Melissa McCarthy talks Oscar nomination: 'At some point today, I'm having champagne, dammit!'

by Kate Ward

Tags: Bridesmaids, Oscars

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Image Credit: Andrew Evans/PR Photos

Bridesmaids fans might not be surprised that breakout star Melissa McCarthy was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the kooky, puppy-hoarding Megan, but the actress herself still tells EW she couldn’t process the news after the nominations were announced this morning. ”I didn’t get up or anything,” McCarthy says. “I just did not expect that. AT ALL! Hopefully I’m not nuts.”

Luckily, she’s not. And the first-time nominee can expect plenty of congratulations from her Bridesmaids co-stars. After all, the actress has remained close to the comedy’s cast. “Most of those girls — we’ve been friends for so long,” she says. “Rose [Byrne] and Ellie [Kemper] were new to me, and it took us about three-and-a-half minutes to all completely gel … It feels silly to call it a job – it was some weird adult playground. Anything you could think of, [director Paul Feig] would be like, ‘Yeah, let’s try it!’”

Of course, McCarthy says she’s getting ready to make some calls herself — co-star Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo were nominated for Best Original Screenplay. “Annie! Oh god, I have to talk to her!” McCarthy says. “Kristen and Annie sat down and wrote it and rewrote it and tweaked it and made those characters. The whole thing – that’s from their two talented and weird brains. I’m so happy!”

First things first, though: McCarthy has to celebrate. If she can fit a celebration in, that is. “I have to go to work in an hour,” she says. “I have to shoot today. But that’s not a bad thing — I love my job. Then I have a show tomorrow. At some point today, I’m having champagne dammit!”

(Reporting by Sara Vilkomerson.)