Rebel Wilson Made a ‘Conscious Decision to Look Ugly’ for Roles: ‘I Knew I Wouldn’t Be Taken Seriously Like a Cate Blanchett’

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
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Rebel Wilson says she made herself “ugly” in the early parts of her acting career because it was the best way to get comedic roles. Wilson also says she was “degraded” due to her appearance, and — at least once — her weight was literally a mandate for continued employment.

Wilson told The Sunday Times she had a contract clause for her breakout performance in the “Pitch Perfect” trilogy to not lose weight from 2012 to 2017. She played the character “Fat Amy” in the films. Wilson said the role, in part, led to her “deliberately making myself less attractive” to achieve success in comedy.

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“I wanted to make something of myself, have a great career, and make a lot of money,” Wilson said. “I knew I wouldn’t be taken seriously like a Cate Blanchett or Nicole Kidman, but I quickly realized that the bigger you were, the more audiences laughed. So I’d have my gut hanging out and wear micro-shorts onstage, no make-up, stuff that horrified my mother. It was a really conscious decision to look ugly. It was part of my plan.”

Wilson also spoke more about her feelings on Sacha Baron Cohen, calling their 2016 movie “The Brothers Grimsby” the “worst” experience of her career.

Wilson recently alleged that co-star Sacha Baron Cohen, who also co-wrote and produced the film, was a “massive asshole” on set and threatened to block the release of her memoir “Rebel Rising.” Wilson further claimed that Cohen pressured her to be “naked” for a scene and even asked her to “stick your finger up my butt” for the sake of comedy.

A representative for Cohen refuted Wilson’s claims in a statement shared with IndieWire.

“While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence, including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts from those present before, during and after the production of ‘The Brothers Grimsby,’” the statement reads.

'The Brothers Grimsby'
‘The Brothers Grimsby’Everett

Now, Wilson has elaborated on just how “disrespected on set” she felt, including she says being “humiliated” with revealing costumes.

“It turned out to be the worst professional experience of my career,” Wilson said, adding that she was scared to speak up and be called a “troublemaker.“

Wilson added that her costumes for the film were specifically designed to “see all the cellulite on my thighs and a top to show the fattest part of my arm…like I was something to be laughed at and degraded because of my size.”

The “Pitch Perfect” alum continued, “It’s one thing for someone who is fat to exploit their size for comedy, but it’s another for somebody else to humiliate you.”

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