Ilana KaplanPerhaps you were first drawn to Netflix’s ’80s girl-power wrestling series GLOW because of familiar faces like Alison Brie, Marc Maron or Betty Gilpin, but you probably left wondering how you could go back in time and become a cool, goth, film-junkie teen like Justine Biagi. For actress Britt Baron, the opportunity was just as exciting because it was her first big break.
While she'd had prior guest appearances on Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Chicago P.D., Baron’s background was primarily in theater. From a young age, all Baron wanted to do was play pretend, putting on plays with her friends and neighbors in her childhood backyard. But Baron wasn’t a child actor. “My mom did not want me to be a child actor, “Baron says. “She really wanted me to grow up and be a normal kid, and if I got older and still wanted to be one, she’d support me. So, that’s what I did.”
It was only a few years ago that Baron even made the move to TV. “It was hard for me to transition to TV in a way because there wasn’t so much time for rehearsal,” she explains. “Coming from theatre, you rehearse for a month before production.” But she did take what she learned from her time on stage and applied it to acting on a show. “There’s no B.S. in theatre,” she says.
Credit: Courtesy Britt Baron
For her role in GLOW Baron applied the same philosophy. Training alongside glitter-covered, spandex-wearing female wrestlers, Baron was able to bring out her theatrical side in the ring. “I feel like you hear about these actors you idolize transforming their bodies and learning a new skill, and to be able to be in that group was really exciting and rewarding,” she says. “It’s not about how pretty you look or if it’s a good angle for your face: It’s about being big and bold.” While Baron’s Justine didn’t get a chance to get in the ring, she has high hopes for season two.
“Being the youngest and pretty insecure regardless of this tough girl, punk rock exterior … it would be interesting to see her character in the ring,” Baron says.
But perhaps what everyone, even Baron herself, is wondering is what’s going to happen now that the big bomb has dropped that — SPOILER ALERT — Sam is her father.
“I would love to see how their relationship develops and if she’ll wrestle or not,” says Baron. There’s no doubt that Justine has a lot of feelings after that big reveal, so Baron is hoping she’ll get to put her own wrestling skills to good use. “Justine is so sullen and she has this big guard up for a lot of the first season, so it would be really great to see her in the ring because that’s where you get to see a lot of these characters really come into their own,” she explains.
While Baron originally thought Justine was this tough girl, punk-rocker, she became an even more endearing character. “When she’s lamenting if she should call [her crush], you get to see that regardless of what she’s wearing or how she’s acting, everyone has those insecurities, and I loved that about her,” adds Baron.
Luckily for fans, Netflix announced last month that GLOW had been picked up for a second season. So hopefully Baron's questions and ours will be answered.
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