It was Bridemaids that launched the Hollywood career of actress Rebel Wilson, but most will attribute her success to her role as 'Fat Amy' in Pitch Perfect. The part rocketed Rebel into the realms of the Hollywood A-list, and one would imagine that a number up-and-coming stars in her position might have felt pressured into distancing themselves from that role because of the body shaming label 'Fat Amy' carries. Not Rebel.
The 36-year-old Australian star told this weekend's The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph: 'I saw my size as being an advantage, whereas so many women see it as a disadvantage.'
Starting out, she said it struck her that weight gain was a route to comedy – so she went with it. Speaking in the context of the first play she ever wrote, she recalled how she cast herself alongside someone who was larger than she was. 'And I was like: "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. 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 also revealed she suffers from a hormonal imbalance, which means she gains weight quickly, and whilst she didn't rule out a total weight transformation one day – 'I'll take six months off, and just do a total transformation. But then, so many people go: "Don't you do it!" But I think: "Why not?"' – she insists her career centres around her character.
'Hollywood IS age-ist,' she later said. 'That's why people do crazy s--- to their faces – out of desperation to look younger. But I think my career is based more on my personality, so it doesn't really matter.'
Too darn right – that's exactly as it should be, for all actresses, always.
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