Melissa McCarthy, star of the new movie Spy, turned a critic’s sexist review into a feminist moment.
When she was at the Toronto Film Festival last September promoting her movie St. Vincent, a critic walked up to McCarthy to praise the film, Entertainment Weekly reports. Earlier, that same critic had panned her 2014 movie, Tammy—directed by McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone—calling McCarthy a good actor only at times when she looked more attractive.
McCarthy asked the critic if he had a daughter, and when he said that he did, she didn’t hold back. “Watch what you say to her,” she told him. “Do you tell her she’s only worthwhile or valid when she’s pretty?”
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- What's the Deal With the Bitcoin Halving?
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Mandy Oaklander at mandy.oaklander@time.com