Rebel Wilson says she gained weight to get famous

Rebel Wilson has told how she gained weight to boost her career.

The comedy star – known for playing Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect films – revealed she realised early on that she might get more laughs if she was a little rounder.

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The Aussie actress told The Sunday Telegraph that when she was younger she had muscled arms because she was a tennis player but that she wasn’t overweight. When she wrote her first play, she appeared alongside a girl who was bigger than her – and the girl received more laughter from the audience.

Rebel, 36, said: “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.

“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.”

Rebel explained she also has a hormonal imbalance that makes her gain weight quickly, but also loses weight when she wants to.

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

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