Melissa McCarthy Scores In Top 5 Best Paid Stars List As Films’ Only ‘Big Girl’ Despite 75-Lb Weight Loss

Melissa McCarthy is turning heads after scoring in the top five on the annual list of best paid female stars. The recognition of Melissa’s earning power comes at the same time as a new report from the New York Times exploring how weight affects success when it comes to female film stars. And even though McCarthy has succeeded in achieving a 75-pound weight loss, she continues to be viewed as the movie world’s only “big girl.”

Top Five Highest Paid Actresses In The World

The annual Forbes list of the highest paid actresses in the world just got released with a surprise, showing La La Land superstar Emma Stone at the top, reported Time. Jennifer Lawrence got bumped from her No. 1 spot to No. 3, while Jennifer Aniston took the second place on the list.

Melissa McCarthy filled up the fourth spot on the Forbes list, earning $18 million. Just below her in the top five highest paid actresses in the world was Mila Kunis at $15.5 million.

And just as McCarthy is the only actress on that top five list to qualify for labels such as “plus-size,” she’s also the only larger female star who has repeatedly succeeded as a lead actress in the movie world.

Melissa McCarthy Praised As Movie World’s “Big Girl”

Competitive as it is, the television world has gradually opened up to larger female stars such as Chrissy Metz in This Is Us, noted the New York Times. But when it comes to actresses taking on lead roles in movies, Melissa McCarthy is alone.

From Spy to The Boss, Melissa has the power to take films to first place at the box office, but the New York Times pointed out that McCarthy’s success hasn’t changed the movie world’s casting process for other plus-size women.

“Instead of opening doors for other lead actresses, [Melissa McCarthy’s] success is viewed by studios as an anomaly.”

The goal is for Hollywood to get in touch with the positive body image movement, noted David Rubin, a casting director and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board member. And that means focusing on talent rather than weight.

“The ultimate goal is to cast actors in roles where their unconventional appearance has absolutely no bearing on the character or story line,” summed up Rubin.

Ghostbusters Star Defies Unwritten Rules

Ironically, the praise for Melissa’s professional success as one of Hollywood’s so-called “larger” female actresses comes after she shared her personal triumph with her 75-pound weight loss. She responded to the backlash over her role in Ghostbusters, pointed out The Guardian, which noted that McCarthy broke all the rules with that role.

“A woman can star in a movie only up to the age of 35. No woman in a movie can be over a UK size 10.”

Now 46, Melissa wears a UK size 18, and she expressed her defiance of those guidelines.

“I mean, you just have to think, why not?” declared the actress.

Seen As “Larger” Despite 75-Pound Weight Loss

Films tend to portray a woman who is supportive of her man rather than leading the way, pointed out McCarthy.

“We generally just see The Pleasant Lady who stands behind her husband,” noted Melissa.

“I really love a female character who is not playing by the rules.”

The actress also directly addressed her size after creating her own fashion line, Melissa McCarthy Seven. It ranges up to size 24, and McCarthy crafted the fashions after finding that she couldn’t find anything to suit her when she was larger.

“You know, I’ve been every size in the world, from a six to a 22 [UK 10 to 26] and it was mind-blowing how, at a certain size, clothes just became tarp with a hole in it,” said the candid actress.

How Melissa Lost 75 Pounds

McCarthy turned to a combination of a low-carb diet, exercise, and a special kind of tea to lose those 75 pounds, as the Inquisitr reported.

Melissa’s low carb diet is high in protein, allowing everything from fish to meat as well as healthy fats such as avocado and olive oil, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and selected fruits. The celebrity weight loss winner cuts down on foods that are high in carbohydrates such as cereal, bread, pasta, and pastries.

In addition, McCarthy drank green tea with every meal, a beverage known for its reported weight loss benefits. Melissa also exercised, doing all types of workouts from martial arts to resistance training to help her tone and shed pounds.

[Featured Image by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Images]