“Of course when you’re told that they don’t think your right for it, I was even more fired up to prove them wrong.” – Alison Brie on Auditioning for ‘Glow’
Glow made its debut on Netflix at the end of June, without much fanfare at all. A show based on a real show from the eighties called Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, Glow tells the story of Ruth, played by Alison Brie, who is a struggling actress. Desperate for work, she takes a role on a wrestling show, in an attempt to boost her profile, but she soon discovers more rejection awaits her.
Glow quickly built a steady following; its quirky comedy coupled with rather poignant drama at times captured the audience’s imagination, and Netflix has already renewed the show for a second season. That’s certainly good news for Brie, who worked hard to prove she was the right woman for the role (via NME):
“My agents were getting a little frustrated because I kept turning everything down. They called me one day and were like: ‘We found something you will be really excited about – it’s a women’s wrestling comedy that’s set in the 80’s, Jenji Kohan’s producing it’. I was like: ‘I’m in!’
“I read the script by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch and I was just blown away by the writing, I responded immediately to the character. I became very singularly obsessed with getting a job on the show – and of course they didn’t think I was right for it, they didn’t want to see me at all: I had to audition many times.”
“They really didn’t want me to wear make-up to my audition – I would go and wear no make-up, and put my hair back into a ponytail, wearing work-out clothes. I got the sense that maybe they didn’t think that I was or edgy enough based on the roles that I played before, they’re quite polished and it was a great signal to me that this was the role I wanted – I’ve been looking to shatter that pristine image, I’ve had the desire to get my hands dirty and do something that was unexpected. So it was an amazing indication that I was on the right track – and of course when you’re told that they don’t think your right for it, I was even more fired up to prove them wrong.
“I’ve never felt more like Ruth, the character, than while I was auditioning for this show. I think that is what inevitably won them over – it was my desperation just kept coming through, and my passion for the part. I feel like they purposely made me jump through a lot of hoops just to see if I was willing to and I would just be like: ‘Yeah whatever you want! I’ll come in again, I’ll do a weird rap, I’ll fly to Toronto to to audition with Betty Gilpin, I’ll read again with Betty Gilpin in Los Angeles, we’ll do a full fight scene for you guys!'”
