Famous for portraying Sookie St. James in the cult classic “Gilmore Girls,” Melissa McCarthy has made a name for herself in Hollywood. With the actress still receiving prominent roles and movie offers nearly three decades into her career, many wonder how much she’s worth this 2023. What’s Melissa McCarthy’s net worth today?
With her acting roles in her and her husband’s production company rolling, it’s not surprising to see Melissa McCarthy hold an impressive $90 million net worth today.
This post showcases how Melissa McCarthy achieved such fame and fortune and how she maintained it decades later.
An Overview
Born on August 26, 1970, Melissa McCarthy always loved acting and fashion. And though she briefly pursued a career in fashion design, she dropped it to pursue an acting career. She began taking minor roles in TV shows and films in the late 1990s, boosting her fame.
But McCarthy experienced her big breakthrough much later on with “Gilmore Girls.” She took on the reoccurring role of Sookie St. James, starring in the show until its end in 2007. And this marked the beginning of McCarthy’s fruitful acting career.
She began taking more movie roles, experiencing immense success in 2011 with “Bridesmaids.” McCarthy not only got to star in a box office hit that grossed over $288 million, but the movie also helped her score her first major nomination. And though she didn’t get the Academy Award, it helped McCarthy boost her reputation.
As her acting career flourished, McCarthy worked with her husband, Benjamin Scott Falcone, to release a production firm. The two launched it in 2013, with its first release being “Tammy.”
Although she hit a major flop in 2014’s “Tammy,” McCarthy bounced back a year later with “Spy,” grossing over $200 million. And since then, McCarthy’s been taking several movie roles, with most having mixed reviews.
Also, while working on TV shows and movies, McCarthy never forgot her love for fashion. Hence in 2015, she worked with a clothing company to manufacture her apparel line “Seven7.” And the same year, her clothing line debuted on the Home Shopping Network.
Early Life
Melissa Ann McCarthy was born on the 26th of August 1970 and grew up in Illinois. Although her parents lived in the USA, both were of European descent. Her mother is English and German, while her father is pure Irish.
After graduating from St. Francis Academy, McCarthy decided to pursue a career in acting like her older cousin, Jenny McCarthy. She kickstarted her career by doing stand-up comedy in LA and later in NYC after she moved. While in LA, McCarthy joined “The Groundlings,” a comedy troupe based in LA, making her an alumna.
Once she moved to NYC, McCarthy began performing as a drag queen named “Miss Y.”
Despite taking many roles in TV shows, McCarthy never got any prominent parts. That was until her cousin, Jenny McCarthy, helped her score a feature on the sitcom “Jenny.”
Career
Acting
Although famous for her work in “Gilmore Girls,” it wasn’t Melissa McCarthy’s first show. Her first appearance was in an episode of “Jenny,” a sitcom that starred her older cousin Jenny McCarthy. Although short-lived, this paved the way for Melissa’s fruitful acting career.
After her work on “Jenny,” McCarthy took on many minor film roles from 1999 to 2003. And during that period, McCarthy took the reoccurring part of Sookie St. James in “Gilmore Girls. Her work on the WB series lasted for seven years, ending in 2007 after 153 episodes.
After her work with “Gilmore Girls,” McCarthy continued to star in several roles from 2007 and 2009. But it wasn’t until 2011’s “Bridesmaids” that McCarthy experienced her big breakthrough. After all, the filmed gross over $200 million, making it a commercial success.
Her work with the movie was so impressive that this is where McCarthy got her first Academy Award nomination. Four years later, McCarthy again experienced immense success with her work in 2015’s “Spy.” She took on the leading role, receiving critical praise.
With her consistent performances, McCarthy made $12 million in the following years, making her one of the highest-paid actresses between 2017 and 2018.
Production
As Melissa McCarthy expanded her acting portfolio, she and her husband decided to launch their own production company in 2013. Their firm, “On the Day Productions,” almost flopped due to the couple’s first movie, “Tammy,” being a commercial failure. But McCarthy and Falcone didn’t give up and continued to produce more films.
Some of the titles McCarthy’s production firm produced are 2018’s “Life of the Party” and 2020’s “Super Intelligence.”
Personal Life
Melissa McCarthy tied the knot with her longtime partner Benjamin Scott Falcone, a fellow actor, and comedian, in 2005. The two met on a movie set, quickly hitting it off. And they’ve been together since then.
McCarthy and Falcone welcomed two children, Vivian and Georgette Falcone. And though they mostly put them away from the limelight, both daughters appeared in McCarthy’s 2016 film “The Boss.”
Aside from that, her husband, although he mainly produces nowadays, also makes cameo appearances in McCarthy’s movies and TV shows. Falcone has appeared in many titles, ranging from one episode on the 3rd installment of “Gilmore Girls” to 2018’s “The Happytime Murders.”
McCarthy has been vocal about her political beliefs, stating she’s on the left “for sure.” Last year, McCarthy participated in the 40×40 campaign by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. She said it was to mark her 40th birthday. It revolved around asking people worldwide to spend 40 minutes teaching women reentering the workforce and fighting the enormous economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Melissa McCarthy’s Net Worth 2023
As of 2023, Melissa McCarthy holds a massive $90 million net worth.
She began growing her riches after landing a reoccurring role in the classic cult series “Gilmore Girls.” After this, McCarthy took on more roles outside of TV shows, boosting her fame and wealth. Her first movie role was in “Pushing Up Daisies,” in 2007, which had decent success.
But it wasn’t until “Bridesmaids” McCarthy experienced her big breakthrough, with the film grossing over $200 million. After this, McCarthy continued to star in several successful movies until she struck disaster in 2014. Her work with her husband on 2014’s “Tammy” was a failure as it only grossed over $84 million compared to their original $20 million budget.
