Rebel Wilson Just Made The Smartest Decision Of Her Career

And it has nothing to do with a movie. 

Daniela Elser
WhimnAugust 2, 20192:25pm

No, Rebel hasn't signed on for 'The Hustle 2' - it's way bigger. Image: GettySource:Whimn

Have you watched the trailer for Cats yet? It is confounding, kinda deranged and creepy and finally answers the question, what would Judi Dench do if she was both sick of roles that required a corset AND had a huge tax bill to pay? (I’m guessing.)

We won’t know if this CGI extravaganza is actually a cinematic masterpiece or just an unsettling two hours of confusingly sexy cats cavorting about the place until it's released on December 20. Nor will the film’s stars such as Sir Ian McKellann, Dame Judi Dench, thirst trap extraordinaire Idris Elba and Rebel Wilson know if they have made an astonishing mistake trading quite a lot of their dignity for, I’m guessing, a stonking pay cheque. (Anyone else getting a bit of a Westworld vibe here?)

However, we do know that Wilson has made at least one very canny career choice of late, thanks to an interview she did with Kyle and Jackie O this morning.

Official trailer for Cats

Official trailer for Cats

Taylor swift, Jennifer Hudson, Judy Dench and Jason Derulo star in the remake of Cats.

So can you bio-hack your fertility? We have investigate. Plus, one study reveals Aussie women are playing Russian Roulette with their fertility.

Speaking to the hosts, Wilson revealed that she is currently in the process of freezing her eggs, saying: “I’ve just come from the fertility clinic actually” before later adding, “It’s a backup plan.”

“Like I think a lot of women, especially in their thirties or if they can in their forties should think about doing it now,” Wilson said during the interview.

To which, I say, clever girl.

Wilson is currently in the midst of a career boom. There was her star billing in The Hustle earlier this year - sure, it didn’t quite set the box office on fire but the fact her name was there alongside that of bonafide A-lister and Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway reflects her star power. Then there was Isn’t It Romantic, which cheerfully turned the rom-com on its head. This weekend the ABC’s Les Norton adaptation hits Australian TV screens and later this year Taika Watiais’ gloriously weird Jojo Rabbit lands in cinemas. (An awkward boy growing up in Germany during World War Two has Adolf Hitler as an imaginary friend.)

She is also 39 years old.

Rebel Wilson in 'Isn't It Romantic'. Photo: Warner Bros

Rebel Wilson in 'Isn't It Romantic'. Photo: Warner BrosSource:Whimn

It is a particularly cruel irony that so many women face - right around the time that hard won success finally arrives after years and years of hard graft, is the precise moment our biology demands we sacrifice exactly that if we want to experience motherhood.

Wilson is at a point in her career where she should be doing her utmost to capitalise on her current success (and boost her bank account). Her comedic and dramatic talents are in hot demand and like it or not, this is probably not the moment for her to step away from the spotlight, get knocked up and have a child.

No matter that she probably has the financial means to hire a team of round-the-clock Ecuadorian grandmothers to care for a bub, there is no getting away from the cold hard reality that motherhood would put a dampener on her career.

So, it’s science time!

While egg-freezing is far from a guarantee that you too can one day have your own heartrendingly adorable, mewling sprog, it is the best option for women who find themselves in this particular predicament. For Wilson, like millions of other women, opting to pop some eggs on ice is the savviest (if not only) way to try and balance glorious ambition while still keeping dreams of motherhood alive.

For so long there has been an underlying assumption that egg freezing, because a woman is prioritising work or other personal goals, is a selfish move. But the fact that any woman would go through such an expensive, painful and invasive process actually reflects a deep-seated commitment to family.

There is no right path to follow or timetable to adhere to to become a parent. For all of us, superstar actresses or not, all we can do is muddle through this complex, deeply emotional and fraught terrain as best we can.

Why should women have to choose between careers and motherhood? (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)



This week, legislation was introduced in the NSW State Parliament to finally decriminalise abortion. Again, we find ourselves in a moment where the conversation about women, and our right to make the best decisions for our bodies, ourselves, and our children, is particularly pressing. Women are time and again expected to forfeit our own aspirations to fulfill our biological potential. Well f**k that.

Women, like Wilson, who approach this charged, deeply personal situation with openness and the conviction to do what is right for themselves (and their careers and any future kids) deserve our applause.

Now whether we should feel that way about Cats is another question entirely...

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