Many fans know Alison Brie as a goody two-shoes thanks to her role on Community. Others may be more familiar with Brie as "hells bells" Trudy Campbell from Mad Men. But Brie hopes that she's totally unrecognizable in her new role on Netflix's GLOW, where she'll play a down-on-her-luck actor who navigates the world of '80s professional wrestling in hopes of catching the limelight once again. For her newest character, Ruth Wilder, she'll sport a perm, mom jeans, and look nothing like her previous roles.
But Brie says that it wasn't easy to snag the championship belt of a role. Even with her critically acclaimed performances, she had to really hustle to even be considered for the new show.
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"They didn’t even want to bring me in," Brie told Entertainment Weekly. "I don't think they thought I was gritty enough. I fought for this one."
The actor says that she arrived at auditions without makeup and clad in head-to-toe workout gear (can we make athleisure for interviews a thing?) in order to convince producers that she was right for the role. Eventually, she managed to get it — but she notes that those battles were just the beginning. In order to train for the spandex-and-glitter wearing character, Brie endured real-life wrestling training, which she says changed her body and her attitude.
"I've honestly never felt cooler or more powerful. I'm now capable of things I never even knew. I can do, like 10 pull-ups in a row," Brie told EW. "I was challenging our crew to competitions on set like an a-hole."
Note to future casting directors: Brie's got a set of impressive biceps now, and an assortment of clotheslines, pile drivers, and drop kicks at her disposal. Let's give her what she wants.
GLOW hits Netflix on June 23.
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