Happy 45th Birthday, Melissa McCarthy! Celebrate by Revisiting Her 10 Best Movie Roles, From Spy to Bridesmaids!

Actress has starred in Tammy, Identity Thief, Ghostbusters and more

By Zach Johnson Aug 26, 2015 1:33 PMTags
Spy, Melissa McCarthyTwentieth Century Fox

It's no secret that Melissa McCarthy is one of the most beloved stars in Hollywood.

Today marks the actress' 45th birthday, and to celebrate, E! News is revisiting some of her most iconic roles on the big screen. According to a recent report from Forbes, McCarthy is the third highest-paid actress in Hollywood, earning $23 million from June 2014 to June 2015, coming in behind Jennifer Lawrence (No. 1, $52 million) and Scarlett Johansson (No. 2, $35.5 million). Since her Oscar-nominated role in 2011's Bridesmaids, McCarthy has easily proven she can open a movie on her own.

In fact, Tammy (2014) and Spy (2015) grossed a combined $335 million worldwide.

Not too shabby!

McCarthy is best known for showcasing her comedic chops, as she did in 2013's Identity Thief (opposite Jason Bateman) and 2013's The Heat (opposite Sandra Bullock). Last year, however, the movie star impressed critics with a dramatic (yet still humorous) turn in St. Vincent, co-starring Bill Murray and Naomi Watts.

Best of all, the actress is once again teaming up with director Paul Feig for his all-female Ghostbusters reboot, hitting theaters in the summer of 2016. The film also stars Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon and Kristen Wiig.

McCarthy also plays the titular character in Michelle Darnell, which she co-wrote and produced with her husband, Ben Falcone. The Universal Pictures comedy—which also stars Kathy Bates, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Tyler Labine, Margo Martindale and Kristen Schaal—is scheduled for release on Apr. 8, 2016.

Regarding her big screen ambitions, McCarthy told More magazine in 2013, "I just want to do—it's not the most interesting answer, but I just want to do good stuff. The goal is always that the characters are grounded. I like to play an eccentric version of people, but I never like to be wacky, wacky, look how crazy I am."

To celebrate McCarthy's birthday, revisit her 10 most iconic movie roles now.

Watch: Is Melissa McCarthy the Funniest Person in Show Biz?