Rebel Wilson, the queen of laughs and cheeky grins, has just added another notch to her belt of controversy, this time stepping into the ring to defend straight actors playing gay roles. In a move that can only be described as both bold and delightfully Rebel-like, the 44-year-old actress, who’s both openly queer and fabulously engaged to Ramona Agruma, declared that acting should be a free-for-all.
During her grand speech on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Rebel, ever the philosopher, pondered, “So, if you’re overweight, you get to crack the jokes. But if you’re not—well, tough luck, because that’s the bizarre reality we’re living in right now.”
With the wisdom of someone who’s definitely stolen a few office donuts, Rebel continued, “We’re diving headfirst into a world where only straight actors play straight roles and gay actors play gay roles. To which I say, absolute baloney!” She probably didn’t add a dramatic hair flip, but it’s fun to imagine. “Actors should be free to dive into any role they fancy. In comedy, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tap dance on that fine line of what’s acceptable and what’s not.”
Rebel wrapped up her wisdom-drenched monologue with a nugget of truth: “If everyone’s tiptoeing around, trying not to offend, comedy’s going to be as bland as a tofu sandwich. Actors are here to shake things up, ruffle some feathers, and most importantly, make people laugh until they snort.”
And with that, Rebel Wilson left us with a new perspective and probably a giggle or two.
Rebel Wilson has hit headlines after saying that the idea that 'only straight actors can play straight roles and gay actors can play gay roles' is 'total nonsense' – but what do you think?#ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/gWxBw0HUwA
— This Morning (@thismorning) June 3, 2024