Melissa McCarthy was "basically doing drag" when she was 20

She explained: "I went by the name of Miss Y. I hung out with drag queens; I was basically doing drag. I love a drag show more than probably anything. Someone said, 'You may be the only woman trying to look like a man, trying to look like a woman.' And I was like, [deadpans] 'Thank you'."

The 44-year-old actress - who has daughters Georgette, five, and Vivian, eight, with husband Ben Falcone - admitted the routines she used to perform would probably be rather embarrassing if she re-visited them, but said there was "some kind of bliss" in performing in front of a room full of strangers.

She continued: "When we went out I just liked to tell really long, weird stories and make my friends laugh. I'm sure if I watched it now it was horrible but there was some kind of bliss in being 20, not knowing what you're doing and just getting up there."

And although she enjoyed performing for a while, it was the sexist reaction from comedy club audiences which made her give up stand-up until she moved to Los Angeles seven years later.

She told Stylist magazine: "I didn't like all the hecklers - it's why I stopped. It was always the same heckle about showing your boobs. Meanwhile, I'm in crazy shoes, leather swing cape and a big wig."