Rebel Wilson's Real Name: Melanie Elizabeth Bownds

Quick answer: The actress is known professionally as Rebel Wilson. ABC News, in coverage of a 2017 Victorian Supreme Court defamation trial, and TV Guide independently identify her birth name as Melanie Elizabeth Bownds. Biography.com and the BBC independently date her birth to March 2, 1980; Biography.com and TV Guide name Sydney (ABC News; TV Guide).

Real name and early life

She is known professionally as Rebel Wilson. TV Guide lists her birth name as Melanie Elizabeth Bownds and her birthplace as Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ABC News, reporting on May 23, 2017, from the Victorian Supreme Court, says a jury was told her real name was Melanie Elizabeth Bownds and that she said she legally changed her name in 2002 to Rebel Elizabeth Melanie Wilson, taking her mother's maiden name. Biography.com refers to "Comedic actress Rebel Melanie Elizabeth Wilson, born on March 2, 1980, in Sydney, Australia," without using Bownds. The BBC independently says she was born on 2 March 1980 in Australia and grew up in the suburbs of Sydney, where her parents were professional dog handlers. The 2002 legal change, and the difference in name order between Rebel Elizabeth Melanie Wilson (ABC News) and Rebel Melanie Elizabeth Wilson (Biography.com), are recorded here rather than treated as a single form.

Career highlights

Biography.com says her career began onstage and on television in Australia, and that she broke out in the United States with Bridesmaids (2011) as Kristen Wiig's roommate. The BBC independently calls her best known for Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect, describes an early appearance as an extra on Burke's Backyard, and says that when she arrived in Hollywood she auditioned for almost 30 screen roles before being cast in Bridesmaids. Biography.com dates Pitch Perfect to 2012, with sequels in 2015 and 2017, and also names the television series Super Fun Night (2013) and later films including Isn't It Romantic, The Hustle, and Cats. TV Guide notes a 2009 Tropfest award for Best Actor-Female for Bargain! and a law degree among other early facts; Biography.com independently says she went to law school as a backup plan to performing.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Rebel Wilson or Melanie Elizabeth Bownds are looking for the same Sydney-born actress, later known for Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect. ABC News and TV Guide independently support the earlier name; the 2002 legal change is recorded from the ABC News report.