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What Role Did Rebel Wilson Play In Pizza? Find Out As Actress Opens Up About Harsh Reality Behind Breakthrough Role In Memoir
Rebel Wilson, who played Toula in show Pizza, the girlfriend of Habib, a pizza delivery driver who also dealt drugs, spoke about the harsh realities of her role in her memoir.
Rebel Wilson has narrated her personal journey in her new memoir, Rebel Rising. In one chapter of the memoir, Wilson reflected on her ascent in the Australian comedy scene during the early 2000s, navigating challenges including professional criticism from male colleagues. In a preview of the book featured in this week's Stellar, Wilson speaks about her experience on the TV series Pizza from the early 2000s. She portrayed Toula, a character she describes as the "first recurring character who wasn't a sexy blonde bimbo." Despite her success on screen, Wilson revealed the struggles she faced off-screen.
Furthermore, Wilson recalled her role in the acclaimed SBS comedy as being the target of "many, many derogatory jokes about my size and appearance."
"I knew the jokes weren't aimed at me personally; my character was supposed to be the big fat whale that got laughs. And I willingly embraced that," she explained.
However, Wilson was also determined to add depth to her character, Toula, by improvising lines and fighting for more screen time in the male-dominated cast.
"I felt like I was the outsider who managed to enter an exclusive men's club. Their sense of humor was evident to me, and I went along with it. I was part of a show dominated by men, so I had to endure their fatphobic jokes," she recalled.
As the show gained popularity, so did Wilson's character, Toula, become a scene-stealer. In her early 20s at the time, Wilson saw this as an opportunity to further her career. She wrote her own one-woman stage show, which she planned to debut at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
However, her ambitions were met with criticism from Pizza series creator and star Paul Fenech, who bluntly told her one day on set, "You try too much."
What role did Rebel Wilson play in Pizza?
Toula, Rebel Wilson's character, was the girlfriend of Habib, a pizza delivery driver who also dealt drugs in the show
In an exclusive excerpt from the book, Wilson discussed her role as Toula and how her mother disliked the character so much that she forbade the show from being watched in their home.
"My appearance in the Fat Pizza movie left a lasting impression, leading to an invitation to join the TV show with the same name. I portray Toula, the overweight girlfriend of Habib, a pizza delivery guy involved in drug dealing. I deliberately make myself look larger and less put-together," the excerpt stated.
The excerpt continued, "I wear unflattering makeup and baggy tracksuits, and even consume doughnuts regularly to add extra weight. I was the first recurring female character on Fat Pizza who wasn’t a stereotypical sexy blonde. This resulted in numerous jokes about my size and appearance."
"I understood that these jokes weren’t aimed at me personally – my character was meant to be the target of comedic jabs about her weight. And I willingly embraced that. However, I was determined to inject some depth into my character," mentioned the actress in her book.
What else does Rebel Wilson's memoir mention?
Wilson doesn't hold back in her new book, also targeting comedian Sacha Baron Cohen for his weird behavior during her appearance in the 2016 film Grimsby. According to Wilson, Baron Cohen was the "a**hole.” In the book, she alleges that the Borat comedian pressured her to film a nude scene, which she refused to do. She alleges that the Borat comedian pressured her into filming a nude scene, a request she refused. This encounter led Wilson to establish a "no a**holes" policy when choosing collaborators, and she claims to have cautioned others against working with him. Baron Cohen has strongly denied Wilson's accusations.
Rebel Wilson also reflects on her beginnings in the Australian comedy scene. Despite facing doubt from male colleagues, she found success on the TV series Pizza, where she portrayed Toula, a character that broke stereotypes.
Additionally, Wilson shares a personal revelation: she waited until she was 35 to lose her virginity. She hopes her story will encourage others who choose to wait until they feel ready. Wilson admits she avoided discussing her sex life for years due to feeling self-conscious about it.
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