REBEL, REBEL
Don’t underestimate Wilson’s talents
Over the last five years Rebel Wilson has carved out a solid Hollywood career as a flouncing comedy floozie.
Despite the convincing act, the Australian shouldn’t be underestimated.
The 35-year-old Sydney native has a law degree from the University of New South Wales and trained at the prestigious Australian Theatre for Young People.
After that phase, she became an Aussie comedy sensation with a series of shows she starred in and co-wrote.
In 2010, Wilson left it all behind to audition for the Melissa McCarthy role in Bridesmaids. As it turned out, she impressed director Paul Feig enough that he created a cameo for her in the R-rated hit.
Bridesmaids led to a string of movie bookings, including a highprofile role as Fat Amy in the hugely successful Pitch Perfect movies.
Currently, Wilson is a featured attraction in How to be Single. She plays party girl Robin, who shows the newly available Alice, (Fifty Shades of Grey’s Dakota Johnson), the finer points of dating in New York City.
Decked out in shirt-and-skirt ensemble from her plus-size Torrid fashion collection, Wilson explains herself during a recent interview.
Q What do you like about improvising dialogue in your movies?
A When you improvise it seems more real. And when you are acting, and in the moment, it is something you can’t replicate.
Q Is the sauna room scene with Johnson in How to be Single all about improv?
A Yeah. That was the quickest and easiest to shoot. They were filming both of us at the same time. So in I did 20 vagina jokes. And then out.
Q Did you have a special bond with Johnson?
A We were really good together. We had the physicality — classic straight-man-funny-man combo. Dakota is tall and thin and I am shorter and wider.
Q You opened the film with some nifty club dancing. Did you enjoy it?
A (Grimaces.) There was a whole dance routine, I feel like I did a hundred times. In the movie, it’s like a few seconds.
Q Do fans mistake your aggressive persona in films as the real you?
A Yeah. Some fans, I guess, don’t see it as good acting. I guess I should take it as a compliment.
Q
reputation.You also haveAre you a scene-stealerOK with that?
A Weirdly, when I was in acting school, I got an award that said I could steal a scene from a freight train. I guess things haven’t changed.
Q Will there be drama in your future?
A What a lot of people don’t understand is that I trained as a serious actor. I do have the versatility that people haven’t seen yet, so yeah.
Q Do you have ambitions to star in a movie?
A I’ve been part of some great ensembles. But sure, one of the things I’d like to do is headline. I want to carry a whole movie. I haven’t had that chance yet but
soon enough.
Q Did you enjoy working on your fashion line?
A I actually found out I could do it, which surprised me. I come from a dodgy area in Australia. We wouldn’t care what we looked like. We just wore track suits.
Q Are you pleased with your progress in the U. S.?
A Basically, five years ago I started from nothing, coming from Australia. I had been successful there and when I came to America I started from scratch.
Q Is it true you have six films in development as the headliner
and co-writer?
A I expect a lot from myself.
Q One of the projects is a remake of Goldie Hawn’s Private Benjamin. How’s that going?
A It’s more like a reboot. We’re not remaking it. It will be a much more modern take on the story.
Q You start filming Pitch Perfect 3 in the summer. Can you give us any hints about the story?
A They are keeping (the story), secret because they know I will tell everybody. I have a habit of saying things I’m not allowed to say.