Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer may have a brand-new superhero movie streaming on Netflix now, but their friendship goes way back. The veteran actresses star in Thunder Force, an action comedy about two ordinary women from Chicago who team up and create a way to become superheroes in order to save their city. The movie is written and directed by Ben Falcone, McCarthy's husband and creative partner, who has previously directed her in films such as The Boss, Life of the Party, Tammy, and Superintelligence.
In Thunder Force, McCarthy and Spencer play estranged childhood friends Lydia and Emily. Emily (Spencer) is now a wealthy geneticist who has created a serum that gives a person incredible powers. When Lydia (McCarthy) accidentally gets injected with this super serum, the two women become the first superhero pairing to battle the Miscreants, a group of supervillains terrorizing their city. While the plot is clearly all fiction, McCarthy and Spencer's friendship isn't just for the reel. The two, in fact, go way back even before they had prestigious awards and blockbuster movies.
The award-winning actresses enjoy a real friendship that spans more than two decades, as shown by McCarthy in her recent Instagram post. She shared several photos of the two of them through the years, along with a sweet caption: "After 20+ years, I'm #stillbestfriends with the incredible [Octavia Spencer] and I wouldn't have it any other way." The 50-year-old actress also revealed that Spencer actually caught the bouquet during her wedding in 2005 and included a picture of the two of them hugging each other during the happy occasion.
McCarthy and Spencer formed a bond in the 1990s just when they were starting their careers in Hollywood. In the span of twenty years, both actresses have found their footing in the entertainment industry. Because McCarthy is known for her comedy blockbusters and Spencer for her dramatic roles, the two have not gotten the chance to work alongside each other until now. In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Spencer described acting with "one of her dearest friends" as a dream come true.
Despite ever-expanding universes of superhero movies, the sci-fi genre is reserved for a small group of actors. If Thunder Force proves anything, it's that Hollywood is ready to see middle-aged women like McCarthy and Spencer busting out action scenes in superhero costumes. It's also proof that real friendships between women can thrive and be celebrated in the industry.
Thunder Force is currently streaming on Netflix.
Source: Melissa McCarthy/Instagram
