Rebel Melanie Elizabeth Wilson (born March 2, 1980) is an Australian actress, comedian, writer, and producer who has captivated audiences worldwide with her unique brand of humor and undeniable talent. Her journey from the stages of Sydney to the bright lights of Hollywood is a testament to her hard work, determination, and willingness to defy expectations.
Early Life and Career Beginnings in Australia
Rebel Wilson was born Melanie Elizabeth Bownds on March 2, 1980, in Sydney, Australia. Her parents were professional dog handlers, dog show judges, and breeders, leading to an unconventional childhood spent traveling across the country selling canine products. Wilson later compared this lifestyle to carnie life. Despite her later comedic persona, Wilson was somewhat of a loner in high school, spending her lunchtimes in the library studying. All that hard work paid off, as she scored a 99.3% on her Higher School Certificate, a pre-University study that students in Australia take during their senior year in high school.
Wilson's career started on the Sydney stages in the early 2000s, where she often wrote and produced her own work. This led to various television shows in Australia, where she quickly became the most prominent female voice in Australian comedy. After graduating from the Australian Theatre for Young People in 2003, she began appearing as Toula in the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) comedy series Pizza (2003-2007; 2019). She subsequently appeared in the sketch comedy series The Wedge (2006-2007). Wilson also wrote, produced, and starred in the musical comedy series Bogan Pride (2008).
In 2009, she won the Tropfest best actress award for her role in Bargain and made a guest appearance in City Homicide. Wilson's early work in Australia laid the foundation for her future success, showcasing her writing, acting, and producing talents.
Move to the United States and Breakthrough Role in Bridesmaids
In 2010, Rebel Wilson moved to the United States, marking a significant turning point in her career. Shortly after, she landed a role in the cult classic Bridesmaids (2011), produced by Judd Apatow and directed by Paul Feig. While she originally auditioned for the Melissa McCarthy role, Apatow and Wiig were so impressed by her hilarious audition that they added a female roommate character, Brynn, specifically for her. Wilson's performance as Kristen Wiig's hellish roommate was a scene-stealer, with antics like explaining how she mistook her roommate's diary for a "sad handwritten book." This breakthrough role introduced her to a wider audience and solidified her status as a comedic force to be reckoned with.
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Rise to Fame with the Pitch Perfect Trilogy
Rebel Wilson is perhaps most known internationally for playing the role of 'Fat Amy' in the Pitch Perfect trilogy, which are the highest-grossing musical comedy films of all time. The first film, released in 2012, was a modest hit at the box office but became a phenomenon when it became available for home consumption. Wilson's portrayal of the confident and hilarious Fat Amy resonated with audiences, earning her several award nominations and wins, including the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress.
The success of Pitch Perfect fueled the production of its sequels, with Wilson reprising her role in Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and Pitch Perfect 3 (2017). These films further cemented her status as a comedic star and showcased her singing and dancing talents.
Other Film and Television Roles
In addition to her work in the Pitch Perfect series, Rebel Wilson has appeared in a variety of other films and television shows. In 2012, she appeared in What to Expect When You're Expecting, Struck by Lightning, and Bachelorette, which led to Variety naming her one of their “Top Ten Comics to Watch for 2012”. In 2016, she appeared in the films How to Be Single and Grimsby.
Wilson also wrote and starred in Super Fun Night (2013), a television sitcom that aired for one season on ABC. While the show was short-lived, it provided her with an opportunity to showcase her writing and leading lady skills. In 2014, she appeared in another comedic role as Tilly, a museum security guard in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
In 2019, Wilson had her first lead roles in the comedies Isn't It Romantic and The Hustle. Isn't It Romantic starred Wilson as a cynical woman trapped in a romantic comedy with "Pitch Perfect" and "Workaholics" costar Adam Devine. The Hustle teamed her with Anne Hathaway in a reimagining of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988). That same year, Taika Waititi cast the actress in his World War II dark comedy Jojo Rabbit. In 2022, she starred in the hit cheer leading comedy Senior Year on Netflix, which was watched by over 89 million unique Netflix accounts in its first ten days of release internationally.
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Directorial Debut and Continued Success
Rebel Wilson has now turned The Deb, which originated out of Wilson's annual scholarship program that aims to mentor emerging young Australian talent, into a feature film which marks her directorial debut. This project showcases her commitment to supporting emerging talent and expanding her role in the entertainment industry.
Rebel is an alumni and now patron of The Australian Theatre for Young People whose home base in Sydney is called 'The Rebel Theatre', named after her. The inaugural production in this theatre was a workshop production of The Deb.
Overcoming Challenges and Advocating for Body Positivity
Throughout her career, Rebel Wilson has faced challenges related to her weight and body image. She has been an advocate for body positivity, encouraging women to be comfortable in their own skin. Wilson has spoken out against the pressure on women to conform to the thin body image, stating that "Not everyone can be that way and no one should be ashamed of how they look … because of their shape and size."
In 2020, Wilson embarked on a "year of health," losing 80lb (36kg). She shared her physical transformation online, often opening up about past problems with binge eating. Wilson said losing weight showed her how powerful stereotypes still are when some people claimed she could no longer be funny as a slimmer person.
Defamation Suit and Memoir
In 2015, Australian magazine Woman's Day published a story claiming that Wilson had been misleading about her birth name, age, and upbringing. Wilson sued the media company for defamation, saying it portrayed her as a "serial liar" and consequently prevented her from getting roles in Hollywood. In 2017, Wilson won her suit and was granted $4.5 million in damages, making her case the most successful defamation case in Australia. However, Bauer Media appealed and in June 2018, the appeals court sided with the company, which argued that Wilson had no proof her fiscal livelihood actually suffered as a result of the articles. The court reduced the damages compensation to $600K. Regardless of the slight turn of events, Wilson said she felt vindicated and planned on giving the money to charity.
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Wilson's memoir, Rebel Rising, was published in April 2024. It garnered attention for her recounting of discomfort on the set of The Brothers Grimsby, including Sacha Baron Cohen's alleged requests for nudity and inappropriate behavior during a sex scene, which she refused.