Melissa McCarthy celebrates daughter Vivian's 19th birthday with heartfelt tribute
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Actress-comedian Melissa McCarthy penned a warm birthday message for her daughter Vivian Falcone as she turned 19 on May 6. McCarthy shared a nostalgic throwback photo from Vivian's toddler years and wrote: "Nineteen years ago a beautiful, funny, weird creature came into our lives and made everything better!! Happy Birthday Vivi Lu!!!! Xoxo Mama."
Family and personal life
The 55-year-old actress has been married to Ben Falcone since 2005. The couple welcomed Vivian in 2007 and became parents a second time in 2010 with the arrival of their daughter Georgette.
Career highlights and accolades
McCarthy has established herself as one of Hollywood's most versatile performers, earning two Primetime Emmy Awards and receiving nominations for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Her television work spans acclaimed sitcoms including Mike & Molly, Saturday Night Live, Gilmore Girls, Samantha Who?, Nine Perfect Strangers, and Only Murders in the Building.
Breakthrough and film roles
McCarthy rose to prominence through films such as Bridesmaids, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Identity Thief, The Heat, Tammy, St. Vincent, Spy, The Boss, and Life of the Party. In 2023, she portrayed the sea witch Ursula in Rob Marshall's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, opposite Halle Bailey as Ariel and Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric.
Inspiration behind Ursula performance
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2023, McCarthy revealed that her character drew inspiration from her roots performing in New York City under the drag persona Miss Y. She stated: "There's a drag queen that lives in me. I'm always right on the verge of going full-time with her. To keep the humour and the sadness and the edginess to Ursula is everything I want in a character — and frankly, everything I want in a drag queen." The film's ensemble cast included Javier Bardem as King Triton, along with Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, and Noma Dumezweni.