WARNING: GLOW spoilers
Who knew we all needed a series about professional female wrestlers in our lives?
Apparently Netflix did because in June the streaming channel released GLOW and it instantly became one of the most buzzworthy comedies of the summer.
GLOW‘s a fictional telling of a real life phenomenon that aired on television in the mid-to-late ’80s. It’s the story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling and the men who are trying to turn them into stars. At the core of the series, each of the characters find their way to the mat because they’re searching for something they haven’t found in their own lives.
They’re fierce and quirky and a bit damaged. These new experiences will test them and make them stronger. The characters we learn the most about in the first season are Alison Brie‘s Ruth a.k.a. “Zoya the Destroya,†Betty Gilpin‘s Debbie a.k.a. “Liberty Belle,†Marc Maron‘s Sam Sylvia a.k.a. the Ringleader, Sydelle Noel‘s Cherry a.k.a. “Junk Chain” and Britney Young‘s Carmen a.k.a. “Machu Picchu.â€
Carnen’s shy, she’s prone to panic attacks when it comes to performing for a live audience. She comes from a family of wrestlers so she knows this world. And when Sam hires her to join this crazy pilot he’s directing, she has something to prove to her dad, her brothers and herself.

Ultimately, Carmen’s the one who shows the most growth in season one. By episode ten, she’s able to show her family she’s made for wrestling. She’s created connections with the women she’s fighting alongside, she’s gained the confidence she needs to breakthrough her anxiety, and she’s bonded with Chris Lowell‘s Bash, the creator/producer of this show within a show.
On a recent phone call, we talked to Young, who worked in film and TV production after graduating from USC.
In fact, she was a showrunner’s assistant for the CBS procedural The Mentalist, where she says she learned a lot from her behind-the-scenes vantage point.
Britney Young: That was my first time really being on a project where I see it from the idea that the writers write down on the board in their writer’s room, all the way to post at the final cut. It was so exciting to see that full process realized.
Something else she realized around this time is she wanted to make acting her priority.
Young: Having to watch all the casting videos that were coming in and talking with the casting director [on] who the producers wanted, that’s when my dreams of being an actress kind of started poking up again, and just watching all these videos and being like, ‘This is what I wanna do. How can I get into that field of work?’
A friend of hers gave her the push she needed. She offered Young a web series.
Young: She was like, ‘Hey, I have a role for you if you want it,’ and I took it, and that really lit a fire under my butt, and I was very grateful. I had some amazing bosses all throughout my career, but specifically the last three years. They understood that acting is what I wanted but that I was also gonna give 100% to the job that they had hired me for. So I really do appreciate all those bosses. Shout out to them. They know who they are.
Young is happy people are finally getting to see GLOW after all the hard work she, the cast and the crew put into it.

Young: It’s so nice to see people finally enjoying what us girls have been so proud of and so happy for for the past almost year now. My family came to the premiere, and to hear them laughing and my mom crying at certain things, it really, really warmed my heart. It was such a great experience to have them here for it and then to binge watch the show with them was great.
Since the show’s release her life has changed a little bit, which means she’s getting recognized more often.
Young: I got recognized at an audition just yesterday. I think that has been the biggest difference. I’m that type of person where it’s like if you come up and talk to me, I’m gonna wanna know your name and what you do for a living. I wanna have a conversation. That’s just my personality.
Her character’s trademark shyness isn’t what really drew her to the role.
Young: I don’t get stage fright, knock on wood, and I’m very grateful for that. I think what I related to in that instance was on the psychological level of she is trying something new and it’s something that she’s scared of, and she doesn’t want to fail. She comes from a family of famous wrestlers who succeed at everything they do. I think that’s what I really drew from was having that pressure on you to succeed because of what everybody else thinks of you.

Especially in that final match in the finale where she just sits there and she’s like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ Even when she’s halfway through the match and she gets her legs taken out from underneath her, and she still has this moment of, ‘Crap, I don’t know if I can really do this,’ and then she finds that energy and that support from her dad in the audience and the audience as a whole. I think that motivated me a lot more through the scene as it went on.
What really set the tone for the filming, however, was the intense four-week training where she and the rest of the cast learned the wrestling moves they were going to need for their on-screen battles.
Young: I think the great thing about it and that made us bond really well were a couple things, but mostly it was that we all came into this training session and had no wrestling experience except for Kia Stevens (GLOW‘s Tamme a.k.a. “Welfare Queen”) who’s actually a professional wrestler. But on the flip side, she had never acted before, so she’s also coming into a new realm, and I think that having us all on that level, it wasn’t a competition thing. It wasn’t a ‘Let’s see who’s the best wrestler.’ It was literally 14 women encouraging and rooting each other on. There was nothing like going in there and doing a little mini-match and having 12 other girls screaming and chanting and hooting and hollering on the ropes.
There was one move that was a bit challenging to master.
Young: I think it might be the wrong name, but I believe it was called a headlock take-down. The reason why I thought it was difficult was because I didn’t want to crush the girls that I was wrestling. It was an insecurity thing in my head where I’m bigger than all these girls. I don’t want to hurt them. But I did it once with Chavo Guerrero Jr., who was our wrestling coordinator, and he basically looked at me because I kept on saying, ‘I’m going to crush you. I’m going to crush you.’ He was just like, ‘Get over it.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’
And then I went and did it once, and we did it perfectly. It was like, ‘Alright, now I know how to do the technique. I’m not going to crush you because that’s not the purpose.” I think it was more so getting over the psychological humps than it was actually physical, if that makes sense.”
One of Carmen’s key Season 1 relationships is the one she develops with Bash. It’s a friendship but at certain points seems like it could become more. It’s a connection that was surprising but refreshing at the same time.

