Melissa McCarthy was left battered and bruised by her brush with action-movie-star status but would sign up for a sequel in a heartbeat.
The 44-year-old mother-of-two is the star of Spy, a new comedy in which Melissa plays an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst thrust into the field when the rest of the agency is compromised by a leak.
Her mission is to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent a global crisis, and saving the world doesn’t happen without picking up a few bumps along the way.
“Weirdly, I loved it, like I would sign up for another one in a minute,” the comic actress said during her visit to London with co-stars Jude Law, Jason Statham and Miranda Hart for the film’s European premiere last week.
“I loved all the action, I loved the challenge.
“I tried to do as many of the stunts as they would allow. I had an amazing stuntwoman who could do things better, but my character is not supposed to be bionic.”
If Melissa needed a warning of the dangers inherent in making an action movie, it came very early on in the shoot when she slipped on some wet marble and landed on her back.
“I threw my back out so badly, we spent the whole week trying to get me walking again,” she recalled. “It was intense and it was kind of at the beginning of the movie. It was a little dicey.”
Illinois-born McCarthy began her career as a stand-up comedian performing with improv group the Groundlings.
She then moved into TV, starring in series such as Gilmore Girls and Mike & Molly, a role which earned her a 2011 Emmy award.
More recognition followed with her move into films, earning a best supporting actress Oscar nomination for her hilarious performance in Bridesmaids.
Before coming to London, McCarthy was honoured with a star on Hollywood’s prestigious Walk of Fame.
“It was a little overwhelming,” she recalled of the ceremony. “I thought: ‘Just try to stay in it so you remember it, don’t get so overwhelmed.’
“I don’t want to forget today, I don’t want to forget my mum, my kids, anybody that I get to see here watch this happen. I want to remember every second of it.”
For her next role, McCarthy is teaming up with her Bridesmaids co-star Kristen Wiig again for an all-female remake of Ghostbusters.
“I cannot wait,” said McCarthy. “And that’s with such a great group of ladies (Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon make up the group), that I’m really excited.”
n Spy is in cinemas now.
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