Melissa McCarthy described her NYC stand-up experience as short-lived and ill-prepared in a 2013 interview on "Conan." While she performed in a number of notable clubs in the city, she was ultimately unconvinced she could make it in the field. So, she shifted course — and coasts — by moving to Los Angeles in the late '90s.
Starting in 1997, the comedienne performed with the Groundlings, an improv and sketch comedy troupe that employed the likes of Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Jennifer Coolidge, and other comedic giants. In addition to forging lifelong connections with her colleagues that would later bring us cinematic goldmines like "Bridesmaids," McCarthy met her husband and fellow actor, Ben Falcone, while working with the troupe.
Though it would prove invaluable to honing the improvisational skills we know and love today, McCarthy couldn't depend on her work with the Groundlings to pay her bills. McCarthy said in her 2013 "Conan" interview that she had to turn to odd jobs at the YMCA and Starbucks (per E! News).
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