Melissa McCarthy Responds (At Last) To Critic Who Called Her A "Hippo" And "Tractor-Sized"

Melissa McCarthy will be the first to admit that she doesn't exactly adhere to the usual conventions of a Hollywood leading lady, but when someone directly and harshly pokes fun at her weight you can bet that she won't take the jibes lying down. That has been the case of one New York Observer reviewer who described the actress as "tractor-sized" and being a "hippo" in a review about her film Identity Thief back in February this year, with the actress (finally) hitting back at the critic.

Critic Rex Reed made his review of McCarthy's recent film a little more personal that others, describing the Bridesmaids star as "tractor-sized” and “a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success."

In the time between then and now a number of people have lambasted on Reed's harsh comments, but it wasn't until this week, during an interview with the New York Times, that McCarthy herself got to give Reed a piece of her mind. Whilst being interviewed about her part in the new buddy-cop movie The Heat (in which she stars alongside Sandra Bullock), the in-demand actress said, “I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate. I just thought, that’s someone who’s in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot. I laugh my head off every day with my husband and my kids who are mooning me and singing me songs.”

She went on to add that, had the comments been made when she was in her twenties, then she may have reacted completely different and the comments would have hit her right in the soft spot. Luckily, now she is older and wiser she was able to take the comments on the chin and roll with the punches. It's understandable too because McCarthy is big news now anyway and has a number of new releases coming soon. As well as The Heat she has recently been announced as one of the voice stars in the new Dreamworks animation B.O.O (Bureau Of Otherworldly Operations) and will also star in the comedy Tammy.

Watch the trailer for The Heat

Melissa McCarthy Oscars
McCarthy has long endured jibes about her weight