IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Melissa McCarthy: My 'insane' movie characters are 'the opposite of me'

Actress Melissa McCarthy talked about her new movie, "The Boss," and how her characters on the big screen are a far cry from her real life.
/ Source: TODAY

While Melissa McCarthy is known for her hilarious, foul-mouthed characters like Michelle Darnell in her new movie "The Boss,'' her home life is anything but R-rated.

"I have two little girls, (so) we don't say shut up. We can't say anything at home, and I don't speak like that at all,'' McCarthy told Matt Lauer on TODAY Monday. "I think it's part of the fun of acting is you get to play these characters that kick in doors, say insane things, swear like a sailor — it is the opposite of me. To play myself, I'd be totally bored."

In "The Boss,'' McCarthy plays Darnell, a wealthy, egocentric character she developed 16 years ago while performing with The Groundlings, an improvisational comedy troupe in Los Angeles. The movie was directed by her husband, Ben Falcone, who will appear on TODAY Tuesday.

RELATED: Melissa McCarthy explains why she isn't in 'Gilmore Girls' reboot (and has no hard feelings)

"I could never shake her,'' she said of the character. "She fascinated me, and getting to play that kind of energy, 10 years later I was still talking about her."

Melissa McCarthy stops by Studio 1A to discuss her hilarious new movie "The Boss"
TODAY Show: Melissa McCarthy stops by Studio 1A to discuss her hilarious new movie \"The Boss.\" -- April 4, 2016Samantha Okazaki / TODAY

McCarthy is also part of the cast of the much-anticipated all-female "Ghostbusters" that will be released in July.

RELATED: Melissa McCarthy on teaching daughters to accept compliments: 'Don't negate it!

"We're constantly cutting ourselves on the proton packs,'' she said. "That's like an insider scoop. And it's going to be scarier than you think."

Follow TODAY.com writer Scott Stump on Twitter.