Where were you when you first saw the trailer for the live-action Cats? Probably at work, minding your own business, not expecting to be bombarded with a group of very famous people who look like cats (or are they cats that look like very famous people?) dancing their hearts out to Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of “Memory.” Wherever you were, you had feelings. Maybe you were scared and angry. Maybe you needed to know more about the plot. Maybe you were just confused as to why the cats had boobs.
Overall, the reactions were...not great. But what do the stars of the film think? Cosmo had the opportunity to talk to Rebel Wilson—who’s kicking off her Let’s Make Love campaign with Match—and ask her all about it. She’s loving all the backlash, tyvm.
First, tell me about your campaign with the dating app Match! What does Let’s Make Love actually do?
It’s giving advice for how people can date better. I feel like with other dating apps out there, they tend to have a culture associated with them, I guess. Tinder’s culture is a bit more “casual hookup.” Match is for people really looking for love and a real connection.
Some of the advice I give are tips on just how to be a better dater. Like, don’t ghost people. Or what to write to somebody when they just send the word “hey” or an eggplant emoji...that kind of stuff.
Do you have any dating-app horror stories?
I’m on this celebrity dating app—but it’s not really just celebrities. I’ve never really had a disaster. One person got slightly...way too drunk and walked into a moving Uber. Just went flying into the Uber as it was driving off.
Did you go on a second date with this person?
Not immediately after that. I questioned their drinking habits. Later on, when they had realized they were drinking too much, I did give them another chance.
What’s the worst dating-app crime you’ve committed?
I think my crime is I get very busy and travel around the world a lot, so I don’t go on the app all the time. I might be responsive one day, and then I might just not go on the app for a week or more. Somebody could have been asking me a question or something and I’ve just left.
You were in Cats with one of the most notorious daters in pop-culture history. Did Taylor Swift give you any dating advice while you were on-set together?
She’s in a pretty committed relationship now, so it didn’t really come up. More that came up was us pretending to be cats and the challenges with that. That was more what we talked about.
Have you been reading any of the responses to the trailer?
When the trailer came out, the response was pretty massive. There’s some people who were like “Oh my god” because it is brand-new technology that’s CGI. I think people get confused because it’s essentially a dance movie in a lot of ways. So it really is all our own bodies. And yes, they’re covered in fur. I think some people found it a bit creepy ’cause we’re people but we look a bit like cats dancing around.
I loved the reaction. I think it was a bit polarizing and people will be super curious to see the finished product. What you got in that trailer was just some small samples of it, but it’s going to be such a big movie. And the cast is obviously incredible.
Do you like how you look as a cat?
Yeah. To me, it looked like how I thought it would look. What’s so brilliant about the movie is the dancing. It’s got some of the world’s best dancers, from ballet dancers to hip-hop dancers...oh, and tap dancers! It’s incredible. I can’t wait for people to see those big numbers on the big screen.
