Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie: Rebel Wilson 'full on got down on her knees and begged' for role

The Australian comedian is a self-professed mega-fan of the classic British sitcom

Rebel Wilson would not say no to leather-clad role in Fifty Shades Freed (Getty Images)

If you're desperately desiring of something, sometimes the only option is just to put aside your humility, get down on your knees, and beg for it.

Precisely what Rebel Wilson did when she heard one of her favourite TV programmes was receiving the cinematic treatment. "I’m a huge Absolutely Fabulous fan," she professed to The Daily Mirror (via ContactMusic). "Jennifer Saunders was one of the first women I saw screenwriting and performing her own material and I got to meet her last year in London and I cried when I met her. She’s every bit as amazing as I thought."

Thankfully, Wilson was later able to contact Saunders when news of an Ab Fab movie broke, through mutual friend (and Bridesmaids co-star) Matt Lucas. "Matt told me Jennifer Saunders was writing an Ab Fab movie and knew I was such a big fan of hers and gave me her email address," she stated. "I emailed her and said, 'If you need me for anything I'll be there.'"

"I full out got down on my knees and begged. There's no level to which I wouldn't have gone to! She cashed that in about six months later and said, 'We're going to be shooting around November and would love to have you come on for a day and do some funny stuff.' I was on it for just the day but to be in the same breathing space as Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, it was a dream come true."



The first teaser for Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie recently dropped online, boasting the return of both Saunders and Lumley in their iconic roles as Edina and Patsy. Alongside Wilson, cameos are also expected from Kim Kardashian, Gwendoline Christie, Emma Bunton, Kate Moss, and Cara Delevingne.

The film hits UK theatres 1 July.