The 'Ghostbusters' actress reveals that Deanna Milles, her character in the upcoming movie, is inspired by her beloved mother Sandra.
- May 10, 2018
AceShowbiz - Actress Melissa McCarthy didn't have to look far for inspiration for her maternal new role in "Life of the Party (2018)", because her character is modelled after her mother. The comedy, written by Melissa and her director husband Ben Falcone, features the "Ghostbusters (2016)" star as dedicated housewife Deanna Miles, who decides to go back to college after her divorce - enrolling in the same school as her teenage daughter, Maddie.
McCarthy drew on her beloved mom Sandra's personality to play Deanna, and based her character's close relationship with Maddie on their own mother-daughter bond to give film fans a more accurate portrayal of family life - a suggestion Falcone came up with after spending a day with his mother-in-law.
"I wanted her [Deanna] to be really happy in her life and I wanted that sweetness [to come through onscreen]," Melissa told breakfast show "Today".
"Ben actually had that idea originally, where... my mom and I were like, fiddling around in the kitchen..., and he was just watching us and he was like, 'What was Sandy like at my age, when I was [a teen]...?' " she added.
"I'm so close to my mom, I know so many people who have a great relationship [with their mothers], and I was like, I want to show a young woman [onscreen] who is not like, [always rolling her eyes], and then a mom who's not a nightmare," Melissa explained. "Those are my friends, that's how we feel about our moms. My friends love my mom...!"
And the actress didn't have to go far to study Sandra's mannerisms for the project, because her mom and dad, who live in Illinois, have been spending months at a time in Los Angeles.
"They're now officially spending winters in L.A...," Melissa smiled. "For the first time since I was 18, we've been in the same city so I just spent five months with them, which was heaven...
"I want my kids to know my mom and dad like I do, and them being there. The girls [her two daughters] were so excited to do sleepovers, which they've never done before with grandparents, because they haven't lived in town."
"Life of the Party" is Ben and Melissa's latest movie collaboration - they previously worked together on "Bridesmaids, "Identity Thief", "The Heat", "Tammy", "Spy", and "The Boss".
