Melissa McCarthy is an actress.
Melissa Ann McCarthy ( born August 26 , 1970 ) is an American actress , comedian , writer , fashion designer and producer . She began appearing in television and films in the late 1990s , and first gained nationwide recognition for her role as Sookie St. James on the television series Gilmore Girls ( 2000 -- 2007 ) . McCarthy was then cast as Molly Flynn on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly ( 2010 -- 2016 ) , earning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series as well as two other nominations during subsequent seasons . In 2014 , McCarthy starred in the comedy Tammy and the comedy-drama film St. Vincent . In 2017 she played White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in several episodes of Saturday Night Live .