Melissa McCarthy: What did you want to be when you were growing up?

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

This is a standing question in The Guardian's decades-long The Q&A and also recurs independently in career and life interviews.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Melissa McCarthy said elsewhere, not written here

I wanted to make women’s clothing. I also said that I wanted to be an artist; I don’t think I ever said I wanted to be an actress, but I remember thinking that would be fun.

The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 January 2019 source ↗

Others on this question

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Sarah Hadland

A missionary in Africa – I think that was Sunday school-based.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 December 2025 source ↗

Lucy Lawless

A criminal pathologist. Then I saw a show called Quincy ME and realised I just wanted to play one on TV.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 August 2025 source ↗

Edward Fox British actor

To be able to play the piano like Artur Schnabel.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 April 2017 source ↗

Mellody Hobson Co-chief executive and president of Ariel Investments

And all the while I was growing up, of course, there were just constant conversations about money and money being tight and how are we going to make ends meet and sometimes not having enough money. And it really just made me committed to living a life with much more financial security.

Recorded Farai Chideya, News & Notes, Leading Ladies series, NPR, 22 March 2007 source ↗