Melissa McCarthy became 'physically ill' from being tormented by someone on a 'hostile' set
Melissa McCarthy opened up about a very painful professional experience this week when she gave an interview to The Observer.
The beloved star, 52 – who was recently mobbed by fans in Australia – revealed that she was tormented by someone on a 'volatile, hostile' set and became 'physically ill' from the toxic workplace.
McCarthy went on to explain that the unidentified individual routinely caused the crew to 'weep' and would manipulate Melissa by firing those who she 'loved.'
The veteran actress said: 'I did work for someone once who ran such a volatile, hostile set that it made me physically ill. My eyes were swelling up, I was absorbing all of this nuttiness.
'There were people weeping, visibly so upset by this one person,' said Melissa. 'And I think that’s why the manipulation worked, because to get to me this person would fire people I loved, which kept me quiet.'
Her nightmare: Melissa McCarthy, 52, opened up about a very painful professional experience this week when she gave an interview to The Observer; pictured at The Little Mermaid premiere in London this month
Brutal experience: The beloved star revealed that she was tormented by someone on a 'volatile, hostile' set and became 'physically ill' from the toxic workplace
The Bridesmaids star added: 'It was very effective. Then one day, I was like, "It stops today!" I just kept saying to them, it stops, it stops. And I know now I’ll never keep quiet again.'
Melissa used the power of being outspoken to help her Little Mermaid co-star Halle Bailey handle the immense pressure of playing Ariel in the blockbuster live-action remake of the animated classic.
Speaking to CNN, Halle described how Melissa – who plays the villainous Ursula in the Disney film – empowered her on set: 'She was telling me, "Yeah, I had to learn. I wasn’t always this way, and when you’re young, you’re timid."'
The up-and-coming superstar went on to say how McCarthy taught her to 'speak up and (say) what works for' her in the workplace.
She also praised McCarthy's confident attitude on set, saying that it was inspiring to see her 'come onto set and be just so comfortable with who she was in her skin and (to see) her standing up for herself.'
During her conversation with The Observer, Melissa spoke about her passion for comedy and lauded its power to unify people in a polarized world.
'It’s a fist fight to try to get comedies made right now,' she said. 'And I don’t know why, because we’ve never needed to laugh more.
'Comedy allows you to sit next to somebody whose ideas don’t match up. And maybe you come out a little closer. I think that’s what I’m supposed to be doing in this world.'
Tears on set: McCarthy went on to explain that the unidentified individual routinely caused the crew to 'weep' and would manipulate Melissa by firing those who she 'loved'; pictured at the Australian premiere of The Little Mermaid this month
Fighting through: The veteran actress said, 'I did work for someone once who ran such a volatile, hostile set that it made me physically ill. My eyes were swelling up, I was absorbing all of this nuttiness. There were people weeping, visibly so upset by this one person'; pictured at CinemaCon in April
Tsunami at the box office: Melissa plays Ursula in the blockbuster live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, which is expected to make a big splash when it debuts in theaters over the Memorial Day weekend – potentially becoming the biggest hit of McCarthy's career
The star became even more candid when discussing her ultimate purpose in the world, saying: 'I can’t do a lot of useful things. I don’t know how to clean up the oceans or stop our violent tendencies.
'But I can hopefully give someone who’s had a bad day an hour and a half to go into a different world where bills or illness isn’t the top thing on their brain. That’s the only skill set I really have. So I have to keep trying.'
The Little Mermaid is expected to make a big splash when it debuts in theaters over the Memorial Day weekend – potentially becoming the biggest hit of McCarthy's career.
Current projections show the live-action remake of the 1989 animated classic pulling in $110 million over its four day opening weekend, according to Deadline.
Source: Daily Mail
