Todays Birthday 2/3
Today's Birthday, March 2: Australian actress Rebel Wilson (1980 - ).
Pitch Perfect funnywoman Rebel Wilson won a landmark defamation case against the publisher of Woman's Day last year after the magazine portrayed the actor as a "serial liar".
An all-woman jury found Bauer Media had defamed the comedic actress in a series of eight 2015 articles which claimed Wilson had fabricated stories about her age, real name and childhood in order to make it in Hollywood.
But Wilson's plans to donate a record $4.5 million payout to charities and the Australian film industry were put on hold as the publisher later appealed the level of damages.
Despite her mother's desire to name her daughter Rebel, her official recorded name after her 1980 birth in Sydney was Melanie Elizabeth Bownds. The youngster grew up following around her dog-handler parents as they travelled from town to town selling canine products.
She was deputy head girl in her final year at Tara Anglican School for Girls and went on to study a University of New South Wales double degree in arts and law.
After a stint in South Africa as a Rotary International youth ambassador, the aspiring actor developed a knack for developing and starring in theatre productions while at the Australian Theatre for Young People.
Officially changing her name to Rebel Wilson in 2002, she got her start as obese Australian-Greek love interest Toula in the 2003 comedy film Pizza, which spawned four seasons of the SBS television series spin-off, Fat Pizza.
She furthered her comedy credentials with two seasons on popular Network Ten sketch show The Wedge, and in 2007 made a cameo in the Nicolas Cage action flick Ghost Rider.
But Wilson had to wait until in 2011 to storm onto the international scene with her hysterical antics as Kristen Wiig's dim-witted, boundary-less housemate in female-led comedy classic Bridesmaids.
She is now one of Australia's most recognised Hollywood actresses, with a string of major comedy roles on Bachelorette, Struck by Lightning, How to Be Single and the American television series Super Fun Night.
She also got a chance to flaunt her vocal range as part of the Pitch Perfect film trilogy between 2012 and 2017.
Outside of film and television, Wilson hosted the 2013 MTV Music Awards and has her own plus-sized clothing line.
