Exclusive: Creator Michael Waldron and showrunner Mike O'Malley talk wrestling series Heels
Coming out this week on Starz is “Heels,” premiering Sunday, August 15 at 9 pm ET. This series is a story about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small-town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel. But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.
Written and created by Executive Producer Michael Waldron (“Loki,” the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) with Executive Producer Mike O’Malley (“Shameless,” “Survivor’s Remorse”) as showrunner, “Heels” stars Stephen Amell (“Arrow”) as Jack Spade, with Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games, “Vikings”) playing his younger brother, Ace. Peter Segal (Get Smart, 50 First Dates, Tommy Boy, “Shameless”), who directs several episodes, also serves as Executive Producer.
The drama series also stars Alison Luff as Staci Spade, Jack’s wife who learns that she has to contend with the emotional stakes her in-laws have invested in their wrestling goals and the demands it puts on her family; Mary McCormack as Willie Day, Jack’s business partner and the logistical brains behind the local wrestling organization; Kelli Berglund as Crystal Tyler, Ace’s valet, and love interest; Allen Maldonado as Rooster Robbins, one of the best wrestlers in the circuit who always has something to prove and always backs it up;
two-time Super Bowl champion James Harrison as Apocalypse, a been-around-the-block journeyman wrestler who’s been at it for decades and has no illusions of fame or glory; and Chris Bauer as Wild Bill Hancock, a larger-than-life former wrestling star who is now a high-level pro wrestling scout.
BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales recently spoke with showrunner Mike O’Malley and creator Michael Waldron about putting this wrestling series together and being authentic as they can be with the storyline.