What Made Jenny McCarthy Famous?

Yes, Jenny McCarthy and Melissa McCarthy are actually cousins. While their public images and careers are quite different, they both hail from the same family tree. Jenny was born in Chicago, Illinois, and Melissa grew up in Plainfield, a nearby suburb. Their connection is on their father’s side—Jenny’s father and Melissa’s father are brothers, which makes them first cousins. Despite sharing family ties, their paths in Hollywood took very different directions. Jenny became famous in the '90s through Playboy and MTV, embracing a loud, outrageous, and often controversial style of fame that kept her in the spotlight. Melissa, on the other hand, rose to prominence later, earning acclaim for her scene-stealing roles in comedy films like Bridesmaids, Spy, and The Heat. Her style is more character-driven, grounded in improvisational comedy and physical humor. Interestingly, despite being cousins, they don’t appear publicly together often, and some fans don’t even realize they’re related. This isn’t due to bad blood—by most accounts, they simply chose different paths and circles in Hollywood. Melissa has also talked in interviews about working hard to build her career independently, without relying on family connections. So while yes, Jenny and Melissa McCarthy are indeed related, their careers and public personas developed independently and uniquely.

I’m still a little giddy every time I tell friends about the first Jenny Zhang pieces I read, because they hit that weird, aching sweet spot between comic cruelty and heartbreaking tenderness. What really put her on the map for most readers was her debut short story collection 'Sour Heart' — not a single story in isolation so much as the fierce collective voice across the book. The stories in 'Sour Heart' pulse with memories of immigrant childhood, complicated mother-daughter bonds, and the small violences of growing up poor and young in America. It’s that concentrated honesty across the collection that made people sit up and take notice. I’ll be honest: when I first picked up 'Sour Heart' on a lazy Saturday and read until my eyes blurred, it felt like someone had put a microphone in my head and let the messy, glittering parts out. There are pieces that are raw and funny and ugly in all the right ways — scenes about school, family, and hustle that are described with a tiny, sharp humor that never distracts from the ache. Critics and readers both pointed to the book as a mini-explosion: Zhang’s voice is singular, lyrical, and unapologetically specific. That specificity is the reason the stories resonated so widely; they weren’t trying to be universal in theme so much as universal in feeling. If you want a practical takeaway: when people ask which short stories “made” Jenny Zhang famous, the most accurate, helpful reply is the stories collected in 'Sour Heart' — especially the title story and the others that orbit that same emotional ground. Those pieces were the ones that got anthologized, discussed in lit circles, and shared from hand to hand in campus bookstores. They’re tender, pissed off, full of brittle humor, and they introduced a voice that readers hadn’t heard before. Personally, after finishing it I felt like I’d found a writer who wasn’t afraid to be mean, kind, and heartbreakingly honest all at once — and that’s why so many people still recommend 'Sour Heart' when they talk about Jenny Zhang.

Yes—Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg are still very much married. They’ve celebrated over a decade together and remain one of Hollywood’s most devoted couples. In 2024, they marked their 10th anniversary by renewing their wedding vows—continuing a tradition of annual vow renewals that has become a meaningful ritual in their marriage. Both Jenny and Donnie have emphatically dismissed any talk of separation or divorce. In a recent appearance, Jenny declared, “There will never, ever, ever be a divorce… It’s ’til death do us part,” and Donnie wholeheartedly agreed.

Oh, Glen Powell’s rise to fame is like a Hollywood highlight reel — dude’s got charisma for days! He really blew up with his role in Everybody Wants Some!! (2016), which was like the spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused and totally put him on the map as the college party king with killer charm. But it was Top Gun: Maverick (2022) that catapulted him into the big leagues, flying high alongside Tom Cruise and stealing scenes left and right. That movie was a massive blockbuster, and Glen’s role as “Hangman” turned him into an instant fan favorite. Plus, he’s been flexing his range with projects like Hidden Figures and Set It Up, showing he’s not just about the action but can kill it in rom-coms too. The guy’s got that mix of looks, talent, and a laid-back vibe that Hollywood loves to spotlight.

Julie Bowen became famous primarily for her role as Claire Dunphy on the hit TV show Modern Family. That show really launched her into the spotlight. She played a super relatable, high-energy mom trying to hold her chaotic household together, and people absolutely loved her in that role. The show itself was a massive success, running for over a decade and winning tons of awards, and Bowen herself won multiple Emmys for her performance. That character became such a cultural reference point that it’s hard to separate her from it. But before Modern Family, she had already built a solid career. She was in Boston Legal, where she played attorney Denise Bauer, and she had a memorable role as Carol Vessey in Ed, which ran in the early 2000s. Even earlier than that, fans of Adam Sandler movies might remember her as the love interest in Happy Gilmore. So while Modern Family made her a household name, she was actually on the scene long before that, steadily working her way up through TV and film.

Shemar Moore became famous thanks to his breakout role as Malcolm Winters on the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless. He joined the cast in the mid-1990s, and his performance quickly drew attention. With his natural charisma, good looks, and emotional depth, Moore turned Malcolm into one of the most beloved characters on daytime television. That role earned him several awards and nominations and helped him build a loyal fanbase. But he didn’t stop there—he went on to star in Criminal Minds as Derek Morgan, a role that truly cemented his place in prime-time television. His ability to bring heart and intensity to every role is what made him not just famous, but respected.

Gavin Adcock became famous thanks to a viral moment that combined college football, party culture, and sheer chaos. In 2021, while playing for Georgia Southern University as a defensive lineman, he was filmed standing on top of a moving school bus chugging a beer—just hours before a game. That clip exploded online. It wasn’t the kind of fame most athletes aim for, but it turned him into an overnight internet sensation. The video captured a certain wild, rebellious energy that got people talking—even those who had never heard of Georgia Southern football. What made the moment stand out was the sheer recklessness mixed with charisma. A lot of fans found it funny, others criticized the safety and professionalism aspect, but either way, it pushed his name far beyond the college football world. And while it led to his removal from the team, it also opened the door for something else: his music. After leaving football, Adcock leaned hard into his second passion—country and Southern rock. He already had a small following as a musician, but the attention from the viral video gave his music career a serious boost. Since then, he’s been building a name for himself in the independent music scene, touring and releasing original songs.

Ah, Christine Baranski’s claim to fame? Girl’s got a vibe that’s chef’s kiss perfect for those sharp, witty, and totally unforgettable roles! 🌟 Most folks first really caught on during her time on Cybill—yep, the ‘90s sitcom where she totally nailed the sarcastic, scene-stealing best friend role. But then she hit the big leagues with The Good Wife as Diane Lockhart, a powerhouse lawyer with brains and sass that just owned the screen for years. And don’t even get me started on her killer Broadway creds and those hilarious appearances in Mamma Mia! and The Birdcage. Basically, she’s that rare combo of class, humor, and fierce intellect, making her a household name and a total boss in the biz.