It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Melissa McCarthy playing the lead role in the hit sitcom Mike & Molly, but it turns out CBS initially didn’t want to cast her.
For six seasons, McCarthy played Molly Flynn, a cheerful elementary school teacher who finds love with humorous Chicago police officer Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell) after the two cross paths at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. The role earned McCarthy an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
But surprisingly, she was the last actor to join the cast, signing on just months before the show’s 2010 debut. Well, according to the show’s executive producer and showrunner, Chuck Lorre, in his new memoir, Sitcom, finding the perfect Molly was a “tortuous journey.”
Melissa McCarthy at the Fashion Trust U.S. Awards 2026 held at Nya Studios West on April 07, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images)Per Entertainment Weekly, Lorre wrote: “Once again, my brilliant casting director, Nikki Valko, brought in a comic genius. Melissa McCarthy. And once again, CBS hated her.”
“Believe it or not, they wanted a hot young woman to play a woman struggling with her weight,” he added. “It was even suggested by one exec — a female exec — that I consider casting a more attractive actress and put her in a fat suit.”
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 01: (L-R) Billy Gardell, Chuck Lorre and Melissa McCarthy arrive at the 21st Annual Hall of Fame gala held at Beverly Hills Hotel on March 1, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)Lorre was no stranger to receiving pushback for his casting choices, so he wasn’t going down without a fight. He recalled dealing with a similar process when advocating for Jon Cryer on Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar.
“I was no longer an origami showrunner, ready to fold at first push,” he writes in Sitcom. “Melissa was gonna be my Molly. End of discussion.”
This is why listening to your intuition is so important, because not only did McCarthy thrive in that role, but just a few months after joining the show, she starred in the box office hit Bridesmaids, which helped cement her as a queen of comedy. McCarthy’s standout performance in the female-led movie earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
WESTWOOD, CA – APRIL 28: Melissa McCarthy arrives at the World Premiere of “Bridesmaids” at the Mann Village Westwood Theatre on April 28, 2011 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic)“Forgive me for being a little smug, but when Bridesmaids came out, I felt pretty god-damn smart,” Lorre admitted.
Doubt has never stopped McCarthy from becoming a household name in Hollywood. The 56-year-old star has since proven her versatility by taking on more dramatic roles, including her Oscar-nominated performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me? and her upcoming turn as Patsy Ramsey in Netflix’s The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey.
To learn more behind-the-scenes information about Lorre’s past projects, check out his latest memoir, Sitcom, out now.
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