Rebel Wilson credits 80-pound weight loss for shift from comedy to dramatic roles

Hollywood actress Rebel Wilson says losing weight has completely transformed her career, opening the door to more serious roles.

The 'Pitch Perfect' alum has dropped more than 80 pounds in recent years, and she revealed that her new look is influencing the parts she’s offered.

© Dave Benett

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Ben + 1, Wilson explained, “When I lost about 70 or 80 pounds in 2020, I started getting offered more serious roles. I did a British indie movie about traumatic brain injury, and now I’m playing Lady Capulet in the new movie musical Juliet and Romeo." 

"I think I un-type-cast myself by losing weight. I loved being the bigger, funny girl, I loved playing Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect movies, but once I slimmed down, people began to see me differently.”

© Kevin Winter

Wilson’s career received an early boost thanks to a scholarship created by Nicole Kidman, which allowed her to move from Australia to study at the New York Film Academy and Chicago’s Second City Training Center. Although her instructors pushed her toward comedy, Wilson says she has always aspired to the kind of dramatic career enjoyed by Dame Judi Dench.

“I wanted to be like Dame Judi Dench and do really serious work,” she said. “People liked to laugh at me, though, and when Nicole Kidman gave me the scholarship, she suggested I specialize in comedy, so that’s what I did. When I came to Hollywood, I was pigeon-holed as the comedy girl. Now I feel as if I’m returning to my roots and tackling more dramatic material.”

© Unique Nicole

Wilson has previously admitted that many people “didn’t want” her to lose weight because they feared it would hurt her acting prospects. 

Speaking to The Sunday Times last year, she recalled: “Basically, no one apart from my mum wanted me to lose weight. People thought I’d lose my niche as the fat, funny character, and they wanted me to stay that way.”