The 10 Best Melissa McCarthy Roles

Melissa McCarthy has built a wide-ranging screen career across studio comedies, prestige dramas, and long-running TV hits. Her roles span everything from scene-stealing ensemble parts to lead performances that earned major awards recognition. This list brings together screen projects that showcase the variety of characters she has taken on, including government operatives, chefs, authors, and iconic villains.

Across these films and series, McCarthy has worked with frequent collaborators, including director Paul Feig and writers-producers like Chuck Lorre and David E. Kelley, while sharing the screen with performers such as Sandra Bullock, Kristen Wiig, Halle Bailey, and Bill Murray. The entries below outline each project, her character, key creative details, and notable outcomes like awards nominations, viewership success, and box-office performance.

‘Bridesmaids’ (2011) – Megan

In ‘Bridesmaids’, Melissa McCarthy plays Megan, the groom’s sister who joins the wedding party led by characters played by Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. Directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, the ensemble comedy became a breakout theatrical success worldwide, introducing McCarthy to a broader moviegoing audience beyond television. Her performance contributed to the film’s widespread reach in theaters and subsequent home-release momentum.

For her work in this film, McCarthy received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The movie’s script by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo also earned significant awards recognition, and the cast’s chemistry helped establish several future collaborations among the creatives involved.

‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ (2018) – Lee Israel

‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ casts McCarthy as real-life author Lee Israel, whose financial struggles led to a literary-forgery scheme involving letters attributed to celebrated writers. The film is directed by Marielle Heller and based on Israel’s memoir, with Richard E. Grant co-starring as Jack Hock. The production emphasizes New York City’s literary milieu and details the mechanics of the fraud, from sourcing old stationery to navigating rare-book dealers.

McCarthy received Academy Award, BAFTA, SAG, and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress for this performance. The movie also garnered widespread recognition for its adapted screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, and Grant’s supporting role received multiple major nominations.

‘Spy’ (2015) – Susan Cooper

In ‘Spy’, McCarthy portrays Susan Cooper, a CIA analyst who transitions from desk duty to field assignments after a crisis compromises active operatives. Paul Feig directed the film, which pairs McCarthy with Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, and Jude Law in a globe-trotting story built around surveillance, undercover identities, and operational mishaps. The production balances espionage set pieces with office-bound tradecraft, including tracking assets and coordinating mission intel.

The movie performed strongly at the global box office and expanded McCarthy’s action-comedy profile. Her role earned significant awards-season attention in comedy categories, and the film’s success reinforced a multi-picture collaboration with Feig that included earlier and later titles on this list.

‘The Heat’ (2013) – Shannon Mullins

‘The Heat’ teams McCarthy with Sandra Bullock as a Boston detective, Shannon Mullins, and an FBI agent, respectively, who are forced into a joint investigation. Directed by Paul Feig, the movie situates its casework in neighborhood beats, informant networks, and interagency frictions, using procedural beats like surveillance runs and suspect interviews to structure the storyline. The setting incorporates local detail, including family dynamics that shape Mullins’s choices.

The film became a robust commercial success in wide release. It further solidified McCarthy’s standing as a bankable lead in buddy-action comedies and sustained a run of collaborations among its core creative team, including editor Brent White and cinematographer Robert Yeoman.

‘Mike & Molly’ (2010–2016) – Molly Flynn

On the CBS sitcom ‘Mike & Molly’, McCarthy stars as schoolteacher Molly Flynn opposite Billy Gardell’s Mike Biggs, a Chicago police officer. Created by Mark Roberts and executive produced by Chuck Lorre, the series follows the couple’s relationship, family interactions, and work lives across multiple seasons, with supporting performances by Reno Wilson, Katy Mixon, Swoosie Kurtz, and Louis Mustillo. The show’s multicam format emphasizes character-driven scenes and steady ensemble interplay.

McCarthy won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Molly. The series aired more than one hundred episodes, providing sustained weekly exposure and helping transition McCarthy from ensemble television work to top-line film roles.

