Biography
Rebel Wilson went from being merely comic relief to becoming one of the most distinctive comedic personalities of her generation. Born in Sydney, Australia, she went to New York in her early 20s on a scholarship, which led to her training at Second City. Upon returning to her native country, she began writing and starring in stage shows, including "The Westie Monologues," that started attracting attention. She was cast in the film off-shoot of the popular sitcom "Pizza" (SBS, 2000-07), "Fat Pizza" (2003). She went on to appear as a recurring character on the television series and was part of the cast for the spinoff project "World Record Pizza" (SBS, 2006). She went on to star in the comedies "The Wedge" (Network 10, 2006-07) and "Bogan Pride" (SBS, 2008). The actress relocated to Hollywood where she landed appearances on "Rules of Engagement" (CBS, 2007-13) and "Workaholics" (Comedy Central, 2011-17). Her first major impression on an American audience came from a brief appearance in the hit film "Bridesmaids" (2011). The female centric comedy starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Melissa McCarthy featured Wilson in a small role as one of Wiig's roommates. That kicked off a busy run of roles, starring with Laura Brent and Olivia Newton-John in "A Few Best Men" (2011) and joining the ensemble cast of "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (2012). While it wasn't immediately obvious, her breakout in the States came with her role as one of the a cappella singers in "Pitch Perfect" (2012). The musical starring Anna Kendrick, Ben Platt, and Brittany Snow was a modest hit at the box office but became a phenomenon when it became available for home consumption. After appearing in the Mark Wahlberg-Dwayne Johnson vehicle "Pain & Gain" (2013), she created and starred in the sitcom "Super Fun Night" (ABC, 2013-14). She went on to join Ben Stiller and Robin Williams for "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" (2014), the third and final film in the franchise. The actress reteamed with Kendrick and company for the sequel "Pitch Perfect 2" (2015), which more than doubled the box office take of the original. She then starred with Dakota Johnson and Alison Brie in "How to Be Single" (2016) and in Sacha Baron Cohen's "The Brothers Grimsby" (2016). She once again returned to her role as Fat Amy for the last time in "Pitch Perfect 3" (2017). The actress headlined "Isn't It Romantic" (2019), starring as a cynical woman trapped in a romantic comedy with "Pitch Perfect" and "Workaholics" costar Adam Devine. Wilson then teamed with Anne Hathaway in a reimagining of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (1988) titled "The Hustle" (2019). She returned to Australia to appear with Alexander Bertrand in the television show "Les Norton" (ABC, 2019- ). Taika Waititi cast the actress in his World War II dark comedy "Jojo Rabbit" (2019). Wilson then joined an all-star cast, including Jennifer Hudson and Taylor Swift, in the big screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beloved musical "Cats" (2019).
