Relive All of Melissa McCarthy's Most Iconic Roles Before the 2018 PCAs

By Johnni Macke Nov 09, 2018 5:00 PMTags
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Lauren Graham, Melissa McCarthy, Alexis Biedel, Gilmore GirlsThe WB/Randy Tepper

Calling all Melissa McCarthy fans, this one's for you!

Beginning with her role as Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls (from 2000 to 2007)—which she reprised in 2016 for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life on Netflix…thank goodness—fans have been in awe of McCarthy's comedic chops and acting prowess.

On Tuesday, E! announced that the 48-year-old actress would be receiving the first-ever People's Icon Award at the 2018 E! People's Choice Awards further proving what we already knew…McCarthy is a freaking star.

From her comedy roles like Bridesmaids and This Is 40 (a small part, but so good) to her newest role as the real-life celebrity biographer Lee Israel in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, McCarthy has proved time and time again that she is an acting force to be reckoned with.

So, in honor of the funny gal's impressive People's Choice Awards honor—she will be recognized at the live award show this Sunday—we had to take a look back at her very best characters throughout the years.

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Melissa McCarthy Will Be Honored as the People's Icon of 2018 at the E! People's Choice Awards

Whether you loved her on TV—as either Sookie on Gilmore Girls, Dena on Samantha Who? or Molly from Mike & Molly—or are a big fan of her hilarious movie catalog including, The Boss and Life of the Party, we can all agree that when you see the Illinois native on screen you are almost always guaranteed to smile.

Her comedic timing is totally on point no matter what the role and she's just so freaking lovable.

What are you waiting for? It's time to look at all of McCarthy's iconic roles below before you watch her accept the People's Icon of 2018 award at the PCAs this weekend.

Plus, McCarthy is also a PCAs finalist for Comedy Movie Star of 2018, so she might be a two-time winner by the end of the night!

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family).

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Gilmore Girls

Beginning in 2000, Melissa McCarthy earned a special place in our hearts as everyone's favorite chef and BFF to Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), Sookie St. James, on Gilmore Girls.

Samantha Who?

After Samantha (Christina Applegate) gets into an accident and has amnesia, she tries to turn her life around and fix the friendships she ruined during her life as a selfish woman...one friend being Dena, played by McCarthy.

Life as We Know It

McCarthy plays DeeDee, a mother of four kids, in this Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel starrer.

Mike & Molly

The 48-year-old actress starred alongside Billy Gardell for six seasons of Mike & Molly. Together the two actors played a couple who met at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and later fell in love, helped each through their weight-loss journey and stuck by each other's side through thick and thin.

Bridesmaids

McCarthy, who earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance, plays Megan Price, the groom's raunchy sister in this R-rated comedy. It also stars Rose Byrne, Ellie Kemper, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig.

This Is 40

After Debbie (Leslie Mann) yells at a student (Ryan Lee), who has been taunting her daughter Sadie (Maude Apatow), Catherine (McCarthy), the mother of the kid, gets involved and things get heated. She might've been a minor character but the parents' meeting in the principal's office is one of This Is 40's funniest scenes, hands down.

Identity Thief

When Sandy (Jason Bateman) buys identity theft protection from Diana (McCarthy) over the phone and reveals all of his personal information he has no clue that she is actually a con artist. In order to get his money back, Sandy tracks Diana, whose real name is Dawn, across the country and ends up in more trouble than ever imagined.

The Hangover Part III

McCarthy plays a pawnshop owner named Cassie, who first meets the guys when she explains that Chow (Ken Jeong) traded a gold brick for a measly $18,000. Cassie eventually agrees to go on a date with Alan (Zach Galifianakis), and six months later, they decide to get married.

The Heat

When by-the-book FBI agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is assigned to a case in Boston, she reluctantly teams up with Shannon Mullins (McCarthy), a foul-mouthed detective who makes her own rules. The buddy comedy also stars Demián Bichir, Jane Curtin, Michael Rapaport and Marlon Wayans.

Tammy

McCarthy served as the film's screenwriter and executive producer in Tammy. She also plays the titular character, who, after being fired from her job, comes home early to find out her husband is having an affair. This inspires Tammy to go on a road trip—and stage a heist along the way—with her grandmother, Pearl (Susan Sarandon).

St. Vincent

Maggie Bronstein (McCarthy) is a single mother fighting for custody of her son after her husband's multiple affairs. Her neighbor, Vincent (Bill Murray), agrees to watch her son while she tries to make ends meet.

Spy

McCarthy stars as Susan Cooper, a desk-bound CIA analyst who becomes a field agent after her colleagues' identities are compromised. The movie also stars Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Jude Law and Jason Statham.

The Boss

In The Boss, the Illinois native plays a ruthless mogul who, after being arrested for insider training, emerges from prison determined to become America's sweetheart. McCarthy stars alongside Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage and Kathy Bates

Ghostbusters

McCarthy plays Abby Yates, a woman who authors a book on paranormal activity in this rebooted comedy. Fellow Ghosbusters include Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) and Erin Gilbert (Wiig).

Saturday Night Live

In 2017, the comedian hosted Saturday Night Live for the fifth time, earning her a "Five-Timers" jacket from Steve Martin. Over the years, she's had some memorable skits on the show, but her impersonation of Sean Spicer, the White House Press Secretary for 2017, was definitely one of her most-loved and laughed at (in a good way) characters ever.

Nobodies

The actress is an executive producer on Nobodies and has appeared on a slew of episodes as an exaggerated version of herself. The show is about three friends working together on a TV show and although McCarthy isn't a main character every time we see her on screen we can't help but laugh.

Life of the Party

Life of the Party is a comedy about going back to college with McCarthy playing Deanna, the titular character. After Deanna's husband asks for a divorce, she decides to go back to school to get her degree and in the process she joins in on all of her daughter's sorority fun and really lives it up.

The Happytime Murderers

Detective Connie Edwards (McCarthy) attempts to solve the case of what went wrong when a whole puppet cast from a '90s TV show is murdered. Elizabeth Banks and Maya Rudolph are some of the other big names in the flick. 

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

In Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which is based on a true story, the accomplished actress takes on the role of Lee Israel, the best-selling celebrity biographer of the '70s and '80s. When her character's career dies down, she outsmarts the world for a period of time by selling embellished, fake pieces of work from famous writers.

The Kitchen

McCarthy stars alongside Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss in this mob drama based on DC's Vertigo comic book series of the same name. The trio of actresses play the wives of New York gangsters in Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s who continue to operate their husbands' rackets after they're locked up in prison.