‘Gilmore Girls’ (2000–2007) – Sookie St. James

In ‘Gilmore Girls’, McCarthy plays Sookie St. James, a chef and best friend to Lorelai Gilmore in the town of Stars Hollow. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, the series is known for rapid-fire dialogue, small-town storylines, and intergenerational relationships, with Sookie’s culinary career spanning the Independence Inn and later ventures with Lorelai. McCarthy’s character connects multiple plotlines involving hospitality, business ownership, and community events.

The show originally aired on network television before later streaming availability expanded its audience. McCarthy returned for the streaming follow-up that revisited Stars Hollow, reinforcing the character’s place in the show’s continuity and introducing Sookie to a new generation of viewers.

‘Ghostbusters’ (2016) – Abby Yates

‘Ghostbusters’ casts McCarthy as Abby Yates, a paranormal researcher who partners with colleagues played by Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones. Directed by Paul Feig, the film reimagines the franchise with new characters, updated technology like proton packs and ghost traps, and a Manhattan setting that incorporates spectral anomalies and large-scale effects sequences. The production features cameos from legacy cast members and integrates new designs for key gadgets.

The movie achieved significant global box-office earnings and launched tie-in merchandise, games, and promotional partnerships. It also expanded McCarthy’s portfolio of effects-heavy studio projects, aligning her with a well-known cinematic brand and a high-profile international release.

‘The Little Mermaid’ (2023) – Ursula

In Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’, McCarthy portrays Ursula, the sea witch who bargains with Ariel in a storyline adapted from the animated classic and Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. Directed by Rob Marshall, the film stars Halle Bailey as Ariel and integrates new and updated songs from Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Production combined on-set work with extensive visual effects to realize underwater environments and character designs.

The film earned substantial worldwide box-office revenue and ranked among the year’s prominent family releases. McCarthy’s role placed her in a major studio musical alongside a large-scale marketing campaign that included soundtrack releases, promotional tours, and branded partnerships.

‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ (2021) – Frances Welty

‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ features McCarthy as Frances Welty, a novelist attending a wellness retreat overseen by a leader played by Nicole Kidman. Developed by David E. Kelley and John-Henry Butterworth from Liane Moriarty’s novel, the series was produced for streaming with an ensemble cast that includes Michael Shannon, Regina Hall, and Samara Weaving. Its episodes track group therapy sessions, controlled pharmacological protocols, and the retreat’s operational boundaries.

The show premiered to substantial streaming viewership and was filmed primarily in Australia, using a secluded resort setting to stage its group dynamics. McCarthy’s participation connected her with a creative team known for limited-series storytelling and expanded her recent run of dramatic work on high-profile platforms.

‘St. Vincent’ (2014) – Maggie Bronstein

In ‘St. Vincent’, McCarthy plays Maggie Bronstein, a single mother whose son forms an unexpected bond with a gruff neighbor portrayed by Bill Murray. Written and directed by Theodore Melfi, the film balances school-life episodes, neighborhood disputes, and caretaking arrangements, with supporting performances by Naomi Watts and Chris O’Dowd. The production highlights Brooklyn locales and uses a mix of comedic and dramatic scenes to frame the central relationship.

The movie premiered at major festivals before its theatrical rollout and went on to earn solid worldwide grosses relative to its midrange budget. It contributed to a series of collaborations that later included Melfi and several cast members on other projects, and it broadened McCarthy’s filmography with a grounded, character-driven role.

‘Identity Thief’ (2013) – Diana

In ‘Identity Thief’, Melissa McCarthy plays Diana, a Florida con artist who steals the identity of a Denver accountant portrayed by Jason Bateman. Directed by Seth Gordon from a screenplay by Craig Mazin and Jerry Eeten, the film follows cross-country travel logistics, law-enforcement complications, and the procedural fallout of financial fraud, including credit-card misuse and account restoration steps depicted in the plot. Production used multiple U.S. locations to stage highway sequences and set-piece encounters tied to the pursuit.

The movie opened wide in North America and expanded internationally, generating strong theatrical grosses relative to its mid-budget production scale. The release window included standard theatrical runs followed by home-entertainment formats, and its commercial performance helped sustain McCarthy’s run of studio comedies with leading roles alongside established co-stars.

Share your favorite Melissa McCarthy role in the comments and tell us which performance you’d add to the list!