Rebel Wilson has encouraged up-and-coming talent in the film industry to “get out there and make things yourself”.
The 42-year-old Australian actress is best known for her comedic roles in films including Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids.
Speaking at the British Film Institute (BFI) Luminous fundraising gala, Wilson told the PA news agency: “My tip for up-and-coming talent is to just get out there and make things yourself.
“I came up before this digital era. So what I did is I produced my own plays and I worked in a shopping centre and made two thousand dollars and put that into my first production and just put it on and employed my friends and then that’s how I got noticed and that’s how I first got on TV.
“So I think, just try to make something. I know it’s hard when you’re starting out and you’re scraping money together, but that would be my best advice to get seen.”
Wilson also spoke candidly about being offered more serious acting roles since she lost a considerable amount of weight.
She said: “I kind of feel like transitioning into different kinds of roles and into more dramatic roles and it’s really awesome. Of course I’ll still be doing comedies as well!
“But I think it will kind of change the roles that people see me being cast in.”
Elsewhere on the red carpet at the BFI gala in London, filmmaker Edgar Wright also shared his advice with aspiring filmmakers, telling them to “be sincere in what you’re making”.
The 48-year-old, best known for his work on the so-called Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, told PA: “Be sincere in what you’re making. I always think it’s a good idea to make a movie that you want to see, not the movie you think you ought to make.
“It’s always just about risk taking really, and that’s not down to the filmmakers, it’s more down to the people who make the movie to take a chance on new voices, that’s always the thing.
“When I made Shaun Of The Dead we had been turned down by a lot of companies, and we were very, very fortunate that one person takes a chance on you.
“So you’re aware of what a kind of slim chance of success there is. So I feel forever grateful that person took a chance on me. So then, I think within the industry, it’s about taking a chance on new talent coming through.”
He added that he would “definitely” like to reunite with the stars of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy – Simon Pegg and Nick Frost – on a new project if they “found the right thing”.
Speaking about the importance of the BFI Luminous gala, the institute’s chief executive Ben Roberts said it is a “really big deal” because of the opportunities it provides.
He said: “It’s one of the opportunities that we have to celebrate the work of British filmmakers and the BFI. But also, it’s a way in which we can raise funds for critical education work and the work we do to support talent development.”
Mr Roberts also addressed the UK Government’s recent mini-budget and its effect on creative industries.
He said: “The creative industries are a growth story. We’re a growing industry, we’ve got more film and television production happening in the UK now than we ever have in the past.
“We’re employing people around the country, we’re training people, we’re developing new skills. So we contribute to the economy.
“All our conversations with Government have been very encouraging and actually that will continue as a growth story.”