This Girl Lived on a Farm, Became a Star, and Once Lost 70 Lbs After Being Mocked for Her Weight – Photos

This celebrity began life as a farm girl from a small town with hardly any friends but a great family. When she entered the entertainment industry, her weight was judged harshly, but fans now praise her.

This woman is now a huge Hollywood celebrity, but before becoming a star, she came from a humble background. She was more full-figured when she started but has since lost weight partly due to increased criticism from netizens. Here's what we know about her.

Growing up with the Greatest Parents in the World

In a past interview, this actress spoke about her intriguing upbringing. She revealed that she grew up in a small farm town called Plainfield, an isolated part of Illinois outside Chicago.

The star described herself as "very kind of 100 miles an hour into every possible thing." Offering a glimpse into her childhood interests, she said, "I loved sports, I loved dressing up. I just was kind of super high-energy."

She admitted to feeling lonely, recalling, "I was bored. I had no neighbors, I had no kids to play with. So I'd be, like, running around the barn pretending I was a detective or something." She explained, "I had tons of friends but no one lived around me."

The celebrity continued, "We grew up on a farm so I think it gives you a really different perspective, because I went to school in town, all my friends were like, 'Yeah, we ride bikes, we all hang out afterwards [sic].' And I'm like, 'Well, it's just kind of me in a barn.'"

Her older sister, Margie, whom she described as "fantastic," often fought with her. The comedian hilariously explained, "I always thought I could take her, but she was older so [she] had longer arms."

Margie would stretch out her hand and hold the actress off by pushing her head back, preventing her from reaching her with flailing arms! At one point, the star hilariously revealed she ran away from home while attending kindergarten!

She described the incident as "awkward and horrible." The comedian blamed it on a troublemaker named Teresa, who urged her at five years old to "stay out here." She didn't know Teresa planned to ditch school and head to her babysitter's house!

When the babysitter pulled up to the yard, she had a horrified look as if to say, "What are you doing here?" — a thought she shared with the young actress! The star didn't only speak about herself but also touched on her parents.

Speaking about her father, Mike, she revealed that he was funny but described her family as "weird." Her family often pulled "elaborate and probably semi-dangerous" scaring pranks.

She recalled being on a call with her mother, Sandy, when she suddenly heard her gasping before confessing that her father had jumped out of the closet with a coat on his head! A typical day included finding her father hiding at a desk or elsewhere around the house to scare them!

While they seemed laid back, her parents also imparted important life lessons alongside their humor. The "Life of the Party" actress admitted that her parents' honesty shaped how she views life. She revealed a three-word phrase they repeated that still resonates with her.

The celebrity said, "'Why not you?' is an unbelievably great sentiment to give to a kid." She continued, "Not entitlement but instead: Work your butt off, and you have a decent chance at this. 'Why not you?' is an undervalued way of thinking."

Sharing more about her childhood, the actress revealed, "When I wanted to do something, they didn't say, 'You can do anything, you're perfect!'"

She elaborated, "Instead they said, 'Well, if you work really hard, you've got as good a chance as anybody else.' At every step in my journey, without my parents saying, 'Why not? Keep your head on your shoulders and keep going,' I don't know that I would have made it."

The actress also expressed gratitude that Sandy, who worked for the World Book Encyclopedia, never worried about others' opinions. This extended to how she carried herself. The star recalled, "The words 'I hope this looks okay' never came out of her mouth. If there was something that annoyed her, I didn't hear about it."

She continued, "She didn't give it time on her calendar. But in a really positive way, not in a [expletive]-busting, '[Expletive] the world!' sort of way. She just didn't give it time. She's really solid in her shoes — she wishes people well and then keeps on moving. Watching that as an example is one of the greatest gifts I got from her."

The star's unconventional upbringing also shaped her family life today. She confessed that her children do "the craziest things," and described her dogs as "weird." The celebrity shared, "My husband makes me gut-laugh every day. So, you know, I love my life right now. I laugh all day long. Maybe I'm just living in a bubble, but it's a pretty great bubble, if you ask me!"

During a 2013 appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," she continued praising her parents, calling them "the greatest" in the world. At the time, Sandy and Mike sat in the front row of the audience.

She hilariously revealed how her father was the best publicity man. If someone asked for directions, Mike would launch into a tirade, naming his daughter's movies and asking the stranger if they knew them!

The hilarity continued as she explained that her parents were semi-retired but "live like 18-year-olds." Somehow, her parents had more energy than before they retired!

Their busy schedule included walking in the mall, going out for coffee with friends, having lunch, then a movie, dinner, playing cards at someone's house, and visiting the casino — an activity Sandy hilariously called "church." The casino visits happened about five times a week.

Finding her way into acting was almost a calling, but fame brought some negative aspects, particularly a focus on her weight.

