Alison Brie Says Roar Series Gave Her Closure For Glow
Alison Brie says working on the new series Roar gave her closure for GLOW. Inspired by true events, GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) became a fan favorite on Netflix and earned numerous accolades during its run. Created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, GLOW follows struggling actress Ruth Wilder (Brie), who lands an audition for a syndicated wrestling circuit.
Riddled with glitter, spandex, and complex wrestling movies, GLOW also centers on Ruth's former best friend Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin) and a group of misfits working under the guidance of B-movie director Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron). In 2019, Netflix announced it had renewed GLOW for a fourth and final season. However, in 2020, Netflix reversed GLOW’s renewal and canceled the series. In the time since, Flahive and Mensch have worked on the anthology series Roar for Apple TV+, with the show premiering April 15. Along with Brie, it also stars GLOW vets Chris Lowell and Gilpin, though Gilpin appears in a different episode than the other two.
Now, Brie opens up about how Roar helped close the door on the dearly departed GLOW. Speaking with Collider, Brie said being on the Roar set with Flahive, Mensch, Lowell, and various crew members of GLOW was cathartic. Brie pointed out that the cast and crew from GLOW never received proper closure since the show was canceled when everyone was apart and in quarantine. Brie’s full comment can be read below:
The show was so physical. It was really about all of us connecting on a physical level and really feeling like a sports team. We were so in it together. So, to go through the show’s cancellation apart, and extremely apart, just felt really strange. It’s part of what made working on this so great because I got that closure that I couldn’t really get when we first learned of GLOW’s cancellation. I got to be back on set with Liz and Carly and Chris, and also a ton of people from our crew – the wardrobe department, hair and makeup, and sound. Anya Adams, who directed the episode, directed an episode in Season 3 of GLOW. So, there was a lot of joy and excitement, just to be reunited with my buds and my family from GLOW. It did give me some catharsis there.
Brie admitted that her character in Roar is the polar opposite of Ruth, especially in her physicality. Brie said playing a character whose arc is wrapped up in a single episode also helped with closure for GLOW, as she was able to play out her newest character to a natural ending, unlike Ruth. Since the abrupt news of GLOW’s cancellation, Gilpin and other cast members have come forward with their ideas to get the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling back in the ring, though nothing is in the works at the moment.
One of the reasons GLOW became a success for Netflix is because the premise is about overcoming obstacles. In an era of reboots and revivals, Netflix could try to bring GLOW back later on down the line and offer proper closure for viewers as well. Since the cancellation, the series regulars have expressed their interest in returning for a GLOW feature film, which could tie up the loose ends of season 3. Still, the show had a good run and made an impact on its audience. It seems Brie finally has closure for GLOW that was long overdue.
Source: Collider