Chuck Lorre says CBS fought him over casting Melissa McCarthy in Mike & Molly
CBS hated Melissa McCarthy for Mike & Molly. That is Chuck Lorre's account in his memoir Sitcom, where he revisits the fight to cast her as the romantic lead.
Lorre says casting director Nikki Valko brought McCarthy in for the role of Molly Flynn. She was the last actor cast, opposite Billy Gardell as Mike. The comedy follows a couple who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous group and fall in love, Deadline reported.
Network executives pushed back hard, according to Lorre. He says CBS wanted a hot young woman to play Molly, a character written as a woman struggling with her weight. One female executive even suggested hiring a more conventionally attractive actress and putting her in a fat suit.
Lorre says he refused to budge. He compares the row to an earlier casting battle over Jon Cryer for Two and a Half Men, when CBS also questioned his choice for a lead. In both cases, he fought to keep his pick.
The gamble paid off on paper. Mike & Molly premiered in 2010 and ran for six seasons on CBS. McCarthy won an Emmy for the role in 2011, then earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Bridesmaids.
What makes this stand out is how blunt the proposal was. A fat suit for a lead part. Lorre held the line, and the series went ahead with McCarthy in place.
Sitcom is out now, according to E! News. The book ranges wider than one casting story. Lorre also writes about his 10 years in Scientology and clashes with stars including Roseanne and Brett Butler, Variety reported.
