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Melissa McCarthy is a movie star to many, and a wife to one. The star of Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid has been married to actor and filmmaker Ben Falcone since 2005. The couple met through their careers in comedy and they quickly fell in love. “I immediately was like, ‘Oh, he’s strange. I like him,’ ” Melissa said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show about meeting her husband. Melissa and Ben have created a happy family together that includes their daughters Vivian and Georgette.
Melissa is obviously a major star in Hollywood, but what’s most important to her in life is her husband and her children. Here is everything you need to know about Ben and his marriage to Melissa.
Ben Falcone is a Fellow Actor & Comedian
Ben Falcone is an actor, comedian, and filmmaker. His career started in comedy, which is how he met Melissa. As an actor, he appeared in 17 episodes of Matt LeBlanc‘s Friends spinoff, Joey. He made his directorial debut with the 2014 comedy Tammy, which starred his wife. Ben and Melissa worked together again on more comedy films including The Boss, Life of the Party, and Thunder Force. Ben also created the 2022 Netflix series God’s Favorite Idiot and played the lead role opposite his wife. Ben and Melissa own their own production company, On the Day Productions.
How Did Melissa & Ben Meet?
Melissa and Ben met in a comedy class, though they actually crossed paths a few years earlier in Illinois. Melissa was a freshman in college, while Ben was still in high school. At the time, Ben had quite an impression of Melissa. “She was very, very goth,” he recalled on Late Night with Seth Meyers in August 2021. “All my friends at that age were like, ‘I wish my mom would let me dress like her,’” he added.
The couple officially met in 1998 in a comedy writing class in Los Angeles. Melissa told Ellen DeGeneres years later that she thought Ben was “strange,” but she instantly liked him. They started off as friends but eventually they became a couple.
Melissa & Ben’s Wedding
After seven years of dating, Melissa and Ben tied the knot on October 8, 2005. They’ve been pretty private about the details of their wedding over the years. For their 15th wedding anniversary in 2020, Melissa shared a sweet tribute to Ben, with a photo of the couple kissing at their wedding. “15 years ago today I married the kindest, funniest and weirdest human I’ve ever met. Grateful every single day!!!” the Bridesmaid star wrote.
Melissa & Ben’s Kids
Melissa and Ben welcomed their first child, daughter Vivian, on May 5, 2007. Melissa got pregnant when she was filming Gilmore Girls, so her pregnancy was written into the show as a storyline for her character, Sookie. Melissa and Ben’s second daughter, Georgette, was born on March 22, 2010. Months later, Melissa told PEOPLE that she’s “not a great pregnant woman.” “I’m not like the woman that’s like, ‘Isn’t this miraculous? Isn’t this amazing?’ ” the Mike & Molly star said. “I’m super round and super tired. My husband says it’s like he’s married to a 90-year-old because I just go out mid-sentence,” Melissa added at the time. “He says, ‘You were in mid-thought and then the next thing you stop talking. I turn around and you’re sound asleep on the couch.’ ”
Melissa and Ben’s daughters have followed in their parents’ footsteps as actors. Vivian appeared in The Boss, as the younger version of her mom’s character. Both Vivian and Georgette also appeared in their parents’ movie Thunder Force. But Melissa revealed that she initially wasn’t down for Vivian being on camera. “We were very hesitant to do that,” the actress told Bust magazine in 2016. “By hesitant, I mean, we kept saying flat out ‘no.’ School plays? You can do that. You don’t need to be doing this as a job. You’re in school. That’s your job.” Melissa said she eventually let Vivian join the film after some convincing.
In June 2022, Melissa told E! News that she supports her daughters no matter what they decide for their careers. “I think we both just want them to do something they really love and to feel good about themselves doing it,” Melissa said. “It could be a gecko catcher in the Galapagos Islands or could be acting or—they’re both very artistic. So, I just want them to be happy and to kind of lead with kindness.”
