Making it in Hollywood often requires transformation. For many actresses, that means slimming down. But for Rebel Wilson, it was the opposite.
The actress recently told Australia's The Daily Telegraph about writing her first play, in which she casted herself alongside a heavier actress.
“And I was like: ‘Oh. That girl’s getting a lot of laughs, a lot easier than me. What is it?’" Wilson said. "Because I don’t think there’s much difference in talent. And I remember distinctly thinking: ‘I think it’s because she’s fatter."
Wilson admitted that the realization had an effect on her career. "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.”
The 36-year-old Sydney native also says she receives pressure from the people around her to stay at her current weight. When the interviewer asked Wilson whether she'd consider changing her size, she replied, "Oh yeah! 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?’"
Would Wilson face the same body image pressure if she were a man in Hollywood? There's no way to say for sure, but our guess? Nope.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT