Rebel Wilson Says She Had to Gain Weight to Make It in Hollywood
"And then suddenly, I was fatter and doing comedy."
In a comedian's eternal quest to get more and more laughs, Rebel Wilson did the opposite of what most actresses feel is necessary to make it in Hollywood: she gained weight.
When Wilson wrote her first play, she cast a heavier actress to perform with her but soon found that the crowd liked her co-star more than Wilson herself. "Oh. That girl's getting a lot of laughs, a lot easier than me," Wilson told The Daily Telegraph. And, as expected, Wilson tried to figure out why the other actress was getting more love. "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.'"
"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," Wilson continued. "And then suddenly, I was fatter and doing comedy."
This realization shouldn't come as a surprise considering the body-positive Wilson has always poked fun at Hollywood's obsession with size. Wilson starred as Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect movies and brought us the epic-ness that is horizontal running.
Cardio, Fat Amy-style. #NationalRunningDay #PitchPerfect pic.twitter.com/oP54P6NBQtJune 3, 2015
"There's something about me that people like laughing at," Wilson said. "I saw my size as being an advantage whereas so many women see it as a disadvantage."
Given the pressure to be thin in Hollywood, Wilson did the opposite and it ended up paying off. But the truth is, Wilson's talent would be obvious no matter her size.
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Maggie Maloney is the associate editor at Town & Country and ELLE Decor, where she covers style, beauty, jewelry, and the many members of the royal family. She also manages social media and content strategy for both brands.