Alison Brie explains why she feels it’s easier to move on from GLOW than to hold out hope for a movie. Brie played Ruth Wilder in the Netflix series, which focused on a fictionalized version of the professional wrestling promotion Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. With its ensemble cast and thoughtful storylines, the drama garnered praise and several awards nominations.
GLOW season 4 was renewed in September 2019, which was meant to be its last. However, in October 2020, it was announced that Netflix had reversed its renewal decision as a result of difficulties filming the show during an ongoing pandemic. Fans of the show have expressed their desire for a feature film continuation, but Brie recently expressed a bit of ambivalence on the matter.
Speaking with Metro, Brie elaborated on why she feels that it would be easier to move on from her time on GLOW than to cling to the possibility of a movie continuation. Though the actress made it clear that she was thankful for the wrestling drama, and especially the chance of working with co-star Betty Gilpin over the course of three seasons, Brie sounds like she’s made peace with GLOW’s cancellation. You can read her quote below.
“It would be amazing, although mentally, it’s easier to just let it go and appreciate it for what it was. I got so much out of the three series, I feel like I grew as an actor and a person. And in Betty Gilpin I met my soulmate and best friend and this amazing actor – kind of the most special person, aside from Dave, in my life. For me, it’s easier to reconcile those things about the Covid cancellation and just kind of release. It’s harder for me if I’m hanging on to feeling like, ‘Maybe we will do a movie in a year,’ than to say goodbye to it.”
Given that Brie has previously voiced her support for a GLOW movie, her latest remarks seem to stem from the realization that reprising the role of Ruth is unlikely. Netflix made the decision to reverse its season 4 renewal, understanding that the news would upset the show’s loyal fanbase. And part of the justification given, that it would be difficult to safely film wrestling scenes in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, didn’t ring entirely true to many fans and industry observers as the show had largely moved on from the grappling aspect since its first season to become more of an intimate character drama. It’s possible, of course, that Netflix will reexamine the prospects of a movie down the line. But even then, the show’s large cast and even bigger roster of recurring actors might be involved with other projects. There are too many variables at the moment, particularly with the cancellation decision being relatively fresh.
From her years on Community, Brie has reasons for both pessimism and optimism. On the positive side, despite how it will soon be a decade since the NBC comedy was at its peak, fans are still eager for a Community movie. Yet, even with that excitement, and even with the willingness of the cast and crew to return, progress has been slow-moving. The push for a feature-length sendoff of her more recent series is comparatively smaller in scale and, at this early stage, there’s no telling if there will be a successful push for Netflix to provide closure for Ruth and others. Hopefully, in the coming months, there will be an encouraging update. But, even if not, there will always be 30 excellent episodes of GLOW to enjoy.
Source: Metro