Six years after Netflix cancelled the acclaimed wrestling dramedy GLOW, cast member Gayle Rankin has revealed that the ensemble has not abandoned hopes of a revival. Rankin, who played Sheila “The She Wolf” in the series, told Metro that the cast remains in close contact and would eagerly reunite if the opportunity arose.
Cast Still in Touch and Open to Return
“It was a really profound experience. Working with that many women, on a show that was pretty revolutionary at the time,” Rankin said, reflecting on the series that premiered in 2017. “Netflix was on such a high and remains so, but it was such a special period of time in television. To be coming up with a group of women that are now my sisters.”
The actress, who currently stars as Alys Rivers in House of the Dragon, confirmed that the GLOW cast, including Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Sydelle Noel, Kate Nash, and Jackie Tohn, are “still on a text thread.” She added, “I don’t think that we’ve given up hope in our own way. Can you imagine if we all came back together? Can you imagine in like five years or something? If we could do it, we would do it.”
Rankin on Alys Rivers' Duality in House of the Dragon
In the Game of Thrones spin-off, Rankin portrays Alys Rivers, a mysterious and possibly centuries-old witch who has captivated Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell). In season two, Alys also guided Daemon (Matt Smith) through a hallucinatory journey at Harrenhal, and appeared in a controversial scene with Aemond involving a hallucination of his mother.
Rankin appreciates the character’s ambiguous morality. “There’s a lot of talk out there about [how] she’s either a really intense green flag or like the worst red flag you’ll ever meet, which I love as an actor. She definitely has a wild duality. I’m certainly playing that, and I think it’s cool that people are picking up on that,” she said. “I think it’s really amazing too when people start to also see her humanity. She’s starting to become more desperate. As the episodes go on, she’s very in control. But I do think there’s a kind of out-of-control-ness to her actions.”
From Scotland to Juilliard and Beyond
Rankin, who grew up in Scotland and now splits her time between New York and an isolated barn upstate, made history as the first Scottish actor admitted to the Juilliard School. She admitted the achievement still feels surreal. “Much like so many of the other incredible, shocking, confusing things that have happened in my life, lucky, kind of hard to process, or hard for me to take on,” she said. “So it’s really kind and special when people say something like that because I’m always of the mind too, where like if you see something, say something. I’m super insecure, very self-deprecating. So thank you, it’s really moving to me. It is a big deal, and it’s hard for me to admit that.”
She added that a friend from her high school, Marcus Crawford Guy, later followed her to Juilliard, noting, “He’s so talented and obviously got there on his own merit, but opening the door was really a cool privilege.”
Future Roles and Avoiding Being Boxed In
Rankin, known for eccentric roles like Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway, described that part as “the most profound thing that ever happened to me” and “life-changing and soul-changing.” Looking ahead, with the fourth and final season of House of the Dragon in production, she is eager to diversify. “I want to taste everything. I think it’s kind of indicative of how my career has been so far – I’m not interested in being boxed in or pinned down. I’m really for the next challenge in the TV and film space,” she said. “I’ve played a lot of women who have a lot of mystery, and I think that’s so interesting, and I love it, and it’s totally my bread and butter. But I’m also really excited to play a very grounded, dramatic something else, like a complete 180. Because I love to surprise myself and hopefully surprise people.”
House of the Dragon is available to stream on HBO Max, Sky, and NOW.
