Lifetime’s new scripted series “UnReal,” [premiering June 1], gives viewers a glimpse behind the curtain of a reality dating show. “Feminism” might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of shows like “The Bachelor,” and that’s why the show’s lead, Constance Zimmer, considers “UnReal” to have a “feminist viewpoint… but in a kind of roundabout way.”
“It’s a mostly female cast, which is incredible, but it’s addressing that reality shows do a lot of women bashing,” Zimmer told HuffPost Live’s Alyona Minkovski in a Thursday conversation. “It’s a lot of bashing of women. And so I think what we’re trying to do is…putting it out there to show people.”
Playing an empowered woman on television is nothing new for Zimmer, however, who portrayed fiery studio head Dana Gordon on the HBO series “Entourage” from 2005 to 2011. At the time, she says such a role felt like more of a novelty.
“There’s been a lot more [powerful female roles] these days. That’s been really impressive,” she said. “You look at Kerry Washington on ‘Scandal,’ and a lot of the women on that show in general are very strong, and I think we’re seeing it more and I’m excited, because when I was doing Dana Gordon on ‘Entourage,’ there weren’t a lot of strong female characters, which is why I think she came out as such a standout character.”
Watch more from Constance Zimmer’s full conversation with HuffPost Live here.
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