Melissa McCarthy To Be Saluted at Irish in Film Event

Melissa McCarthy will join Michelle Williams among the honorees at the seventh annual Oscar Wilde: Honoring the Irish in Film awards-season event, it was announced Friday.

The fun-loving Irish-American star of Bridesmaids has received a nomination from SAG for her role as the confident sister of the groom opposite Kristen Wiig, and her Universal film is up for best picture (comedy or musical) at the Golden Globes. The Producers Guild also selected Bridesmaids as one of its 10 best picture candidates for 2011.

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McCarthy, an Emmy winner for CBS’ Mike & Molly, and Williams, star of the Weinstein Co. drama My Week With Marilyn, will be feted Feb. 23 at the intimate bash, once again held on the Thursday night before the Academy Awards. For the first time, it takes place at Bad Robot, J.J. Abrams’ production company in Santa Monica.

The nonprofit US-Ireland Alliance created the event to recognize the contributions of the Irish in film and television and to allow for people in the creative industries in the U.S. and Ireland to meet once a year.

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The Washington-based Alliance has had fun in recent years by bequeathing Oscar Wilde awards on folks who aren’t from Ireland (or even have Irish ancestry). Williams, who is of Norwegian descent, will be the first woman to be saluted as an “honorary Irishwoman.” McCarthy, meanwhile, was born in Plainfield, Ill.

Other hononees are still to be announced.

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