Melissa McCarthy recently addressed all the backlash the new Ghostbusters movie is receiving, and said she hopes that the naysayers can “find a friend.”
The Guardian reports that McCarthy, who plays Abby Yates in the 2016 remake of the popular 1980s film, Ghostbusters , addressed the “hate” that she and her cast mates are facing, including someone who claimed the new movie “ruined their childhood.” She indicated that most of the criticism are coming from men, described as “fan boys” or “man boys,” who have issues with females taking over as the lead cast in the popular sci-fi comedy.
. @melissamccarthy has the best response to all the ‘Ghostbusters’ haters https://t.co/wIen6QkJ2O pic.twitter.com/GRSkBs01EM
— ET Canada (@ETCanada) May 29, 2016
“All those comments – ‘You’re ruining my childhood!’ I mean, really. Four women doing any movie on earth will destroy your childhood? I have a visual of those people not having a Ben [Falcone, her husband], not having friends, so they’re just sitting there and spewing hate into this fake world of the Internet. I just hope they find a friend.”
McCarthy isn’t the only one firing back at critics. Actress Kristen Wiig, who stars at Erin Gilbert in the remake, and director Paul Feig, both addressed the movie’s “haters.” While Wiig said that she was bummed about the negativity, Feig addressed those who were disappointed that the new Ghostbusters has an all-female cast. He recently told Entertainment Weekly (EW) the following.
“I just don’t understand why it’s ever an issue anymore. I’ve promoted both Bridesmaids and The Heat and myself and my cast are still hit constantly with the question, ‘Will this answer the question of whether women can be funny?’ I really cannot believe we’re still having this conversation.”
Check out this brand new promotional image of the #Ghostbusters #gb16 @paulfeig @Lesdoggg @melissamccarthy pic.twitter.com/ab2Jy4mPir
— Ghostbusters News (@GBNewsdotcom) May 29, 2016
Meanwhile, McCarthy also answered back to those who think she always plays the same type of role, regardless of what movie she’s in, and that her characters are “crazy.” During her interview with The Guardian , McCarthy explained the following.
“People say to me, ‘These characters are crazy’, and I’m like, ‘Are they?’ Because I’ve seen three people in Rite Aid drug store act like that. I think when a female character acts more defiant, it’s seen as a little more crazy. There are women in the world like this, we’re just not used to seeing them portrayed. We generally just see The Pleasant Lady who stands behind her husband going ‘Oh, Jack.’ But I really love a female character who is not playing by the rules.”
“Crazy” characters or not, McCarthy has become a powerful actress. She’s currently ranks third as the highest-earning actress in Hollywood, and is in the process of filming new episodes of The Gilmore Girls . The actress will take on the role of chef Sookie St. James, a character she holds dear to her heart. When speaking about the role during an appearance on The Ellen Show , McCarthy recalled she almost didn’t get the role because of scheduling conflicts.
“There has been something I’ve been asked about so, so many times, and it hasn’t worked out. They’re making four new movies of the ‘Gilmore Girls,’ which is a show that was near and dear to my heart for four years, and we could not get those schedules to work. Literally about an hour and a half ago, we figured out that I’m going to go back and do it, and I am so excited! They’re gonna be amazing.”
Meanwhile, you can catch McCarthy in the new Ghostbusters this summer, set to hit theaters on July 15. Although the cast is quite different from the first film and new “ghosts” are introduced, McCarthy urges fans of the 1980s movie, as well as those who are just curious, to give the remake a chance.
[Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images/Stringer]