Trailer For 'Identity Thief' Starring Melissa McCarthy Debuts: Will 2012 Be The Funny Woman's Year?

"Identity Thief" could be one of several forthcoming hits for McCarthy -- who is set to star in three high-profile films next year. The 42-year-old's impressive slate has already led Entertainment Weekly to conclude that 2013 "is shaping up to be the Year of Melissa McCarthy." 

In April, the actress will appear alongside Sandra Bullock in "The Heat." The action comedy follows an FBI agent (Bullock) who is paired with a wacky cop (McCarthy) in order to solve a case. The comedy reunites McCarthy with "Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig. 

Later in the year, she'll star in "Tammy," a film she co-wrote with husband Ben Falcone. McCarthy stars as the title character, who embarks on a road trip with her alcoholic grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) after her life falls apart.   

The funnywoman has been on a career winning streak for the last couple of years. She started 2012 off with an Oscar nomination for her sidesplitting supporting performance in "Bridesmaids" and continued to star in the hit CBS sitcom "Mike and Molly." McCarthy is set to appear in Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up" spin-off "This is 40," in theaters Friday. 

In 2011, she took home an Emmy for "Mike and Molly," was named the "Queen of Comedy" by EW, and she hosted a highly praised episode of "Saturday Night Live."

But while McCarthy may be on the Hollywood hot list, that doesn't mean she'll stay there. Women in comedy tend to have a difficult time finding well-developed roles. Despite the "Bridesmaids Effect," which denotes the period just after "Bridesmaids" was released, when producers suddenly recognized the lack of decent female-driven comedies following the success of the ensemble hit, the film industry still largely caters to male audiences. 

Furthermore, as the Hollywood Reporter noted last year, "McCarthy has plenty working against her -- she’s a plus-size forty-something in an industry that traditionally favors sample-size females two decades younger."

Yet the actress isn't dwelling on the fact that she's an unconventional star.  

"The stupid stuff like what I wear or how I look I can't control, so I just try not to give too much energy to it," McCarthy told the outlet. "At 20, I would have been like: 'Don't they like me? Was it my hair?' ... I think the things that define me, I hope, are a lot more than those kinds of petty things."