Luckily, McCarthy bounced back with 2015’s “Spy,” grossing over $200 million.
Aside from her work on movies and TV shows, McCarthy launched an apparel line a few years back named “Seven7.” It specializes in clothing for plus-size women.
How Does Melissa McCarthy Make Money?
Acting
Movies
Considering Melissa McCarthy is now an actress with many accolades, she’s become quite an expensive name in Hollywood. With two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Academy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards under her name, McCarthy can quickly get multi-million dollar deals for movie roles. Hence, it’s become her primary income source for nearly three decades.
She began appearing on the big screen in 2007, starring in a comedy film named “Pushing Up Daisies.” A year later, McCarthy appeared in another comedy movie titled “Bridesmaids.” And the latter became her big breakthrough, receiving praise for her work as Megan Price.
Bridesmaids grossed over $288 million globally, making it the actress’s highest-grossing film ever. Many years later, McCarthy starred in a buddy cop comedy flick titled “The Heat as Sarah Ashburn.” It was also successful, grossing more than $229 million globally.
In 2014 McCarthy suffered a massive loss with her and her husband’s movie “Tammy,” grossing only $84 million compared to its $20 million budget. But she didn’t suffer for long as McCarthy regained losses thanks to her role in 2015’s “Spy.” It was another success, grossing more than $235 million globally.
The same year, McCarthy also worked on a reboot of the classic “Ghostbusters,” grossing over $229 million globally. And the next couple of years, she’s taken several roles, including one in 2018’s “Life of the Party” and 2020’s “Super Intelligence.”
TV Shows
Before she got into the big screen, Melissa McCarthy mostly starred in TV shows. And her recurring role in the cult classic “Gilmore Girls” was the starting point of her fruitful acting career. The show lasted seven years, steadily boosting McCarthy’s fame and wealth.
Nowadays, although McCarthy mainly focuses on movies, she still appears in some TV shows. And this should earn her a decent amount of royalties.
Production Company
Melissa McCarthy and her husband, Benjamin Scott Falcone, founded and launched “One the Day Productions” production company in 2013. And despite their massive loss with “Tammy” in 2014, the couple continued to produce several titles, including:
- Super Intelligence
- Thunder Force
- The Boss
- The Happytime Murders
Apparel Line
Despite her natural affinity for comedy and acting, Melissa McCarthy was always fascinated by fashion. And she even majored in textiles while attending Southern Illinois University. Even when she decided to pursue an acting career, McCarthy enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology once she moved to NYC.
After her acting career flourished, McCarthy partnered with Sunrise Brands to make her fashion dreams come true. She worked with the apparel firm to manufacture her first clothing collection named “Melissa McCarthy Seven7.” It specializes in apparel for plus-size women.
Her line includes clothes that go up to size 28, with McCarthy stating that women don’t stop at size 12. And she added that something is missing where ladies can’t dress to their mood beyond a specific number. McCarthy concluded that malls often segregate “plus-size” clothing, hiding them away from the other sections.
Seven7 debuted in 2015 on the Home Shopping Network.
Real Estate
Melissa McCarthy is quite the real estate mogul, racking up her net worth. Her latest venture was in 2020 when she and her husband purchased a $2 million home in LA. And not too far from this property, McCarthy already had another large home worth millions.
McCarthy and her husband previously had a home in Los Feliz but sold it decades back for over $2 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much is Melissa McCarthy’s net worth today?
A: As of 2023, Melissa McCarthy boasts a hefty net worth of $90 million. Despite being almost three decades into her career, she still gets huge offers today. Her latest work will be in 2023’s live adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.”
Q: Is Melissa McCarthy still married in 2023?
A: Melissa McCarthy is still with her longtime husband, Benjamin Scott Falcone. He’s a fellow American actor and comedian and married McCarthy in 2005. The two launched a production company in 2013, releasing several titles.
Q: How long did Melissa McCarthy and her husband date before getting married?
A: Melissa McCarthy and her husband, Benjamin Scott Falcone, went out for seven years before getting married in 2005. That would mean the two have been together for over three decades. Since then, McCarthy and Falcone welcomed two children, Vivian and Georgette.
Q: What’s the relationship between actresses Melissa and Jenny McCarthy?
A: Melissa McCarthy and Jenny McCarthy are cousins, with Melissa saying she couldn’t have asked for a better cousin than Jenny. After all, she’s the one who helped the comedian score her first TV role in the 90s. Jenny got Melissa to be a guest star in a sitcom she was in back then. Although short-lived, it helped Melissa secure better parts later.
Q: How did Melissa McCarthy shed so much weight in 2023?
A: Melissa McCarthy said she followed a healthy diet alongside light exercise to lose over 75 lbs. But she also heavily implied that she regularly took a weight loss pill that boosted the process. It’s called the AtraFen Weight Loss Aid, a drug that doubles as a metabolism booster and fat burner. And it claims to help guarantee steady weight loss.
Final Words
With her continued success in Hollywood and personal business ventures, it’s no wonder Melissa McCarthy’s net worth stands at $90 million today. Despite being in the biz since the late 90s, McCarthy has grown and managed her wealth decades later.
After appearing in several TV shows and films in the 1990s, McCarthy caught her significant breakthrough years later through “Gilmore Girls.” From there, her comedic antics have become beloved by many, earning her more opportunities since then.
With her hilarious roles and down-to-earth personality, it’s no wonder Melissa McCarthy still gets offers nearly three decades later into her career. And with this, McCarthy can only go up!
Are you curious about another comedian turned Hollywood star’s fortunes? Check out Chris Tucker’s net worth next.