DeepSummary
Rebel Wilson, known for her breakout role in Bridesmaids and the Pitch Perfect trilogy, discusses her journey from a shy Australian girl to a successful Hollywood actress. She talks about her family background in the dog show business, her struggles with shyness and low self-esteem, and how she forced herself out of her comfort zone through acting and comedy.
Wilson opens up about the emotional turmoil she experienced due to her volatile father and how her mother's support and encouragement played a crucial role in her pursuit of acting. She also shares insights into her decision to embark on a 'year of health' in 2020, which led her to prioritize her well-being and plan for starting a family.
The interview delves into Wilson's experiences with body positivity, navigating her career as a plus-size actress, and the challenges she faced in Hollywood. She also discusses her relationship with her fiancée Ramona, their engagement, and their recent journey into parenthood through surrogacy.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Rebel Wilson's journey from a shy Australian girl to a successful Hollywood actress, embracing her comedic talents and body positivity.
- The emotional turmoil she experienced due to her volatile father and the support she received from her mother.
- Her decision to prioritize her health and well-being through her 'year of health' journey.
- Her experiences with body positivity and navigating her career as a plus-size actress.
- Her relationship with her fiancée Ramona and their journey into parenthood through surrogacy.
- The challenges she faced in the entertainment industry and her willingness to take risks and prioritize her personal goals.
- The importance of self-acceptance, self-love, and embracing one's unique qualities.
- The power of determination, goal-setting, and pushing beyond one's comfort zone.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Because I went from being a very normal size to then all of a sudden being a plus size person. And for me, I guess, how my personality is, I'm like, well, this is seen as a negative by a lot of people in the acting industry. You didn't really see many plus size actresses. And I was like, oh, but being plus size means you can go into comedy.“ by Rebel Wilson
- “Obviously, my team thought, I've created this amazing pigeonhole for myself playing the fat funny girl. And I was earning millions of dollars per movie, so why would you want to change? They were very confused, but they're not. Me cared about earning money, and so I made the choice, thinking, well, it could ruin my career. But I made that choice anyway to try to have a family and not develop any serious diseases, which was the right thing to do. It was just against what my team had thought.“ by Rebel Wilson
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Episode Information
Desert Island Discs
BBC Radio 4
6/30/24
The Australian actor Rebel Wilson became an international star with a breakthrough part in the 2011 Hollywood comedy Bridesmaids, opposite Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. She followed this up playing Fat Amy in the highly successful Pitch Perfect trilogy, which documents the fortunes of a female college acapella group.
Rebel was born in Balmain, a suburb of Sydney. Her parents bred and showed dogs, in particular beagles, and her first brush with showbusiness came when she visited television studios to watch the dogs perform in popular shows. The dogs were so successful they even had their own agents.
She studied for a combined arts and law degree and then joined the Australian Theatre for Young People. At the age of 29 she sold everything she had and left Sydney to try her luck in Hollywood where she slept on a friend’s sofa for the first few months. She gave herself a year to make it and Bridesmaids came at just the right time – she never looked back.
Rebel recently made her debut as a director with the Deb, a musical set in Australia.
DISC ONE: Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars DISC TWO: Greatest Love of All - Whitney Houston DISC THREE: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - Monty Python DISC FOUR: I Missed the Bus - Kris Kross DISC FIVE: We Belong - Pat Benatar DISC SIX: Let Me Entertain You - Robbie Williams DISC SEVEN: Can You Feel the Love Tonight? - Elton John DISC EIGHT: Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
BOOK CHOICE: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl LUXURY ITEM: A bath tub and bath salts CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - Monty Python
Presenter Lauren Laverne Producer Paula McGinley