Rebel Wilson has been slowly but surely taking over the world since she made a splash in Bridesmaids. When she stole the show in Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2, the demand for the Australian comedienne went through the roof. One of the projects that caught her eye is the romance-comedy (don’t call it a rom-com, says its screenwriter) How to Be Single.
The Movie Mensch caught up with Wilson to talk about the new film, being an in-demand actress in Hollywood, a trend she helped began by playing unapologetic modern females and whether there will be more Pitch Perfect movies!
In How to Be Single, Wilson plays Robin, a party-hearty Australian transplant living in New York City. She’s enjoying her singledom, complete with heavy drinking, sleeping with different men and serving as a mentor to newly single Alice (Dakota Johnson). Robin is a much different variety of comically crazy girl, something that drew Wilson to the part. She even tried to ground Robin in more somber issues.
“I tried to put really serious stuff in my character through improvising. And they cut it all out,” Wilson said and laughed.
“I did this one bit where I’m like, ‘The reason why I’m an alcoholic is because I was partying with my cousin and she drowned. And I was too drunk to save her.’ Then I did this whole bit about how my parents were in a domestic violence situation that’s why I’m never like getting married.’ When they edited the film together, of course, they didn’t include any of Rebel’s serious moments. I think it would be really good for my character, to have more of an arc and could be relatable. And they were like, “Yeah, no, people just want to laugh at you.’ I’m trying to transition into a dramatic actress, and I keep trying.”
Wilson also adored the chance to portray a plus size woman who is brimming with confidence. In fact, she’s the one who Alice tries to be more like. “Yeah, there [are] traditional beauty standards. You watch that frigging Victoria secret’s swimwear special or whatever, and you’re like, ‘Ah, I don’t look good.’ I love their bras. I’m wearing one right now! This goes for guys as well, but especially for girls — everybody’s good at something,” Wilson said.
“I think the key into tapping into your confidence is find out what you’re good at and develop those skills. And then feel a sense of worth and confidence through that. Whether you’re good at math or you’re good at science or you’re artistic and can paint or something, everyone has something. You’ve just got to find out what that is and have the confidence through that strength.”
Wilson, with Amy Schumer (Trainwreck) and others, is leading the way with bringing comedic and unremorseful women to the screen. They make us laugh, while being themselves and not conforming to any of society’s traditional gender stereotypes. Clearly, Wilson relishes in that fact. “I think I came to Hollywood at the exact right time because my first job was in Bridesmaids. I auditioned for Melissa McCarthy’s role and came second to her. And so they liked me so much, they put me in the film as a different character. But that movie was almost the start of what’s spawned all these other movies, including How to Be Single,” Wilson said.
“There’s all these [movies] where the women are being sexually confident and out there — which is more reflective of what women are. They’re so ballsy.”
With a new fashion line about to be released, called Torrid by Rebel Wilson, and six movies currently in development, there is a drive there in the actress that is hard to miss. She reported that she’s always been a tycoon at heart, even as a little girl.
“I found this duffel bag in my dad’s car and then I opened it. It was all these cassette tapes of business motivation. I just took them and I would just listen to them. When I was like three or four, I got the newspaper and you know how it’s folded over — I cut a little circle. So when you opened it up, it was like a head. And I tried to sell them as aprons on the side of the road. I also used to sell candy at dog shows. I would make like a hundred dollars a day. I would also eat a lot of my profits, unfortunately,” she said and laughed. “I just always had business sense. I always wanted to be rich.”
Wilson’s character in How to Be Single may not be ready to settle down and find love, but she admitted that she might be up for it… now that success seems to have found her.
“I’ve been eternally single and I think I like it a little bit too much. I need to be more open to the possibilities of love,” Wilson said and laughed.
“I know what my problems are. I’m very independent. I always have been. I went to an all-girls school. We were always encouraged to go out and live our lives. But now, I’m at the point where things are going so well, that I’m trying to look for the right person. Just haven’t found him, in Hollywood, surprise, surprise.”
Will there be more Pitch Perfect movies? “Yeah. We just go Fast & Furious with it. We’re filming the third movie in the middle of this year which will be awesome!”