Young: I love Carmen and Bash. I think it’s such a sweet relationship. Some people are like, ‘Oh, I want them to get together,’ or some people are like, ‘These are the best friends I’ve ever seen.’ I love that people are interpreting it the way that they see fit. I’m very curious to see where we go if we get more seasons. If it goes romantic, then I’d love that, but I want it to be earned and I want it to make sense for those characters. If it’s more they stay in that confidant, platonic, best friendship area, I love that, too, because I really do like the dynamic between them as characters, and I love Chris Lowell.
Young says she and Lowell really put a lot of thought into their scenes together. They ultimately realized Carmen and Bash had more in common than you’d think.
Young: He and I actually had a lot of conversations. We have a lot of one-on-one scenes that towards the end of the season started to get emotional. With each scene, we sat there and talked, what did we think their relationship was. It started out in a place where it was like, ‘Oh, maybe Carmen has a crush on Bash. Maybe Bash has a crush on Carmen,’ and then it developed into where we thought these people are really confidants. They are kindred spirits. They’re both under the pressure of their family to be these people that they’re really not, and here they are taking this chance on what they really want to do.
For Young, GLOW wasn’t just a great experience, she saw it as yet another way to perfect her craft. She learned simply by watching actors like Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin work their magic.

Young: Best master class I could’ve ever taken watching that. They are so talented, so brilliant in all the choices that they make. I would just sit there and sometimes watch them and everybody in the cast just do their scenes and really get involved. I think it’s funny because with Marc [Maron], real quick, there was this scene where I got so into what he was saying, I forgot I had a line. He looked over at me and was like, ‘Hey, Carmen, you got anything to say?’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, Marc, I’m so sorry. You were just so good.’

I love seeing all these different actors work. They’re so open, and I ask so many questions like, ‘Why did you do this? Why did you choose that?’ They really do want to make everyone else around them better and put on a good performance. I’m just so blessed to be able to watch them work and then also work with them. They’re just honestly, best cast ever. I know I’m biased, but wow, [GLOW casting director] Jen Euston did a fantastic job.
Fun Fact: Britney Young once guest starred on the CW series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. In the “I’m Back at Camp with Josh” episode in season one. She was the camper that cold-cocked Rebecca Bunch. Hmmm…maybe she was just preparing herself for GLOW.
Related posts
Classics
Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders Talk the From Season 2 finale
[Warning: Spoilers for the season finale.] How’s everyone doing after that finale? While we wait and wonder and hope for a third season announcement, soon, here’s what Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders had to say about their parts of the finale, and where they hope they get to go next….
Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders Talk From Season 2 + A Season Finale Preview
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] It all comes down this, #FROMily. As Sunday’s episode wraps up Season 2, we begin with the aftermath of the terrifying onset of seemingly simultaneous attacks on Julie, Marielle, and Randall, which accelerate the “We gotta get out of this place” of it all. Sara comes…
Alison Sweeney Talks About What’s Next for Hannah and Mike After Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
[Warning: Spoilers for Carrot Cake Murder.] Everybody OK after that Hannah Swensen Mystery twist? Thankfully, our favorite crime-solving couple is still on speaking term, even if they’re on a break (hopefully not that kind of break). Most importantly, we already know this isn’t the last film in the series. No…
Counting Down to From Season 2
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] We’re just shy of two weeks away from Season 2 of last spring’s obsession, From, which premieres at 9 pm/8c, Sunday, April 23rd, on MGM+ (formerly EPIX). If you never picked it up last year, now’s your chance, and you can do it for free, catching…
Thank Me Later: Will Trent
[Warning: spoilers ahead.] I’m on record as loving and losing shows over at ABC so I’m usually very reticent to pick something up on the network until it’s been renewed, and I seriously hope I’m not jinxing it, but I took a chance on the deeply odd and very sweet…
Dennis Heaton Talks The Imperfects
Longtime readers at TV Goodness will know that Motive is one of my ride-or-die series, and as such, I am fiercely loyal to its creator, Dennis Heaton. He followed up that fantastic reverse procedural with Netflix’s The Order and is back on our streaming screens with The Imperfects, which dropped…
Kelly McCormack Talks Favorite Moments in A League of Their Own
[Warning: Mild spoilers for season 1.] Now that you’ve had a chance to watch A League of Their Own, here’s the rest of my chat with Kelly McCormack about her favorite moments of the season. Seeing the iconic Peaches uniforms for the first time wasn’t just a goosebump moment for…
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People [streaming on Global TV in Canada and Roku…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…