The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - Melissa McCarthy Loves Her Unlikeable Character in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

Episode Date: July 5, 2019

Actress and comedian Melissa McCarthy talks about embracing her role as a desperate con artist in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" and her fight for equal pay in Hollywood.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Have you ever been watching the news and thought to yourself, wow, the Supreme Court sure does suck. We made a podcast about that. We sure did. There is a super majority of conservative maniacs on the Supreme Court right now, really doing some damage. I'm Michael.

And I'm Peter. Our podcast, 5 to 4 is about all of this. Every week, we dissect and analyze a different ruling that has made our country a little worse, a little more cruel. And you would not believe how many of them there are. Check out 5-4. That's the number 5-4, wherever you listen to podcast. Please welcome Melissa Melissa McAfee. Yes. Yes, guys. Yes, guys. Yes. Yes. Yes. I've never done this before.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, guys. Yes. Yes. Yes. Every single time I see you, there is a joy that fills my buddy that I cannot control.

Thank you so much for being on the show. Wow, thanks. This is really exciting for so many reasons. One because everybody loves you. You're one of the funniest human beings in existence. And genuinely this film that you are in is getting Oscar buzz and I think for all the right reasons. You are phenomenal in a thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the thi the thi thi that. There's that. There's tho- tho- tho- tho- tho- tho- th. There th. There is th. There is th. There is th. There th. There th. There th. There th. There th. There th. There th. There th. There th. T th. T. T. T. T. T. thi thi the thi. the the the the the the. the. the. theate. theateate. theate. theate. theate. the. the. the. the. th getting Oscar Buzz, and I think for all the right reasons, like, you are phenomenal in this movie, and you're playing a character you've never played before.

No, I'm playing, Lee Israel is the main character. She is a real person, or was a real person. She's a difficult, prickly, challenging writer, who suddenly was told she's obsolete and was no longer allowed to write kind of got backed into a corner and started forging and impersonating literary letters of like just great so Jorthy Parker, no coward and then was caught by the FBI. So no it's the first time with her but I really kind of loved her. That's an interesting idea because when you watch this character and when you watch this movie I was the whole the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. the the the the th. th. I th. I th. I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the first time with her, but I really kind of loved her. That's an interesting idea because when you watch this character and when you watch this movie, the whole movie I was waiting to like her.

I was like, oh, I'm going to like her. It's Mrs. McCarty. I'm going to like this character. And then I kind of hate her. And then I started changing again again. Like, it was a really different role to see a person play, because it's set in New York, and she's trying to make ends meet, and she starts defrauding people, really, by selling forged letters. But you- Really good, forged letters. Right, great forged letters.

Yeah, really great. But like it's weird to play somebody who's not like a to- And yet liked by some. I know, well, I felt, I the same, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I the same, I the, I the, I, I, I, the, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, really, really, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, really, th, really, really, really, th, really, really, th, really, th, th, really, really, really, the, really, the, the, the, really, th.. th. th. th. th. thr, thr, to, to, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to throooo. thro. thrown, really read the script, I was like, I kind of like her a lot. What did you like about it? But then I thought about it and it literally made me stop reading it for a second. And I was like, well, why? And I couldn't figure out there's nothing tangible she had done to make me like her. She's, she was difficult.

Like every story about her, right. And, they, to, to, to, to, to, to, to be, thi. thi. thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and then, and, thi, and, and, and, and, and, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and I tho, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thin. And, thin, thin, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, then, th. And, then, th. And, thin, th. And, terrible for all of us. And then she'd say something, you know, witty and sarcastic and walk away. And like somehow people were a very small amount of people, but we're friends with her. But I don't know. I think it was just the thought of, these are her defense mechanisms, and what does everybody do to kind of protect themselves?

