles include “Tammy,” which she co-wrote with Falcone, who directed the film, and “St. Vincent,” both released in 2014.
McCarthy also appeared in the films “The Heat,” “Identity Thief,” “This is 40,” and “The Hangover Part III.” She is scheduled to begin filming “Ghostbusters,” directed by Feig, next month. It is set to be released July 22, 2016.
—Staff and wire reports