Nearly two years after it was prematurely canceled, star Alison Brie has called GLOW’s Netflix axing the “great heartbreak” of her acting career.
While promoting her latest movie, Spin Me Round (read our review here!), Brie reflected on G.L.O.W. with a sigh:
It’s the great heartbreak of my career. But it will forever live on as, like, this great thing. I loved working on it – maybe more than anything I’ve worked on! – and I miss it a lot. But I feel very grateful for the time I had on the show.”
GLOW was officially canceled in October 2020 while the fourth season was on hiatus, having paused in March when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Reportedly, the entire first episode had already wrapped. Netflix, who has recently become notorious for sending beloved shows to the great streaming service in the sky, cited the difficulties of shooting during the shutdown. At the time, co-star Marc Maron called for Netflix to conclude the series with a feature-length movie.
The series was based on the extravagant true story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. The promotion launched in 1986, a time when professional wrestling was garnering worldwide attention (come on, admit you were a Hulkamaniac, brother!). Brie played Ruth Wilder, an actress whose lack of opportunities find her in the squared circle as heel “Zoya the Destroyer”. It co-starred Maron, Betty Gilpin and a roster of talented supporters that made it one of the most entertaining, female-driven shows on television at the time.
During its three-season run, GLOW earned a boatload Primetime Emmy nominations and multiple Screen Actors Guild nods, primarily for its extensive cast. Alison Brie herself was the only cast member nominated for a Golden Globe.
Was GLOW canceled too early or did Alison Brie and the other gorgeous ladies deserve to be counted out?