"Super Fun Night" star and co-creator Rebel Wilson addressed a few issues critics had with the ABC comedy pilot at the Television Critics Association Summer 2013 press tour on Sunday.
One critic asked why Wilson's lead character Kimmie speaks with an American accent, which the questioner indicated (as many critics think) is a mistake. In response, Wilson purposely appropriated a bad American accent and said, "I mean, my American accent is really, really good!"
But in seriousness, Wilson explained that she had generally been doing Australian or other non-American accents, so she wanted to do one in "Super Fun Night." Plus, the three lead women -- Wilson's Kimmie, Lauren Ash's Marika and Liza Lapira's Helen-Alice -- are supposed to have been friends since "13 or 14 years of age, so I thought I had to make the character American," she added.
Another point of contention was Marika's portrayal as an athletic woman with a penchant for argyle sweater vests with seemingly non-platonic feelings for Kimmie. "Super Fun Night" executive producer John Riggi said Marika might turn out to be a lesbian, but right now, they're just saying she's got some "confusion" going on. Riggi noted that if she comes out, it will be dealt with "respectfully," before adding, "There will be touching of all parts."
As for some of the jokes about Wilson's appearance via Kimmie in "Super Fun Night," Conan O'Brien, who created "Super Fun Night" with the actress, said he thinks "great comedians know the balance [between mocking in jest versus being cruel] inherently." The late-night host compared Kimmie to Lucille Ball and Tina Fey's iconic characters before adding, "She has an unerring ability to hit that balance."
The goal is to get viewers on Kimmie's side so that her wins are meaningful, he said.
As Wilson pointed out, that could mean "Super Fun Night" gets a bit serious at times. "The purpose of the show to me is to really inspire girls who don't think they're cool and pretty and all that to get out there, and say that they can have fun, exciting lives too," she explained. "In order to do that, you need to present a very realistic portrait of what it is like to be a girl like me."
For example, Wilson added that a guy will break up with Kimmie, telling her, "You're too fat and I don't like it any more."
Wilson added, "There are some very sad storylines coming down the pike, but we have to present that so that ... the wins for my character" are meaningful, echoing O'Brien's sentiment.
The show's mission statement is Kimmie's saying, "I get to have my shot. We get to go up to the plate like everybody else does. Maybe we don't have the skill set" -- and that's where the comedy comes from, Riggi explained. "But we're trying to tell the story of three young women who get their chance."
"Super Fun Night" premieres Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
