If you know anything about GLOW, one of Netflix’s hot shows, you’ve already noticed that it is the epitome of what we believe the future to be: the strong, confident and real FEMALE. The show’s message of strength and beauty shows us that we as women can be our authentic selves while following any dream we have including becoming a professional wrestler. The show is inspired by the original 80’s Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, but the stories are loosely told in order to make room for more inspiring story lines. We spent some time getting to know Britney Young who is one of its most relatable cast members. Young plays the role of Carmen ‘Machu Picchu’ Wade. In our interview she dishes all the details regarding the impact of her character, her personal struggles, her cast mates and most importantly, the future of the show.
The new GLOW is heavily inspired by the original “Gorgeous Ladies” it nevertheless creates its own lane by presenting new concepts and story lines relevant to today’s issues. Young is confident in the success and longevity of the new show and optimistic that as the show continues to grow each season, the original fans will begin to notice the show’s originality, and lessen their expectations for every story of the past to be depicted.
She is still quite in awe about being a breakout star and fan favorite. Young literally started from the bottom not too long ago, so coming to terms with her success on GLOW still feels like a dream even after being two seasons in. Not only is this her breakout role, but in it she can finally be herself. Her character,
Carmen, is closely related to who Young really is in real life. Don’t think for one second that she minds not being the “sexy, naked character” on the show. She is more than comfortable with only having to bare her inner beauty. She notes that playing a low-maintenance character makes the hair and makeup process a breeze, and allows her to be as natural as she possibly can be. The character’s beauty is centered around her kindness and perseverance, and not how physically appealing she is. It is definitely a more freeing experience for Young compared to the characters for which she’d been auditioning over the years. Young’s Carmen Wade “body-slams”self-esteem issues through her immense confidence in her personal strength and inner beauty as well as quite a few opponents! Her character’s father was a wrestler who is not accepting that his daughter has chosen to continue his wrestling legacy by becoming a wrestler herself. As an actress, it was initially difficult for Young to tap into the emotional effects of that issue for the character because she was so used to being supported in her life by her own father.
There are other issues this character has to confront which Young has dealt with in her own life. Young herself was singled out while growing up for her own cultural differences. She was born in Japan and is biracial (black and white). She was inevitably the subject of every fat joke as a kid and in her career had been typecast as every mean and overweight character of every ethnicity but her own. Young eventually reached a pivotal point in her life that freed her from hating her differences and allowed her to boldly embrace them. Now she uses her differences as a template and hopes to be an inspiration to women who are just like her. Young’s goal is to help women everywhere to learn to love and fully embrace themselves unapologetically.
Because of her athletic background, Young does her own stunts in GLOW. Although the stunts can be difficult and exhausting, her team makes sure not to push their actors past their physical limits, and also encourages them to speak up if they can only do so many more takes of a wrestling scene. Young loves how honest the producers allow the cast to be. It also helps that there is no competition amongst the characters, the actresses and their abilities. They get along pretty well and support one another. These characters are genuine personalities relating to real women everywhere. Season two focuses on how the ladies do their best to prove themselves as actual wrestlers. It also deals with plenty of the misogynistic issues from the 80’s, which sadly are still relevant today. The most important aspect of the show for Young is that the characters consistently show their strength and beauty in and out of the ring, all while balancing comedy with obstacles and difficult decisions that women are faced with every day.
In our “Me Too” climate, GLOW seems to be a perfect extension of its message of female empowerment, self-love, equality and acceptance. We wondered if there was any pressure to uphold the standard of the movement and to continue to relate to it. Young is honored by the resemblance, but does not feel the cast members and producers are under pressure to uphold some standard placed upon it from outside; especially since GLOW was in the works before the “Me Too” movement began. She is confident that the show will continue to hold its own after the fact.
Felix is confident that GLOW’s legacy will continue to inspire in the seasons to come. Nostalgia for the 80’s, its iconic fashion sense, and the constant reminders of who the “original ladies” were will keep the show’s legacy alive. The evolution of GLOW’s stories will keep us tuned in and wanting more in the future. You can watch Seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix today!
Creative credits
- Written by
- Dominique Slaughter
- Photography
- Alissa Pagels
- Retouching
- Brianna Kish
- Styling
- Amanda Massi
- Hair Stylist
- Cecilia Rae
- Makeup Artist
- Jack Hargreaves
