Melissa McCarthy Net Worth

Melissa McCarthy is an American actress best known for her roles in the hit sitcom Mike & Molly and Gilmore Girls. She was also well-loved by audiences in numerous comedy films like Bridesmaids and The Heat. Having started acting in the late 1990s, McCarthy has over 50 acting credits to her name.

McCarthy has consistently been listed as one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. But it’s not just her acting work that contributed to her success. Melissa McCarthy’s net worth is also impacted by her work as a producer, her clothing line for plus-size women, and a string of real estate investments. Discover McCarthy’s most notable projects and follow her career from the 90s till now.

Early Life

Melissa Ann McCarthy was born in Plainfield, Illinois, on August 26th, 1970. Her parents, Michael and Sandra McCarthy, raised her with a Catholic upbringing. And she spent a sizable portion of her childhood on the family’s farm.

The family didn’t shy away from the spotlight. McCarthy actually has a couple of famous cousins, including actress Jenny McCarthy as well as the basketball player Joanne McCarthy.

McCarthy would graduate from St. Francis Academy and proceed to study Textiles at Southern Illinois University. Before her love of comedy came to the forefront, McCarthy was interested in a career in fashion. When she first moved to New York City, she planned to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her love for fashion came back around in 2015 when she announced her first clothing collection, Melissa McCarthy Seven7, for plus-size women.

Acting Career

McCarthy’s first TV performance was in 1997 on the NBC show Jenny with her cousin Jenny McCarthy. She played herself in the episode called A Girl’s Gotta Live in the Real World.

A year later, she landed a role in the short God. And across the next few years, she would play minor roles in films like Go, Charlie’s Angels, Drowning Mona, The Kid, and The Life of David Gale.

Gilmore Girls

Melissa McCarthy’s net worth would notably increase after being cast in Gilmore Girls. She played the character Sookie St. James in over 150 episodes of the show. The series ran from 2000 until 2007.

She would also reprise her role in the special revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which was released on Netflix in 2016. While she didn’t have much screentime in the revival, she spent months in negotiations prior to filming and reportedly demanded a $2 million salary for the project.

Mike and Molly

While Gilmore Girls had been successful, McCarthy hadn’t yet been propelled into Hollywood A-Lister status. That happened when she landed the role of Molly Flynn in the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly.

The show ran for 127 episodes from 2010 to 2016. While it’s not known precisely how much McCarthy made per episode, it’s reported that she made $15 million a year during her time on the series.

Bridesmaids

In 2011, McCarthy delivered a stellar performance in Bridesmaids, where she co-stars with Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper, Rose Byrne, and Wendi McLendon-Covey. She earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the role.

Overall, Bridesmaids was a massive blockbuster, making over $288.3 million on a budget of $32.5 million. And as of 2022, it’s McCarthy’s third highest-grossing film.

This is 40

In 2012, McCarthy appeared in yet another comedy film called This Is 40. While the movie had mixed reviews, it was a box-office success. The film made $88.1 million at the box office on a budget of $35 million.

Identity Thief

2013 brought the crime comedy Identity Thief, where McCarthy starred alongside Jason Bateman. With a budget of just $35 million, the movie grossed over $173 million worldwide.

The Heat

In 2013, McCarthy starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the action comedy The Heat. The film grossed more than $229 million globally on its $43 million budget.

McCarthy received a salary of $2.5 million for her work on the film.

Tammy

Next was 2014’s Tammy, in which McCarthy not only starred (opposite Susan Sarandon and Kathy Bates), but she also wrote the film with her husband, Ben Falcone. Additionally, Falcone also directed the movie, which made just over $100 million worldwide on its $20 million budget.

Spy

2015 brought Paul Feig’s Spy, where McCarthy starred alongside Rose Byrne and Jude Law. The film was a hit with fans and critics alike. And with a budget of just $65 million, the movie grossed just over $235 million worldwide. 

The Boss

In 2016, McCarthy teamed up with her husband again on the script The Boss. Falcone again directed, and McCarthy starred opposite Kristen Bell and Peter Dinklage. The movie tells the story of an industry titan who is sent to jail after she’s caught partaking in insider trading. After serving her time, she’s ready to rebrand herself as America’s newest sweetheart. However, not everyone she screwed over is prepared to move on and forgive.

The movie grossed $78 million globally on its $29 million budget.

Ghostbusters

McCarthy played the role of Dr. Abby Yates in the 2016 film Ghostbusters. It was a big-budget film that was produced for $144 million but failed to live up to expectations, grossing just over $229 million in worldwide sales. Nevertheless, McCarthy walked away with a $14 million salary for the film.

Nine Perfect Strangers

In 2021, McCarthy starred as Frances Welly in the Hulu miniseries Nine Perfect Strangers opposite Nicole Kidman. When it was released, the show set the record for the most-watched original on the streaming service.

Recent Work

From 2011 to 2017, McCarthy regularly appeared on Saturday Night Live. She finally won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy for her work on the show in 2017.

McCarthy got her first Golden Globe nomination for Spy in 2015. She also received another Golden Globe nomination and her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress in the 2019 drama film Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Other Ventures

McCarthy owns the production company On the Day Productions, together with her husband, Ben Falcone. They founded the company in 2013, and their first project was Tammy, in which McCarthy plays the lead. 

With this initial success, McCarthy went on to produce more movies, like The Boss, Life of the Party, The Happytime Murders, and Thunder Force.

As of 2022, On the Day Productions has an additional six projects in the works.

McCarthy also has a thriving fashion line called Melissa McCarthy Seven7, which caters to plus-size women. She created the clothing line with Sunrise Brands and sells it through the Home Shopping Network.

Real Estate

Melissa McCarthy has been known to have a penchant for investing in real estate. According to reports, McCarthy owns at least 16 real estate properties. One of the first properties she bought with her husband, Ben Falcone, was a $780,000 home in Toluca Lake back in 2009. Three years later, they purchased another piece of property for $3.5 million, where they constructed a custom-built home.

In 2020, the couple purchased a home in Valley Village for $2.4 million. They also used to own a Los Feliz home, but they sold it for $2.495 million in 2009. All these properties significantly contribute to Melissa McCarthy’s net worth.

Personal Life

McCarthy has been married to actor Ben Falcone since 2005. They have two daughters, Vivian and Georgette.

McCarthy had been pregnant with Vivian during the last season of Gilmore Girls, and the pregnancy was incorporated into the script.

Falcone frequently has cameo roles in McCarthy’s films and TV shows. He was in Gilmore Girls, Bridesmaids, Tammy, The Boss, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and more. Both daughters also appeared in The Boss.

Melissa McCarthy Net Worth 2022

As of 2022, Melissa McCarthy’s net worth is estimated at $90 million. But it’s not just McCarthy’s work in front of the camera that contributes to overall net worth. Her writing and producing work, along with her clothing collection, also massively contribute to her financial success.

Fans of McCarthy can see her next in 2023’s The Little Mermaid, where she’ll play Ursula. She’ll also star in the Jerry Seinfeld-directed Unfrosted alongside James Marsden, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, and Christian Slater. The movie, which is set in Michigan in 1963, follows business rivals Kellogg’s and Post as they compete to create a cake that could change breakfast forever.

McCarthy has eight additional projects in various stages of development, including an untitled Tinker Bell project, which will be directed by Shawn Levy and written by Nicholas Stroller.