My big, fat lead role in a sitcom Jan 2011

[Paul Murphy]

My big, fat lead role in a sitcom

January 13 2011 at 08:25am
By Munyaradzi Vomo

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SUPPLIED

Mikeand Molly is a comedy from Chuck Lorre about a working- class Chicagocouple who find love at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. Billy Gardellplays Mike Biggs, a cop, and Melissa McCarthy is fourth-grade teacherMolly Flynn.

Inthe Academy Award- winning movie Precious, the main character, PreciousClaireece Jones, was a troubled obese teenager played by GaboureySidibe. A touching story it was, in which one of the world’s biggestproblems, obesity, was touched on.

Ialways wonder how a casting agent convinces an actor to be comfortableenough to highlight a physical aspect they have and may beuncomfortable with. Like with Sidibe: she is overweight in real lifeand yet still portrays an obese character. Perhaps it is the money, orbetter yet, maybe that is how people in her position deal with it.

Thetalented actress Melissa McCarthy (no relation to Benny, save for thelast name and the weight), must be in the same predicament as Sidibe,because while she is a great performer, sadly her looks limit the scopeof her roles.

You mayremember her from Charlie’s Angels and no, she was not one of the trio.She was just some obscure character you would need to look out for whennext you get the DVD and play it in slow motion.

Still,McCarthy has managed to get a lot of work over the years, appearing intitles like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Private Practice and The Back UpPlan. Interestingly, her role in Gilmore Girls as the chef Sookie StJames portrayed her as an ever- eating cook who paid little attentionto her weight.

You wouldthink her next big thing would focus on something other than herweight, but in the forthcoming sitcom Mike and Molly, again McCarthy’sobesity gets her a part in the show.

Whileit is a leading role, there are reports McCarthy was at first notinterested in the role because she felt it was a bit of typecasting,but as the directors explained more she finally agreed.

Onthe show she stars as Molly Flynn, an obese woman who joins a pressuregroup called Overeaters Anonymous. At these group meetings she meetsthe charming Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell) and the two realise they havemore things in common than just food. Around them is a seemingly thinworld and the two have to be content with it while they work on being alot less heavy.

Viewerswho have obesity problems should not shy away from this show becausethe producers assure that the “Fat Albert” jokes are not the premise ofthe show, but that it is instead a sweet love story.

Gardellis also on record as saying he was happy to take the lead role becauseit is a rare chance in Hollywood. Usually guys his size play the badguy, a cop or the neighbour, showing just how unimportant they are toproduction companies.

So, finally we are looking at a programme that supports ordinary people with ordinary problems.

Judgingby the unique plot of this new sitcom, there is a lot of promise and wecannot wait for M-Net to finalise the show’s premiere date, whichshould be anytime now. - Tonight

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[Paul Murphy]

When are we going to encourage the media to get off of the Couch Potato Myth?  How does our current food industry support healthy communities.Our children are paying the price  and it is time we stood up and added our voice to the Big Fat Loser Conversation.