Entertainment
Celebrity Secured Paycheck Linked to Weight: Inside Hollywood’s Curveball
Clear Facts
- Rebel Wilson secured a $10 million paycheck for her role in “Pitch Perfect 3,” with the stipulation that she neither gains nor loses more than 10 pounds.
- This considerable salary was a significant increase from her previous paycheck for the 2011 film, “Bridesmaids,” which was just $3,500.
- Wilson claims in her memoir, “Rebel Rising,” that her agency preferred her heavier as they gained significant commission from the roles where she played the “fat funny girl.”
The story of Rebel Wilson’s skyrocketing Hollywood career has been a testament of determination and perseverance. From her breakthrough role in “Bridesmaids,” which paid her a meager $3,500, to securing a whopping $10 million paycheck for her role in “Pitch Perfect 3,” Wilson’s rise to fame has been meteoric.
Despite her low pay for “Bridesmaids,” Wilson claims she was just happy to be in a film and that the money was enough to cover her membership fee for the SAG-AFTRA union.
In her memoir, “Rebel Rising,” Wilson reveals a startling truth about her Hollywood journey. “My agency liked me fat because they got hundreds of thousands of dollars in commission for each film where I played the fat funny girl,” she wrote.
During an interview, Wilson shared how she managed to negotiate a higher salary for her role in “Pitch Perfect.” The studio initially offered her $9 million, but Wilson leveraged her worth to secure $10 million.
“Universal Studios are incredible, but did they make a ton of money from the ‘Pitch Perfect’ movies? Yes,” Wilson said. “So, despite me absolutely loving all those folks at Universal, did I use that leverage to my advantage? Yes. And in the 11th hour, I go, ‘You know, that’s a lovely offer of $9 million. But I need one more to make it 10.”
In another interview, she discussed a condition in her “Pitch Perfect” contract that required her to maintain her weight. “You can’t lose — I think it’s not more than 10 pounds or gain more than 10 pounds. You have to kind of stay at the weight. It’s in your contract,” she revealed.
This clause left her feeling entrapped in a “multimillion-dollar pigeonhole” due to her weight.
Over the years, Wilson decided to prioritize her health, resulting in a significant weight loss of 77 pounds in 2020. She referred to this period as her “year of health.”
However, her transformation was met with mixed reactions from her fans. “Some were like, ‘Oh, we don’t think she’s funny anymore,’ or, ‘Now she’s lost me as a fan because I can’t relate to her anymore,’” she shared. Still, Wilson remains optimistic, hoping that those who read her book will understand her journey with weight and health.
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