Melissa McCarthy is trending after Chuck Lorre revealed that CBS initially pushed back on casting her as Molly Flynn in the hit sitcom Mike & Molly.
The casting story is included in Lorre‘s new memoir, Sitcom, and was also discussed in a recent interview with People.
What did Chuck Lorre say about Melissa McCarthy’s casting?
According to Lorre, CBS executives were initially hesitant to cast Melissa in the lead role. One executive reportedly suggested choosing a thinner actress and using a fat suit to portray Molly instead.
Lorre said he opposed that idea and believed Melissa was the right person for the part, writing, “Melissa was gonna be my Molly. End of discussion.”
The Gilmore Girls alum would go on to win an Emmy nomination for her performance on the sitcom and she was nominated two more times after that.
“There was such a crazy resistance to this once-in-a-lifetime talent,” he said. “She is truly one of our great comic actresses, and she’s done dramatic stuff as well that’s extraordinary.”
He also revealed that Melissa knew about the network’s pushback and was “fine” with him including the story in his memoir.
Mike & Molly starred Melissa opposite Billy Gardell. Her character, Molly Flynn, is a Chicago schoolteacher, while Billy‘s character Mike Biggs is a Chicago police officer. They meet at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and fall in love. The show ran for six seasons before concluding in 2016.
Billy Gardell recently opened up about his weight loss and his thoughts on Ozempic.
It also starred Katy Mixon, Reno Wilson, Swoosie Kurtz, Louis Mustillo, and Nyambi Nyambi.
How did the show affect Melissa McCarthy’s career?
Melissa had already worked steadily in television for years before the sitcom, having starred on all seven season of Gilmore Girls and appearing on other shows like Private Practice and Samantha Who?
Lorre also surprised many with his candid thoughts on Anna Faris not being the right choice for Mom. Here’s how she responded to him.
Despite her previous credits, Mike & Molly was a big boost to her career and led to her winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011. Around the same time, her film career took off with her work in Bridesmaids, which led to some of her other notable movies like The Heat, Spy, andIdentity Thief.
“Forgive me for being a little smug, but when Bridesmaids came out, I felt pretty ******* smart,” Lorrewrote in his book.
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