Right. It was not in her best interest. I mean, we had a, one of our producers, Ann Carey, always tells a story that, you know, she spent 10 years trying to take Lee's memoir, which is the film's based on to a film, and that she would meet her out for dinner. Lee was always there early, and then it wouldn't be until dinner was over. they would get up, walk away, And then the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the they they they they they they, and then their, and then their, and then their, and th their, and th their, and th tho, and th thi., and th their, and th thi., and th their, and then their, and then their, and then, and then, the the the the the the the the the tie, and then, tie, tie, tie, tie, tie, tie, tie, tie, t..., tie...... tie. t. t. tie. t. tie. tie. tie. ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttte. tttttttttttttttttttttttttttte. tthe. the. tethere for a while having quite a few drinks, putting it on her bill. And when dinner was over, she was like, bye! And like took off, which is terrible, but then you kind of, you're kind of like, it's great.

I don't know, I don't know what that says about me, but I'm like, oh, I think it says. I think it says that you are a griffffffrifffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff. that you're a grifl, that you're a grif-a, that you're a grif-a, that you're a that you're a gri. that you're a grivvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvah. that's, that you're like, that you're that you's, that you's, that you're that you're that you're that you're that you're that you're that you're that you're a that you're a tha. tha. tta. ttau. ttau. ttau. ttau. ttau. ttau. thaui. thauia. thauu. thauu. thau. thau. thau. thau. thau. thau. tha That's what it means. That's what it means. You'll all be getting my letters in emails soon. But you know what I found interesting in the story, and maybe it was just me? I found myself watching a story about a woman who was working through a really hard time. It's set to New York in the 1990s, and it's really beautifully, like completely set in New York. And you have this, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, the, thi, the the the the the the thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi. thiii. thiiiiii. But, thi. But, thi. But, thi. But, thi, thi, thi, this this this woman who is described by many people as prickly or or you know like hard or but when you see like a lot of male characters play the same kind of thing people just be like oh driven or like oh he won't back down exactly he won't back down right and then

she was just like oh she's unbearable like well I think I think there's a you know I think that happens all the time. Right. I mean, it's almost cliche that it's like so many people still kind of make that reference of like, why would you want to play someone unlikable? I'm like, because we're all unlikable. At times, I mean, everybody, I think all the people you love, you love because of their weird eccentricities and their quirks, twericks, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, thi, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, thi, thi, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, th............................. th, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, th, their, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, their quirks and their ticks and we all have them. So to try to play someone without all of those things, they wouldn't know how to do it. It's a beautifully moving film and it's great to see you playing it. I know you're doing more dramatic roles now and I hope you don't stop comedies because I mean

that's where I love you as well. But one thing you've done that I found I found I found I found I found I found I found I tho tho th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th th th th th tho tho tho tho tho tho thou tho tho. impressive is in Hollywood, you have always fought. Like you fought for yourself, you fought for what you believed in, you fought for what you believe you deserve and rightfully so. But you were like one of the first actors who I saw come out and say like, hey, I don't care if I'm a woman, I want my money. And you have though, unashamedly and deservingly. And you are now one of the top earning actors in Hollywood because of that. Why was th th th the money the money the money the money the money the money the money the money thiii thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi is thi is thi is thi is thi is thi is thi is thi is thi is thi thi. thi is thi thi thi thi thi. Is is thi thi thi is thi is thi is thi is thi is thi is thi is the is the is the is the is thousand is the is thousand is the is the is the is the is the is the is the is the is the is top earning actors in Hollywood because of that. Like you, why was that, I mean, other than the money itself,

how the money itself, why was that so important? I think it's, I mean, I, I don't know, my husband always says, like, fists of justice. I just, I think if everybody's getting two dollars and everybody's getting the same types of parts and everybody's, I don't that people can't have different things but I just think if you're doing if you're doing the same work rig right there should be the same you know there should be the same work and benefit to everything just as I used to read things all the time and just wonder where's the part where's the part like why is the guy so flawed and complicated and then why is the woman just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th is th is thi the thi. tho. tho. thi. thi. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi. I I thi. I thi. thi. thi. the is to. to. to. to. to. thea. the. the the the the the the the the the the the is the guy so interesting? Why is the guy so flawed and complicated? And then why is the woman just going, John, Tom, Sam, these are like, here's like six years of auditions for me. Bob, Bill, Tom.

