Melissa McCarthy Tells Jon Stewart About Her New Film and Failed Stand-Up Career (Video)

Melissa McCarthy stopped by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night, where she and the show's host chatted about her latest film, Identity Thief, and ribbed co-star Jason Bateman with abandon. The laughs were in abundance, but McCarthy let it slip she wasn’t always so good at scoring chuckles.

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McCarthy, best known for her role as Megan in 2011’s Bridesmaids, got her start in the business by doing stand-up in New York in the 80’s and admitted to Stewart she had no business being on stage.  “Luckily I was so dumb at that age that it actually served me well,” the funny woman joked, saying that if she had thought it through, she would’ve realized how unprepared she was.

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Stewart shared his own stand-up story, something he compared to riding a bronco for three seconds before being trampled and breaking a lung.

But not all talk was centered on how the two struggled in stand-up. Before exchanging war stories, McCarthy and Stewart discussed her latest comedic venture with Bateman (a man who they said can be blamed for everything, including JFK’s assassination).

Stewart, who was noticeably smitten with McCarthy for most of the interview, praised the trailer for the movie as one that induces those tell-tale murmurs in the crowd once it’s over. “It was one of those few trailers that you actually felt the audience enjoy,” Stewart told her, after gushing that McCarthy deserves her spot in the limelight. “Nobody that I know doesn’t think you are incredibly hilarious, incredibly talented, and isn’t incredibly pleased for your success,” he said with an accompanying round of applause from the audience. 

In addition to her upcoming film, McCarthy can be seen roughing it opposite Sandra Bullock in The Heat, set to hit theaters in June, and on her CBS comedy series Mike & Molly.