Rebel Wilson always knew that her first time in the director’s chair would be for a musical.
“Mostly, it could have just been a musical, I think, because the amount of work and passion and love you have to put in, I think it could have just been a musical for me,” Pitch Perfect alum, 44, tells PEOPLE ahead of the Sept. 14 premiere of his directorial debut Deb at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
To explain the origins of her love of the genre, Wilson rewinds time to a production she saw as a teenager – for a slightly unconventional reason.
Natalie Abbott in Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut ‘The Deb’.
Camp Sugar
It’s “a bit of a long story”, explains the star, “but our dogs were the stars of my family and our dog auditioned for a musical called 42nd Streetand the dog went to return calls and was supposed to run to the actress on command.”
Instead, Wilson says, the family pet defecated on stage and “we didn’t get the job.” And when her mom insisted they go see the puppy that ended up getting the part, Wilson found herself in the audience for 42nd Street production — and her life will never be the same.
“And so as a 14-year-old girl going through puberty and just not having a place in the world, going through difficult times in high school and stuff, I saw this musical — this singing and dancing and joy and light and amazingness — and from then I just love musicals,” she says.
“So I thought in order to take me away from acting for a while and direct it, it has to be a musical,” Wilson continues, “And I thought it had to be Australian, because it’s very authentic to me and my background. therefore, Deb.”
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Footage of Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut ‘The Deb’.
Camp Sugar
Thanks in part to stellar performances from “scary ladies” Natalie Abbott and Stevie Jean, the first-time director tells PEOPLE she is “so proud” of how her film turned out.
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And that “dance and joy and light and wonder” that the younger Wilson found in musicals was found behind the scenes Deb also, according to its two young stars.
“It was really, really fun,” Abbott tells PEOPLE of filming with Wilson at the helm. “There was a lot of laughter, somehow always on set.”
“Yeah, there was a lot of improv, which was great, especially for the scenes with me and Rebel,” adds Jean. “It was just a lot of back and forth moments. It was a lot of fun.”
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Footage of Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut ‘The Deb’.
Camp Sugar
Outside of her directorial duties, Wilson also has a supporting role in the musical set in Australia about a high school dropout (Abbott) who is determined to redefine herself at her small town’s Debutante Ball, or “Deb” as she’s known locally.
The film also stars Jean, Charlotte MacInnes, Tara Morice and Shane Jacobson.
Deb premieres at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday, September 14, and has no release date yet.
Wilson’s other upcoming projects include another movie musical, Romeo and Juliet of Veronaplanned for 2025.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education