‘GLOW’ doesn’t pull any punches
At the new Netflix office on L. A.’s Sunset Boulevard, Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin — stars of the streaming service’s 10-part female wrestling comedy series “GLOW,” which starts streaming in its entirety June 23 — are deep in conversation about the power of women demanding to be heard. “It’s a real feminist moment again in this country,” says Brie, best known for her roles on “Community” and “Mad Men.”
They’re here to discuss their females- shouldn’t-be-underestimated comedy series, inspired by the real Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW), which produced a syndicated professional women’s wrestling TV series from 1986 to 1990. Brie plays Ruth Wilder, a struggling actress in L. A. who has reached the end of her rope and has auditioned for the female wrestling show. Gilpin plays her friend, ex-soap star Debbie Eagan, who reluctantly joins the misfit posse of body-slamming women.
The show embraces the camp value of its subject and era with frosted lipstick and hammerlocks. But adding some weight to it is also social commentary on the battles, pressures and inequities women faced then (and now).
“I feel our show is feminist junk food,” says Gilpin, whose credits include “American Gods” and “Nurse Jackie.” “With this, you sit down and you watch women find empowerment.”
Created by longtime friends Liz Flahive (“Homeland”) and Carly Mensch (“Orange Is the New Black”), the idea to explore the lives of women inside and outside a wrestling ring took shape after they watched a documentary that chronicled that kitschy phenomenon, “GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.”
“We both had complicated reactions,” Flahive says during a
break in production, “which is always a good sign for a story that pulls you in and you’re like…”
“… Attracted and repelled,” Mensch says, jumping in. “It was a family of women in all different shapes and sizes and colors, bonding together in this team. But it also felt kind of exploitative in how porn-adjacent it was.”
That night, they emailed Jenji Kohan — Mensch had worked with her on “Weeds” and “Orange Is the New Black.”
“They emailed with great enthusiasm, and I immediately watched (the documentary) and felt it was a great character piece,” says Kohan, who signed on as an executive producer. “I love that it really walked the razor’s edge of exploitation and empowerment.”
The real hurdle came in securing the rights from Ursula Hayden, a former GLOW wrestler (“Babe, the Farmer’s Daughter”), who has operated the company since 2001. In a phone interview she says, “There was a bit of uneasiness because I wasn’t sure where this was going to go. I wanted to make sure it would be done GLOW style. They assured me that it would be.”
Crafting the world of “GLOW” required copious research. Flahive and Mensch wanted to create new characters, rather than base them on the original GLOW performers. They read biographies of female wrestlers from the ‘40s and ‘50s and came up with 14 female characters. Comedian Marc Maron, the lone male, stars as Sam Sylvia, the cantankerous director charged with turning them into wrestling stars. The show’s trainer, Chavo Guerrero Jr., whose uncle trained the original GLOW wrestlers, also became a valuable sounding board.
The show’s physicality could have led to to use of stunt doubles. But the pair were intent on casting actresses willing and able to hit the mat. They started scouting gymnasts and former athletes — including Kia Stevens, a pro wrestler (“Awesome Kong”) — but didn’t limit themselves to that pool.
They admit, though, being skeptical about Brie’s abilities. Mensch says, “Full disclosure — and she knows this: We were like, ‘She’s too pretty — there’s no way she’s going to be right for this.’ “Flahive says, “We were totally snobby.” And completely wrong. “It’s an incredible feeling when you’re in the ring,” Brie says during a break from shooting. “And it bleeds out into every aspect of life. I’ve never walked taller. It’s like I am walking around with this really cool secret, which is, ‘ You have no idea what I’m capable of.’”