Emmys 2017: 15 movie stars who stole the small screen this year

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 18: Actress Melissa McCarthy accepts Favorite Comedic Movie Actress onstage during the People’s Choice Awards 2017 at Microsoft Theater on January 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

7. Melissa McCarthy

The project: Netflix’s Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

The character: Sookie St. James, renowned chef and best friend of Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham). Sookie was part of the main cast during Gilmore Girls‘ original 2001-2007 run, but only returned for one scene in the Netflix revival.

How she stole the small screen: The general consensus is that McCarthy’s Year in the Life cameo was as delicious as a slice of Sookie’s blueberry shortcake. The actress managed to both slip back into the incredibly warm, sincere character with ease and remind audiences of why she is a comedy superstar with a well-timed dirty joke (“That was pornographic!”). In the real world — and in most TV series — a person making a dozen wedding cakes for her best friend to choose from would be insane. But when McCarthy’s Sookie does it, it just feels right.

Her past TV experience: When people began to rediscover Gilmore Girls after it became available on Netflix (and via the Gilmore Guys podcast), some were surprised to find that McCarthy didn’t just burst onto the scene with Bridesmaids.  In fact, the Spy and Ghostbusters star was also part of the regular cast on the short-lived ABC comedy Samantha Who? and the long-running CBS comedy Mike & Molly.  Even with a bunch of movies on her plate, McCarthy is still finding time for the small screen: She earned raves as Sean Spicer on SNL and has also guest starred as herself on TV Land’s Nobodies.

Awards recognition: Nothing for the Gilmore Girls revival but McCarthy won the 2017 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy for her most recent ep of SNL.