Melissa McCarthy Says The ‘Emphasis’ On Her Body Is ‘Bizarre’: ‘I Think People Still Want Perfect’

Melissa McCarthy is one of the most successful actors in Hollywood at the moment, as she’s had box office hit after hit, and she was most recently nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama for Can You Ever Forgive Me?. And yet some people continue to put her weight at the forefront.

The 48-year-old recently sat down with The Sunday Times to discuss various topics, including the attention that her health and body has received throughout her career. “I’ve had kids. I go up and down, just like most people,” the Bridesmaids star said. She and her husband, actor and director Ben Falcone, are parents to two daughters, 11-year-old Vivian and 8-year-old Georgette. Melissa continued, “I’ve never thought it has anything to do with my job. I think the emphasis on it is bizarre. And damaging, especially to young girls. I think you should be whatever you are, and you should be healthy.” She added, “But this thing of having, somehow magically, zero per cent body fat — I don’t want to spend my entire life working on that. If I’m starving myself, I also don’t think right. I don’t like myself when I’m cranky and hungry.”

Melissa also doesn’t want to be told that she’s broken-thru an industry filled with what many folks would say is filled with perfect-looking people. “I always hate to talk about it as if I ‘conquered’ something,” the actress said. “It’s an insane, unrealistic standard that’s been set. To me, just being a normal human, I don’t think it’s something I get a pat on the back for. It shouldn’t even be talked about.” Melissa does go on to answer if she believes Hollywood has moved on from preferring a certain body type and look. “No. I think it’s still a struggle,” she said. “I think people still want perfect, young and shiny. But the bar keeps moving.”

The actress has reportedly lost around 70 pounds throughout the years, and a source close to Melissa recently told Closer Weekly that “she’s not obsessed with losing more.” The insider added, “She’s happy in her own skin right now.” Melissa did turn heads at the Golden Globes on January 6, when she showed up sporting a vibrant purple gown with stars printed on the left shoulder.