Melissa McCarthy thinks Nicole Kidman is a "wonderful weirdo".

Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy

The 'Nine Perfect Strangers' star has heaped praise on her co-star, quipping she expected her to be "regal" but after working together, she found out she's "weird".

Speaking about the actress, she said: "I've met Nicole but I've not worked with her and there's something so regal about her. You expect her to be like, 'Hello, I'm Nicole Kidman.' But as you get to know her and you're like, 'She's weird!' She's like a wonderful weirdo."

And Nicole went on to praise her other co-stars including Bobby Cannavale and Michael Shannon.

Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she added: "It is such a good group, and like everyone's so weird, which is always like my favourite when you find it."

Meanwhile, Melissa previously revealed she has encouraged her daughters to embrace their quirks.

The 49-year-old actress - who has Vivian, 12, and Georgette, 10, with husband Ben Falcone - admitted her kids often worry about whether they "look silly" doing certain things.

She said: "My oldest has a really good head on her shoulders, but kids that age are always thinking, 'Does someone think I look silly?' I tell them it's all silly and we're all idiots! The second you embrace that and have real friends, you realise that's the fun part. Who is the dumbest and the goofiest? Those are the friends you'll have all your life. How boring would it be if we were all the same? We're drawn to each other because of all our weird, unexplainable character quirks. Life is short. Just be yourself!"

Now, her one wish would be to hear her girls say they appreciate who they are.

She added: "At that age, I was eating dirt and running around a farm like a dingbat, but they have a much bigger view of the world. I love to see my two girls just truly say, 'I know who I am and I know what I like and what I don't like.' And they're kind, so to have all of that come together is lovely."