Australian actor and comedy queen Rebel Wilson has come a long way from playing a proud bogan.

Her role in the Hollywood blockbuster Bridesmaids, and more recently as the loveable Australian expat Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect series, have seen her become one of Hollywood’s favourite comedians.

Appearing on Home Delivery this week, Wilson returned to her roots in Castle Hill, in Sydney’s north west, to offer an intimate look into what her life was like growing up in Australia.

From working at dog shows as a child, to hallucinating about winning an Oscar — here are 10 things you might not know about the star.

1. She scored 99.3 per cent on her HSC

Wilson was very studious at school and often spent her lunchtimes studying in the library.

“Every lunch time, like a total Nigel dork, I was in that library just sitting by myself with no friends,” she said.

But in Grade 12 her hard work paid off, with Wilson scoring a near-perfect result of 99.3 per cent on her Higher School Certificate (HSC).

“She worked incredibly hard, but see Rebel, she is one of those people who whatever she sets her mind to, she just works really hard at it,” her mother Sue said.

2. She was a shy child

Wilson said she was cripplingly shy as a child, but one day decided she wanted to change.

“I had read somewhere that if you don’t cement your personality by age 15, that’s it, you are going to be like that for the rest of your life,” she said.

“[I thought] ‘oh my God I am like 14’. If I don’t change I am going to be this way — this very shy girl who gets red in the face when she has to answer a question.”

She said she had to work very hard to make friends and be sociable, but eventually earned herself a reputation as a bit of a character.

“I think I really had to work on that side of things. I deliberately went out and tried to make friends,” she said.

“You just try every day. And then I kind of became known as a bit of a cheeky character around here.”

3. She went by a different name at school

During school, Wilson went by one of her middle names, Melanie.

“For a Christian girl’s school [Rebel] is not the best name to have,” she said.

4. She originally studied to be a lawyer

After school, Wilson originally studied to be a lawyer.

But after finishing her studies, Wilson decided the corporate life was not for her, and instead focused her efforts on becoming an actor.

Her mother Sue said she cried when Rebel told her the news.

“I cried when she said she is going to America,” Sue said.

“She was supposed to be a lawyer and she got an amazing mark.”

But Wilson said her skills were put to good use in Hollywood.

“In the early days I used to negotiate a lot of my own contracts,” she said.

5. She once hallucinated that she won an Oscar

While on a year-long exchange program in Africa, Wilson fell dangerously ill with a case of Malaria.

“I almost died … I was in intensive care for two weeks,” she said.

“I was the skinniest I have ever been. It was great,” she joked.

It was during that time in hospital that she made the decision to become an actor, after hallucinating about winning an Oscar.

“I am there in hospital. The malaria medication was very powerful,” she said.

“I had to keep taking all these pills and it was so gross and I was hallucinating — I don’t know whether it was from the drugs or the disease.

“I hallucinated that I won an Oscar and then I went up there and gave an acceptance rap instead of an acceptance speech, and it brought the house down.

“It was so real that I came out of hospital and I am like ‘you know what? I have got to go back to Australia’.

“I like came back and I enrolled in the Australian Theatre For Young People and people thought I was nuts.”

6. She worked in a cinema during her early acting career

As a teenager, Wilson worked at a local cinema in Castle Hill while also working as an actor.

She said that confused a lot of patrons, especially when she was working during the showing of her first movie, Fat Pizza.

“I am in the film and I am still working there making the popcorn, sweeping up the trash,” she said.

“People would see me and they’re like: ‘Hey weren’t you just in that film?’.

“It would confuse the hell out of people because obviously when you start out as an actress you don’t earn the big bucks.”

7. Her family is big in the dog show world

Wilson’s mother is an international dog show judge and breeds and shows Beagles professionally.

Wilson said she would often accompany her family to dog shows and was, at one stage, a junior handler.

“I was excellent … I went all the way to the Royal Easter Show,” she said.

8. She has stopped telling people her age

When Wilson moved to America, she stopped telling people her age.

“I was just being a lady and not telling my age,” she said.

“The reality is when you get hired, when you work in America, you have to show your passport and your visa for every single job, so it was not like you could hide how old you were.

“Most actresses do that.”

9. She wants to play more dramatic roles

With many comedy films under her belt, Wilson said she was actively looking for opportunities to appear in dramas.

“Something crime related … a murderer,” she said.

“I still feel like I am at the beginning of my career and I have got so much to do and show people.”

10. She always knew she would be successful

While she never expected to become a celebrity, Wilson said she always knew she would be successful.

“I never thought I’d be doing what I do now, being an international movie star,” she said.

“I think I have developed a lot as a person.

“I was very shy and I still think I am growing in to my looks … I was like pretty feral as a child.”

This post originally appeared on ABC News.