Ghostbuster Melissa McCarthy

By: Lynn Barker

Most teens and tweens really like funny actress Melissa McCarthy who has mostly appeared in films like Bridesmaids, Tammy, The Heat and Spy, all aimed at adults. She is thrilled to be one of the new female pack of Ghostbusters which is a PG-13 film for the whole family.

Melissa hopes that if you are a fan of the original films (from DVDs or broadcast TV) you will check out this new re-imagining of the story with a funny female cast of “Busters” and a male secretary played by gorgeous and, it turns out, very funny Chris Hemsworth.  In the movie, Melissa plays Abby Yates, co-author of a book touting the fact that ghosts and demons are real. When they threaten Manhattan, it’s time for Abby and her fellow believers to go after them.

Q: How do you feel about re-making this hugely-popular, iconic film?

• Melissa: The first two Ghostbusters loomed so large. They are so much of our childhoods growing up. We’ve seen them a million times and quote lines and it seems impossible that anyone doesn’t know but it’s been long enough where there are all these people who don’t know it. It wasn’t a part of their lives so to get to be able to do this and reintroduce it (is great). Then obviously, if they see this they’ll go back and see the original two so it’s like a perfect storm.
• Everybody who is involved in making this Ghostbusters had such tremendous love and respect for the originals. It was like an old coach coming back. You just wanted to make them proud and to get the blessing of the original cast and (director) Ivan (Reitman). It all felt kind of surreal and fantastic.

Q: What do you love about Ghostbusters?

• Melissa: The reason why I, and I think everybody, loves Ghostbusters is that it’s (about) four unlikely heroes that save the world and it’s with these ghosts and science geeks and they’re not the typical heroes and I just love that story.

Q: How do you feel about the all-female cast?

• Melissa: This is what (director) Paul Feig does so well. He puts together a group that, as individuals, stand on their own with individual voices and different points of view. Kate (McKinnon) and Leslie (Jones) and Kristen (Wiig) and myself, we all have a different perspective on the world and, even if we’re similar, everybody has a different spin on things and to make all that work so harmoniously is amazing.

Q: What do you think hunky Chris Hemsworth brings to the movie?  

• Melissa: Everybody had talked about Chris Hemsworth, “Oh, he’s great. You’re gonna love him”. He comes in and you are like “That is just pretty to look at”. Nobody mentioned that he is bizarrely funny like a geeky guy who’s never dated and has to be funny. He can be that kind of funny. He was improvising crazy stuff for his interview scene and it all made sense. We were all losing our minds during that scene.

Q: How will kids enjoy the movie?

• Melissa: Personally, I’m excited to take my 6 and 9-year-old girls to it. They do not know I’m in the picture business because I’ve not been able to take them to anything I’m in. They are so excited because they love the original film.

Q: What about the stunts you do in the movie?

• Melissa: Paul (the director) likes to see how much of the crazy stuff he pitches, I’ll say yes to and sadly I always say “Yeah. Yeah. I should do that. I should take that three story fall”.

Q: Why will everyone enjoy the movie?

• Melissa: It’s one of those great classics where you can take your whole family. The grown-ups don’t feel like they’re going to see a kids’ movie. You can go on a date to watch it. A bunch of 20-year-olds can watch, or 40-year-olds. I feel like it’s like movies used to be where you didn’t have to pick a side. You just make a funny movie that works for everybody.

See the new Ghostbusters in theaters now!

 

Have Your Say

Have you seen the original Ghostbusters films? Are you okay that the new “Busters” are women? Are you a Melissa McCarthy fan? Lay down your opinions below.