Rebel Wilson has said the one thing no one ever says in Hollywood: she gained weight to book jobs. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Rebel discussed how her plus-sized frame works to her advantage.
The Australian actress, made famous by her roles in Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect, said that before she was in the public eye, she had an athletic build. But all that changed when she wrote and starred in her first play, casting a girl who was bigger than she was to perform with her. She explained that that’s when her perspective changed. “‘Oh. That girl’s getting a lot of laughs, a lot easier than me. What is it?’ Because I don’t think there’s much difference in talent,” she said. “And I remember distinctly thinking: ‘I think it’s because she’s fatter.’ And then, I don’t know if it was mega-conscious, but I thought: ‘How can I get more laughs?’ Maybe if I was a bit fatter…’ And then suddenly I was fatter and doing comedy.”
Rebel has embraced her shape, and her role in the industry. “There’s something about me that people like laughing at,” she admitted. And she’s okay with that. She doesn’t apologize for who she is—and she definitely doesn’t apologize for her size. In fact, she’s empowered by it: “I saw my size as being an advantage, whereas so many women see it as a disadvantage.”
Ultimately, though, she cares much more about her talent than she does her looks. “Hollywood IS age-ist. That’s why people do crazy shit to their faces—out of desperation to look younger,” she explained. “But I think my career is based more on my personality, so it doesn’t really matter.” Amen, girl.