Watch Melissa McCarthy’s Inspiring Toast at the TIME 100 Gala

TIME 100 honoree Melissa McCarthy thanked the pioneers who “forged ahead” despite their naysayers while delivering an inspiring toast at the TIME 100 Gala.

The actress recognized the challenges the honorees likely faced on their road to greatness, saying many were told, “you can’t do that” or “that’s not how you should think.” “Everyone in this room simply forged ahead,” she said. “I would like to thank you, in all sincerity, for your anarchy. 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.”

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“None of you have picked the easy way,” she added. “There are a lot 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.”