Exclusive: Stephen Amell & Alexander Ludwig talk Heels and the physical training for their roles
Now playing on Starz is the series “Heels,” 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.
For Stephen Amell, who is best known for playing Oliver Queen / Green Arrow on The CW superhero series Arrow, the Canadian actor is actually a longtime pro wrestling fan and a fighter as well. He’s appeared as a wrestling on WWE, Ring of Honor, All In, and All Elite Wrestling. As for Ludwig, who’s been working as an actor since he was a teenager but came in fame when he played Cato in The Hunger Games, he comes back to the series world after playing Bjorn in the History Channel series Vikings. He was last seen opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in Bad Boys for Life. BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales spoke to the men about the series and the physical training they each had to do for their roles.
