Leslie Jones's Ghostbusters Role Originally Written For Melissa McCarthy

I want you to imagine Melissa McCarthy (Tammy, Identity Theft) saying lines like "Oh hell no, the devil is a liar!" and "You guys are really smart about this science stuff, but I know New York." As you know, those are lines Leslie Jones's character says in the first Ghostbusters trailer, but they could have been McCarthy's. According to director Paul Feig, he originally wrote Patty, the street-smart MTA worker, for her.

"When Katie [Dippold, Feig's co-writer] and I wrote the script, we had written the role with Melissa in mind," Feig told Empire, "but then I thought I've seen Melissa play a brash, larger than life character. She's done it in my movies before!"

Some might view this previously unknown fact as revisionist history; however, Empire made sure to point out Feig's interview was conducted before the first trailer was released. Thus, Feig had no clue Jones's character would be later criticized for being a black stereotype.

"She's one of my favourite people on the planet," Feig said of Jones. "I don't normally like comedy that's big and loud, but she is able to pull that off in a way that feels real and it's her. And when I make a movie, I want to find the funniest people I know and once I know what's the funniest thing about them I want that to be the thing that I put on screen and let shine. This is the role that Leslie can shine comedically in. If you've ever seen her do stand-up, it's just who she is. I wanted to unleash Leslie on the public in the same way we unleashed Melissa on the public in Bridesmaids, with a very showy role."

Ghostbusters makes its long-awaited return, rebooted with a cast of hilarious new characters. Thirty years after the beloved original franchise took the world by storm, director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy, joined by some of the funniest actors working today – Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth. This summer, they're here to save the world!

Ghostbusters is due in theaters July 15, 2016.