Mike & Molly’: Then and Now: Catch Up With Melissa McCarthy, Billy Gardell, Katy Mixon, Swoosie Kurtz and More!
Melissa McCarthy and Billy Gardell lead the cast on the CBS sitcom Mike and Molly about a teacher and police officer whose romance began at a Chicago Overeaters’ Anonymous meeting.
The plus-sized actors were at the forefront of the body positivity movement, which promoted acceptance and inclusion, during the show’s 127-episode run from 2010-2016.
Mike and Molly won two Emmys, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for McCarthy in 2011.
Brought to us by Two and a Half Men (2003-2015) masterminds writer Mark Roberts and coexecutive producer and TV legend Chuck Lorre, who also worked on Grace Under Fire (1993-1998), Dharma and Greg (1997-2002), Big Bang Theory (2006-2019) and Mom (2013-2021), the show handled the stages of love, dealing with the in-laws and the journey to parenthood with humor and heart.
“The funny is easy, but when you have to play a romantic moment or a sad moment, you have to really trust your partner’s going to be there for you,” Gardell told People in 2024. “I learned from Melissa to trust and be able to do those romantic scenes, which I didn’t think I would be able to do. But because of the trust level with her, she made it safe to do that.”

Rounding out the cast was Reno Wilson, who played Mike’s police-officer partner and BFF Carl; Katy Mixon, who played Molly’s ditzy marijuana-smoking and funeral home beautician sister Victoria; Swoosie Kurtz, who played Molly’s heavy-drinking, easy-to-anger mom Joyce; Rondi Reed, who appeared as Mike’s bossy mom Peggy.