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Melissa McCarthy

We seem to be enjoying a remarkable golden age of TV at the moment, with streaming services in particular coming up with the goods on an almost weekly basis.

Great new shows are emerging all of the time and this has been highlighted by some of our recent interviews, whether it is Robert Sheehan discussing his role in The Umbrella Academy or Alison Pill telling us about her involvement in Star Trek: Picard. There is plenty more high-quality small-screen action on the way too, including this undoubtedly eye-catching production being pulled together by Hulu.

Nine Perfect Strangers

The streaming platform has been involved in several adaptations of much-loved properties in the last few years, including a take on Four Weddings and a Funeral. Now however, it is creating a series based on the Liane Moriarty novel Nine Perfect Strangers, with a big announcement recently being made regarding its director. At the end of July, Deadline confirmed that Long Shot and Warm Bodies director Jonathan Levine is set to direct all eight episodes of the new limited series. It will tell the story of nine people looking to embrace a better way to live at a wellness resort. By taking on the job, Levine has the task of directing a truly stellar cast, which includes Melissa McCarthy, Nicole Kidman, Luke Evans, Samara Weaving and The Good Place’s Manny Jacinto.

Intriguing new role

McCarthy’s involvement in the project marks just her latest step in what has already been a fairly remarkable career. As her filmography at IMDB.com outlines, she arguably came to prominence on the small screen in the likes of The Gilmore Girls and Mike & Molly but hit the big time in a major way thanks to the blockbusting success of the 2011 comedy Bridesmaids.

Directed by Paul Feig, the movie achieved significant critical and commercial acclaim, with the impact of the production being felt to this day. The majority of its cast members have gone on to greater things in film and TV, with Kristen Wiig for instance grabbing a starring role in the upcoming Wonder Woman sequel. Its endlessly quotable lines have also inspired a host of merchandise, with the Bridesmaids Shop featuring goods including clothing, mugs and glasses. Perhaps more surprisingly, the movie has even had an impact on casino gaming as well. Some online casinos feature slots inspired by entertainment hits, with a Bridesmaids title sitting alongside experiences based on the likes of Jurassic Park and Narcos. Talk of a sequel has never quite gone away either, with Feig recently revealing his own reservations regarding such a step to Collider.

While Bridesmaids was littered with great performances, it could be argued that McCarthy’s turn as Megan pretty much stole the show – so much so in fact that she went on to grab an Oscar nomination for her role.

A versatile performer

Since then, McCarthy has really gone on to tackle a host of different projects. While she has teamed up with Paul Feig on a few occasions with projects like Spy and Ghostbusters, she has highlighted her versatility too.

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She has made several forays into much different territory, with a notable example being her transformative turn as Lee Israel in the 2018 film Can You Ever Forgive Me? Starring alongside Richard E Grant, the role led to another Oscar nomination in 2019 – although she ultimately lost out to Olivia Colman.

McCarthy’s range of work is arguably thrown into the spotlight by the fact that she is also one of a select group of performers to have received both an Oscar nod and a Golden Raspberry nomination in the same year. As The Hollywood Reporter explains, her Can You Forgive Me? acclaim emerged at the same time that she was nominated for a ‘Razzie’ for her roles in The Happytime Murders and Life of the Party.

Major anticipation

With all of that in mind, it will be interesting to see how her upcoming work with Kidman, Evans and co. on Nine Perfect Strangers ultimately turns out. Considering the talent featured, Hulu could well have a major hit on their hands.

McCarthy has undoubtedly proven herself to be an actress with significant range and we can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

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