SAG Awards: Melissa McCarthy, Judd Apatow talk ‘Bridesmaids’ noms

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The breakout hit ‘Bridesmaids’ might have been one of the biggest surprise inclusions in the SAG Awards roster of ensemble nominees, but the film’s producer Judd Apatow said the recognition was richly deserved for the group of actresses that anchored the Kristen Wiig-Annie Mumolo scripted comedy.

‘I was hopeful they would be acknowledged,’ said Apatow, who was waiting until after he dropped his kids off at school to call the leading ladies to congratulate them. ‘They are so deserving it’s ridiculous. I’m excited for them because many of them worked together at [comedy troupe] the Groundlings. They have developed as comediennes for a really long time.’

Melissa McCarthy, who was nominated separately in the supporting actress category, was elated that it was her fellow actors who bestowed the ensemble cast with a nomination.

‘It felt like there were 1,500 Groundlings in this movie,’ said McCarthy, who was awake Wednesday morning trying to potty-train her young daughter. ‘It’s pretty amazing. We all scrounged for our own costumes and did all this stuff at the Groundlings. To be doing the same kind of work, but on that level and then to have it recognized, it is a little surreal.’

It’s been a good year for McCarthy, who in September nabbed an Emmy Award for her role in CBS’ ‘Mike and Molly’ in one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony.

Apatow, who marks his first SAG nomination with ‘Bridesmaids,’ attributes the film’s success to its themes and its female-dominated cast.

‘It’s a comedy about friendship, about people growing up and worrying about growing apart. It also just happens to star these brilliantly funny actresses,’ he said. ‘Plus, people are supportive of the idea that it’s ridiculous that there aren’t a ton of movies about women intended for not just a female audience but to be something that isn’t just for men, that women are drawn to.

‘I’ve been told that women are actually 51% of the population,’ he joked.

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-- Nicole Sperling