And I just, I was like, I'm not skilled enough to just keep saying people's names in a, in a kind of bored over it fashion. I was like, who else thin? Like I, like I would hire you right now. I'm like if you were saying I'll be like, yeah, I'm gonna hire you. This is really just a plug for my new show, John Jim and Bill Tom. You'll love it. It's just, it's that. That was the whole show. Right, but you really, you've really been all about that. It's like, to, the, the, the, the, the, to, the, to, to, the, to, to, to, the, to, to, the, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, the, like, to, to, to, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, to. to. to. the, to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the. That was the whole show. But you've really been all about that. It's like growing the roles. I mean, you're somebody who's not. You have to ask for what you want. Right.

And you've started creating what you want as well, which I've really appreciated as well, because you're part of creating the movies, writing with your husband, that we ended up, one, we can work together. I mean, I met my husband Ben at the Groundlings Theater in LA, and we met writing and performing. And that's why I kind of grew to be crazy, kind of. I shouldn't have qualified it with. I kind of like him.

I like you a lot, honey. That was the one time I couldn't find the camera. It still seems insincere. No, it's like, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, that, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's like, that's that's th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's why that's that's that's that's why that's why threat th that's th th th th th th th th time I couldn't find the camera. It still seems insincere. No, it's like, you know, that's how we met, and that was like the joy of it and doing it ourselves, like, I want to be part of all of it. I want, I want the workload from it. I want the fun of it. I want the challenge. I want the to what we get to do. Right, it truly was a joy watching you in this film as well.

If somebody goes into the film and they're expecting to see the Melissa McCarthy that they know from everywhere else and then they see you in this, what's the one thing you'd want them to take away from your character? You know, because there's like you said, a bit from Lee, and for me at least, and I hope other people get this, is to look up and actually see people. I think there's so many people that we pass and that almost become invisible to us and everybody at some point needs to be seen. Even if it's for a second on the street where you actually can make eye contact with someone, and th. And, and th., and th. And, and th. And, and thii., and thi. And, and thi, and the thi, and thi, and the thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to thi, thi, the the thi, the the thi, thi, the thi, thi, thin, thin, the thin, the thin, the the, the, thi.e, thi, thi, thi, th a second, if it's for a second on the street where you actually can make eye contact with someone,

and that person feels like I am here, someone saw me, that will snowball, and then they'll look at somebody else. And we tend to all be so concentrated on our phones and devices that I'm not. I'm a dinosaur that like I don't email, I don't do any of that, I'm, which frustrates many people. Right. And dinosaurs are always looking at people when you watch the movies.

It's really true, guys. They always look at you. But since I'm not on my device, I usually am sitting in a at each other. I'm like, oh my God, you have to connect with people. And Lee made me very much realize like how lonely and isolated she was. And when she meets Jack, played by Richard E. Grant, who's tremendous in the film, they're very unlikely friends. But they both just needed somebody to see them. That's so beautiful. Thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you. And good enough to the Boston. I'm excited for it. Can you ever forgive me? Can be seen in New York and LA October 19th and opens nationwide in the coming weeks. Melissa McCarty

Everybody. The Daily Show with Kvernoa, ears edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11th and 10 Central on comedy central and the comedy central and the toe. Watch full episodes and videos and the the the the the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the, the, the, the, the, thoe, thoe, thoe, thoe, the, the, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, th, to to th, th, to to to to to to to to th, th. th. th. th. the, the, the, the, the, the, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a comedy central podcast. This election cycle has already been quite a ride. Scared, nauseous, wishing this thing had seat belts. Pod Save America is here to help. I'm John Lovett and each week me and my co-host John Favre, Tom Favre, Tommy Vitor and break down the political news that makes you laugh, cry, and scream into the void to help you

figure out what matters and what each of us can do about it. Pod Save America, the the context you nene. ne. ne. ne. ne. ne. ne. ne. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. th. th. to th. th. to to to to to to to to to to to th. the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the to the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th th th th the. the. the. the. the. the. the. theat. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the. the the. to the.