The Celeb Who Inspired Melissa McCarthy's Bridesmaids Character
If you're ever feeling down, a Melissa McCarthy film will surely cheer you up. With her downright hilarious characters, it's likely the actor will make you laugh uncontrollably. One of McCarthy's most notable comedic roles was in 2011's "Bridesmaids," which consisted of an all-star cast, including Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, and Ellie Kemper. The movie also featured McCarthy's husband, Ben Falcone. Wiig starred as Annie, a frustrated maid of honor who finds herself on a series of hysterical adventures with Rudolph's bridesmaids, while McCarthy played Megan, Rudolph's bridesmaid and soon-to-be sister-in-law who brings her own set of quirks to the table. Fans may recall the "Bridesmaids" iconic dress fitting scene, where the women's trip to a fancy dress shop is suddenly interrupted by a collective bout of food poisoning.
With her consistently off-the-wall comments, Megan certainly makes an impression. In fact, McCarthy even received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role, per IMDb. While many people may be familiar with McCarthy's legendary performance, not everyone may know about the celebrity who actually inspired her character.
This Food Network chef inspired Melissa McCarthy's Bridesmaids character
In May 2011, Melissa McCarthy went on "Conan" to promote "Bridesmaids." She disclosed the main inspiration for her character, Megan. She revealed, "I mean really, when I first read it, the first person I thought of was Guy Fieri from 'The Food Network.'" The actor talked about how she tried to match him with some of her costume pieces, adding, "I tried for a long time to convince them to let me wear short, white, spiky hair. They were like 'You can't actually be Guy Fieri.'"
Then, during a 2018 appearance on "The Chew," McCarthy further detailed how Fieri influenced her character choices in "Bridesmaids." McCarthy, who is clearly a fan of Fieri, excitedly shared, "I tried it and I never got it in the movie. I was always putting my sunglasses [on the back of my head] ... but every time he does it I'm like, 'why is it on the back of your head?'" That choice would've certainly added even more Fieri flavor to McCarthy's already feisty character.
Who inspired Melissa McCarthy's other roles?
"Bridesmaids" was not an isolated incident, as Melissa McCarthy often bases her characters on real people. In "Life Of The Party," McCarthy played Deanna, a dumped housewife who studies at the same college as her daughter. In a 2018 appearance on "Today," McCarthy confirmed that her own mother, Sandy, was an inspiration for Deanna. "I wanted that sweetness," she shared. "When we talked about the initial idea, I said 'I want to show' — I'm so close with my mom; I know so many people that have a great relationship — a young woman that's not like eye roll, eye roll, eye roll. And then a mom who's not a nightmare." McCarthy described how both Deanna and Sandy are beloved moms.
In the 2016 comedy "The Boss," McCarthy played Michelle Darnell, a CEO who's incarcerated for insider trading. According to Yahoo, many viewers saw elements of Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, and Donald Trump. At the movie's press day (via Yahoo), McCarthy talked about developing the character 15 years ago, saying, "That's what people are saying, but you have to remember... she looked the same, and had the same energy and backstory 15 years ago. So it's kind of a coincidence that it's moving into people currently." But McCarthy didn't deny taking in some real-world inspiration. "Certainly, a little [personal finance guru] Suze Orman in there [as well]. There's bits and pieces of people." Hmm ... who will McCarthy's next role be influenced by?