Rebel Wilson Says She Was ‘Shocked’ by Attention ‘Just for Losing Weight When I’d Done So Many Things in My Life’

Rebel Wilson admits she was “shocked” by how much attention her weight loss attracted.

The Pitch Perfect star, 45, revealed on an episode of SiriusXM’s Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa podcast released on Wednesday, June 4 that she didn’t expect so many people to care about her weight loss journey — especially in light of all of the other things that she’s done.

“I was kind of shocked with how much attention I got just for losing weight when I’d done so many things in my life,”  Wilson said.

“Like, I’ve got two degrees from university and done a lot of great work as an actor and producer and everything, but that — losing weight — was the thing that people seem to be really interested in,” she continued.

Wilson said she “probably reinforced” the attention because she “started posting more photos on Instagram” and then “millions of people would like it.”

However, she also admitted on the podcast that she understood where the scrutiny was coming from as she had been “intrigued” by other celebrities’ weight-loss transformations in the past.

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“When I watched people that I really like, like Oprah, and whenever she was doing an episode about weight loss or something, I’d be so intrigued,” the actress shared. “So I kind of get the fascination with it.”

Wilson began losing weight in 2020 — which she dubbed her “year of health” in an interview with The Sunday Times — and even briefly used Ozempic, a FDA-approved type 2 diabetes drug, to help maintain her slimmer figure. Though the actress noted that she was no longer taking the medication.

Since losing 80 lbs., the Senior Year actress shared in an interview with SiriusXM radio host Ben Harlum that she has seen a pivot in her career and that she “started getting offered more serious roles.”

“So I think I kind of un-typecast myself by losing weight,” she confessed. “I mean, I loved being the bigger, funny girl.”

Wilson added, “Loved playing Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect movies. It was so cool, and that still is me in so many respects. I guess people … once I did lose weight, they started to see me a bit differently.”

She also revealed that when she set out to become an actress, she envisioned taking on more dramatic roles. “I wanted to be like Dame Judi Dench and be really serious,” she said.

Now that she is being offered more dramatic roles, she said that “it’s kind of like almost going back to my roots as an actress.”

The actress previously revealed to PEOPLE that she was an “emotional eater” and detailed the “emotional war” she experienced over her weight. In her book, Rebel Rising: A Memoir, she said it isn’t about “some magic pill, or some sick special diet, or exercise regime or whatever.”

“It’s literally about working at a healthier way to deal with your emotions, and there is no magic solution,” Wilson said. “Maybe me telling my story might encourage them to do the same and make healthy change in their lives.”