Five minutes with: Rebel Wilson

By Michele Manelis

Australian actress Rebel Wilson poses for photographers at the European premiere of the film "How to be Single" in London. REUTERS/Neil Hall
Australian actress Rebel Wilson poses for photographers at the European premiere of the film "How to be Single" in London. REUTERS/Neil Hall
Deadpan and hilarious actress Rebel Wilson talks about her new film, being single and relationships.

Rebel Wilson stars alongside Dakota Johnson, Alison Brie and Lesley Mann in the comedy How to be Single. Single life is a familiar subject to the Aussie comedienne. “I’ve been single most of my life,” Wilson says. “I was dating someone for a while but now it’s over. And I’m good with it,” she says, referring to comedian Mickey Gooch Jr. with whom she was in a relationship for a few months until September. “If the person’s not right then I don’t feel like I should settle. I’m trying to find the right person but it’s hard, especially in LA,” she explains. “There aren’t many eligible people. Or when they are, they’re just crazy.”

In contrast to the stereotypical Bridget Jones scenario where the woman suffers a breakup and drowns her sorrows in a bucket of ice-cream, Wilson says, “Not me. I’m one of those spiritual people that go, ‘It happened for a reason.’ I always think that something better is around the corner I don’t think any guy has made me cry for days on end, Bridget Jones style. You obviously get upset when it doesn’t work out, but no, I haven’t done anything crazy or extreme.”

In How to be Single, Wilson wears her signature out-of-control, hard-drinking party persona like a badge of honour. She sleeps with random strangers – often leading to post-coital amnesia – and wakes up in a different place every morning.

“I’m the complete opposite in my character. I don’t drink that much. Actually, I’ve never been drunk in my entire life. The worse thing that happens is my cheeks get a bit red when I have two glasses in one night. And also, I love staying at home. I just renovated a house here in Hollywood and absolutely love it so much that I never want to leave it. I just am so comfortable. I built my own home cinema and it’s beautiful,” she says, proudly. “Sometimes I force myself to go out in real life because like once you get into your pajamas and the bra goes off you’re like, ‘I’m just staying home and watching TV.”

On the topic of online dating Wilson says, “Well, there’s no way I’d go online. I watch that show Catfish and it fascinates me the way people lie online. It’s not even them in the photos,” she says, and laughs. “I know there are people who have met their husband on Tinder, but for me, it’s too risky.” Wilson prefers to meet people in a more traditional setting. “If you meet someone at an event or something, although you never quite know what they’re like, you can kind of suss them out in person. But online, a lot of my friends have had horror stories. Like one where the guy just wanted to lick her armpits. God! So many things. It’s just full on.”

Wilson first came to worldwide attention in a pivotal role in Bridesmaids. Since then, she’s starred in the Pitch Perfect films and featured in a scene-stealing role in Pain & Gain. Despite her success, Wilson feels she’s not seen as a serious actress. “I always feel like I’m underestimated. It’s always been that way for me. People were like, “Oh yeah, she’ll never be an actress. She’ll never make it. “Oh, yeah, she was in one movie,’” she says. “I guess I’ll just keep trying to prove people wrong.”

Undaunted, she enjoys showering her friends and family with expensive gifts from her success. “For Christmas last year instead of buying one gift, I bought my family 30 gifts. I had six suitcases of gifts. I had to lie at customs because you’re not supposed to bring in anything more valuable than $10,000 but I couldn’t be bothered waiting in the (Customs declaration) line so I just lied,” she says, shrugging her shoulders.

“The airport officials were looking at this Burberry handbag and I said, ‘No, but it’s from the factory outlet. It’s cheap.’ I have to stop spending so much. It’s hard because you want to be generous to your friends and family when you succeed. I also like to take my family on expensive trips. We went to Dubai which was really interesting. I just got this enormous villa for all for us.” She lights up when she talks about what she’s been able to do for her family. “I took my grandparents on the Queen Mary II. They loved it. It was my grandma’s dream.” She grins. “She wouldn’t be able to afford it herself, so I said, ‘Well, Grandma, I’ll take you.’”

Always smiling, Wilson seems to perennially be in a good mood. She says, “I take Vitamin D tablets which apparently helps with moods. I also exercise a lot, which people don’t think when looking at me, but this morning I got up at 5 a.m. and did my personal training before I came here. And that apparently makes you generally happier.”

Back to the subject of being single, Wilson doesn’t fret about whether she will meet the right person. “I feel like if you meet the right person, that would be awesome. But if I don’t, it’s not that bad. And I never had the fantasy of the wedding the photos and what will the dress look like, anyway.” But if she did meet the right guy, what would he be like? “He’d have to be physically stronger than me. That’s one of my main things. Apart from that it’d be good if he were a nice person.” She pauses. “If he can cook, that’s always good. Yeah, a chef. That’d be it.”

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