Melissa McCarthy thanks TIME 100 Gala honorees for their 'anarchy'

NEW YORK, April 27 (UPI) -- Actress Melissa McCarthy took to the stage at the Time 100 Gala at Lincoln Center in New York City on Tuesday night to deliver an encouraging speech to honorees.

"I would like to thank you, in all sincerity, for your anarchy," the Ghostbusters actress told the crowd, which included Donald and Melania Trump, Priyanka Chopra, Lewis Hamilton, Caitlyn Jenner, Mark Zuckerberg, Rand Paul, Reince Priebus, Arianna Huffington, David Koch, Lin-Manuel Miranda and TIME editor Nancy Gibbs. "And I mean that actually -- I kind of mean that from the bottom of my heart. Thinking outside the box like that will change the world, and it doesn't matter how small or how big."

"None of you have picked the easy way," she continued. "There are a lot of easier ways to do this than what you've all done, and I think we've all benefited from it greatly. I think we're all grateful for it. I just want to say thank you for just going your own direction."

At the gala, McCarthy, accompanied by husband Ben Falcone, opened up to Entertainment Tonight. about reviving the role of Sookie St. James on the new Gilmore Girls Netflix special, and her first visit to the set.

"I got so sentimental," she said. "I stopped by about two weeks ago, I think, and saw the set, saw everybody there, and I don't know, it kinda felt like we hadn't skipped a beat."

"It just feels like the exact right time," she added.