Childhood Judgements, Finding Her Way to New York, and Facing Body Criticism

During high school, the "Gilmore Girls" alum focused on finding herself. She recalled, "I feel like the first two years were like, 'We're all going to dress alike.' Nobody wants to stand out too much. And then I was like, 'I think I'm bored.'"

The actress continued sharing her fashion evolution, "And then came the Mohawks and the blue hair. I mean, on the outside, I was a really good punk and gothic kid, but then I was terrible because I was really chatty. So I looked like I was going to maybe get into a fist fight [sic]. And then I was like, 'Hi! What's your name?'"

High school also marked the first time she experienced judgment and criticism from others. She recalled, "I was fascinated because when I walked down the street and I looked like that, it was the first time that I'd ever had people kind of make fun of me or say really mean things to me, even adults."

The celebrity remembered thinking, "'You don't know me; I didn't do anything to you.'" Being judged from all angles opened her eyes, but instead of retreating into her shell, she sought out people who were also expressing themselves. She figured it would be more fun.

When the actress attended college, she pursued a fashion course. However, on a whim, she dropped out and moved to New York. She relocated with her friend Brian Atwood, the now-famous shoe designer.

When he invited her to live with him, she didn't realize he was crashing on someone else's couch! On her second night in the city, Brian signed her up for an open mic. The actress recalled, "I went in a wig, I went as Ms. Y," a character she created in Chicago.

Despite having never done standup comedy, the celebrity shared, "Once I got up there, I just started telling weird, long self-involved stories." Once she got a manager, she faced criticism over her looks.

The manager told her she wouldn't work in Hollywood unless she lost weight. The actress recalled, "It really hurt my feelings. I understand that the odds are not as high as if I was [sic] skinny, but I still have talent. I thought, 'I'll show you!'" And she did — although she also lost some weight.

Losing Weight While Maintaining a Successful Career

Melissa McCarthy's biggest break came when she landed "Gilmore Girls" in 2000. It was one of the few places where her "weight never came up," proving her former manager wrong. Moreover, she became someone people spoke highly of.

During a 2019 interview, she was described as "polite, poised, and neatly self-contained." Elisabeth Moss, her "The Kitchen" co-star, noted, "She's shockingly normal and down-to-earth."

Elisabeth continued, "I feel like that's said of so many famous people. But Melissa actually is, like, in her core." However, even though her weight wasn't a topic during "Gilmore Girls," she battled with losing it then and several times after.

While working on the sitcom, she signed up for a doctor-supervised all-liquid diet of 500 calories daily. In 2003, the diet led her to lose 70 lbs. in four months, but she viewed the experience negatively. She said, "I'd never do that again," adding, "I felt starved and crazy half the time."

Although her weight often made headlines, she insisted it wasn't an issue. She recalled, "I've been every size in the world. Parts of my twenties, I was in great shape, but I didn't appreciate it. If I was a 6 or an 8, I thought, 'Why aren't I a 2 or a 4?'"

Melissa added, "Now I feel like I have two great kids and the dreamiest husband on the planet, and everything else is just a work in progress." At 45, while attending the press junket for "The Boss," she looked incredible after reportedly losing 50 lbs.

She shared that there was no secret to her weight loss. Melissa said her lifestyle contributed to the change: "No trick, nothing to tell, just super boring life. You bring it real down, you don't do anything fun and you go to bed at 7:30 — that's the trick."

The star revealed that her husband, Ben Falcone, would ask, "Is it five and are you in jammies?" to which she responded, "I'm gonna call them loungewear." The actress, who launched her line Melissa McCarthy Seven7, proudly wore her own clothes to the junket.

She confessed, "I'm wearing my own clothes every day of my life, which I never thought I would get to say." On April 28, 2024, Melissa shocked her fans again when she appeared at the L.A. Gala looking much thinner.

By that point, she was 53 and had lost 75 lbs. She explained that she finally shifted her focus away from her weight, adopting a more relaxed approach, and avoiding constant scrutiny and rigidity.

The actress reportedly said, "I truly stopped worrying about my weight. I stopped over-analyzing, overthinking, overdoing anything. I just stopped constantly being worried about it, and I think there's something to kind of loosening up and not being so nervous and rigid about it that bizarrely, has worked."

After years of mockery, when a netizen saw her recent look, they couldn't help but call her "Iconic 😍." Another exclaimed, "Queen!!! You looked like a billion dollars 💖."

A very impressed fan replied, "Wow! ❤️." On seeing Melissa's look at the 2025 Golden Globes red carpet, another person wrote, "You look absolutely stunning! I've always thought you are one of the BEST actors I have ever known, with the most amazing attitude!"

Melissa has since gone above and beyond to prove her manager and others wrong, earning two Academy Award nominations and other accolades. In 2012, she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for "Bridesmaids."

Then, in 2019, she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" Her nominations prove that the world is aware of the incredible talent housed in a woman who grew up on a farm.