There’s an old belief that because wrestling is predetermined, it’s fake.
New York actress Betty Gilpin, who plays a wrestler on “GLOW,” a new Netflix series about the 1980s female wrestling promotion — is very clear that even in this fictionalized version, it’s real.
“Wrestling, it’s not fake,” she says. “It’s the highest form of improv, of physical improv. Even though you may know who’s going to win, it still really hurts.”
Gilpin, 30, who plays soap opera-actress-turned-grappler Debbie Eagan, recounted the first time she did a back bump, where you land straight on your back. When she told the trainer that “it really hurts,” he responded, “No, that’s right.”
“There’s nothing fake about it,” Gilpin, who lives in Clinton Hill, added, “But it is really fun.”
And you’ll certainly have fun watching “GLOW” — which stands for “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling” — with its big hair, outlandish costumes and dedication to all things neon and glittery.
Much like its fellow Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” (whose creator Jenji Kohan is an executive producer), the show has a large ensemble cast, which also stars Alison Brie and Kate Nash, as well as comedian and podcaster Marc Maron as Sam Sylvia, the gruff, off-color film director turned wrestling promoter.
amNewYork spoke with Gilpin about the show.
Were you a wrestling fan?
I was not a wrestling fan. I think my brothers were kind of into it. . . . But I got into it via YouTube and it cracked my life open.
This is a very physical role. Were you nervous going in?
I was pretty terrified. I had never done a sport before. And I either thought, “OK, I’m going to really screw this up or it’s going to be the stunt doubles do everything.” And we did everything and they trained us for a month. And then throughout shooting — from August to December — we did wrestling training. Using my body in a functional, powerful way really bled into how I felt at my job as an actor. I felt like I stood taller and took up my space and was far more fearless than I’d ever been in trying new things acting-wise. I felt like a braver person all around.
What makes Debbie tick? Do you relate to her?
I definitely relate to her. I think Debbie, when we first meet her, is sort of in a place, where she has convinced herself that she’s living the life that she wants. She tells herself, she wants to have a baby and retire from acting and wants to be the suburban stay-at-home mom. I think that this thing that occurs in the first episode that turns her life upside down makes her realize that it’s not what she wanted at all.
Did you enjoy the costumes?
I did enjoy the crazy costumes. It felt like, across the board, in every department, this was everyone’s passion project. Everyone had done the boring prop shows to get to this point. Beth Morgan, the costume designer, it’s really a tour de force . . . She let no teal or glittery stone unturned. It was remarkable. It felt like another planet in 1985.
The hair was epic.
The hair is epic. I got a body wave. The smell! It smelled like someone was making a jambalaya in an open grave. It was horrible. And I think probably ruined my hair. As I stretched to new potentials, my hair stretched to new heights.
What was it like working with Alison?
Working with Alison was incredible. Watching her and the way she conducts herself as a boss and as a supportive sister, angel at the same time, I didn’t think those things could occur simultaneously. I think that Alison Bre is the wave of the future. . . . Having her at the helm was the greatest gift that we could have received because she led us into the war of glitter feminist with a shiny pink spear.
What other projects are you working on?
Well, I was on this show “American Gods,” showing right now. And then I’m doing a movie this summer. I’m filming a movie called “Isn’t It Romantic,” where Rebel Wilson plays the lead. She’s anti-rom-com, and with a smack on her head is transported to a dream world of romantic comedies. Yeah, I’m pretty excited to watch “Notting Hill” 11 times in preparation.
How does Rebel compare to the personalities of the wrestlers?
Rebel Wilson? Well, I haven’t met her yet, but I think that she is on the front lines of changing the face of female comedy and yeah she’s got her wrestling character, wearing her wrestling character proudly on her sleeve.
Streaming: “Glow” premieres on Netflix on Friday.
