Rebel Wilson Reveals She Gained Weight to Get Famous: My Size Is an ‘Advantage’ Us Weekly 4 hours ago Comments Like Reblog on Tumblr Share

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The 36-year-old actress, who is best known for her role as Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfectmovies, revealed that she gained weight early on in her career in an attempt to get famous — and it paid off.

Wilson told the British newspaper that when she wrote her first play, she starred alongside a girl who was heavier than her.

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“And I was like, ‘Oh. That girl’s getting a lot of laughs, a lot easier than me. What is it?’ Because I don’t think there’s much difference in talent,” she said. “And I remember distinctly thinking, ‘I think it’s because she’s fatter.’ 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 Bridesmaids actress, who described her pre-fame self as “athletic” with “strong arms,” also told The Telegraph that she drops a few pounds whenever she doesn’t have a role to play.

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“I’ll take six months off, and just do a total transformation,” she explained. “But then, so many people go, ‘Don’t you do it!’ But I think, ‘Why not?’”

Wilson added, “I saw my size as being an advantage whereas so many women see it as a disadvantage.”