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Melissa McCarthy and Husband Ben Falcone on Directing Her 'Life of the Party' Love Scene on Their Anniversary

Melissa McCarthy and Husband Ben Falcone on Directing Her 'Life of the Party' Love Scene on Their Anniversary
Credit: Entertainment Tonight

Melissa McCarthy's upcoming comedy Life of the Party marks the third time she's starred in a film directed by her husband, Ben Falcone, which may be why shooting the film's sex scene may have been a little easier for the couple.

In Life of the Party, McCarthy stars as wife and mother whose husband unexpectedly asks her for a divorce. Suddenly single, she decides to go back to college alongside her daughter, and tries to experience everything she missed in her younger years -- including getting hot and heavy with a hot younger man (played by Luke Benward), in the university library.

For the steamy scene, McCarthy's husband was right in the middle directing all the action, which the actress admitted was a little bizarre.

McCarthy and Falcone spent some time chatting (and drinking) with ET's Kevin Frazier at during CinemaCon 2018 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Tuesday, and she opened up about the strange timing of when they shot the love scene.

"When we have our big intimate scene in the library, it was on our wedding anniversary," McCarthy said, recalling how Benward jokingly wished her a happy anniversary before going in for one of the scene's kisses.

"It was so creepy, but it was pretty funny," she joked, adding that her husband's directorial suggestions made the whole thing stranger. "He was like, 'Grab his butt! Happy anniversary!'"

While McCarthy's character in the raunchy comedy learns how to embrace her wild side, the comedian said, in real-life, she and her hubby absolutely love keeping things super low-key.

"Like to hit it hard around 4 p.m., early bird special, and then eight o'clock [we] put the kids down," McCarthy said.

"Then we're asleep by 9," Falcone added.

However, they will might stay up a little later with their two daughters -- 10-year-old Vivian and 8-year-old Georgette -- when they take them to see Life of the Party, given how it's the first of McCarthy's films that Falcone has directed that isn't rated R.

"They are going to see it, 'cause it's PG-13. So this is like the first movie that like I can bring [family to]," McCarthy shared. "I'm going with my mom and we're going with our girls."

As for some of the film's raunchier scenes, McCarthy said she knows there's "a couple of parts" that will likely lead to them being embarrassed by their mom, but she's got a plan for how to deal with that conversation.

"I'll just say, 'Your dad wrote that line, ask him,'" McCarthy joked. "I throw him right under the bus."

After more than 12 years of marriage, the dynamic duo have quietly cultivated one of the healthiest, happiest unions in show business, and the pair credit their shared interests and collaborative projects for their longevity.

"I think we're lucky we get to work together that's the key and the joy for us," McCarthy reflected. "I think it's [about] not getting caught up in what people think Hollywood is, whatever that is. We live in the valley, so we're not even Hollywood."

According to Falcone, it helped that they "were friends first" before getting together, so they had a chance to know each other before making it romantic.

"I was sweet on him right away," she recalled. "[But] because we were such good friends so fast, and I liked him so much, I was like, 'I shouldn't screw this up… then I wouldn't have my best friend.' So I was like, 'We shouldn't, you know, date. Probably shouldn't date.'"

"And then we did," Falcone chimed it.

"And then it worked," McCarthy added.

In Life of the Party, McCarthy is joined by an impressive cast of funny women including Maya Rudolph, Julie Bowen, Gillian Jacobs, Debby Ryan, Heidi Gardner and even pop icon Christina Aguilera, who plays herself.

Recently, Aguilera jumped the passenger seat of James Corden's SUV for a hilarious segment on his Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special, and they were joined by a surprise appearance from McCarthy, who dropped in to perform Redman's verse from Aguilera's hit track "Dirrty."

"Doing that is pure joy… being there with her, driving around L.A. listening to Christina sing all of those crazy anthem songs," McCarthy recalled to ET. "[And I was] weirdly able to do a Redman rap, I was like, 'Well that's just not what I saw coming.'"

Check out Aguilera's hilarious "Carpool Karaoke" adventure in the video below.

Life of the Party hits theaters May 18.

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