Kelli Berglund was heartbroken when Heels was canceled last year by Starz after two seasons. The scrappy drama centered on the world of pro wrestling and the sacrifices needed to make it. Along with Spade brothers Jack (Stephen Amell) and Ace (Alexander Ludwig), the talented ensemble cast included Berglund’s Crystal Tyler.
She wanted to be more than just eye candy within the fictional Duffy Wrestling League and to succeed within a male-dominated industry. Now Netflix is bringing the series to their massive streaming platform on September 15, and the hope is her story and others may continue. History has proven that a groundswell of support could bring a show back from the dead.
Berglund is certainly ready to lace up the boots once again if that is the case. Here the actress opens up about playing the character, a recent cast reunion, and her hopes for the show’s future.
When did you find out the show was getting canceled? What was your initial reaction?
Kelli Berglund: Part of me wants to forget about that, but I think this was right around the strike time. We knew things were already not in our favor because our second season was premiering during the strike. We had put out the trailer and poster days before that happened. I believe Mike O’Malley, who has been our fearless leader throughout this whole thing, let us all know very gently that we were not being picked up. It was a bummer because it felt like we couldn’t even promote the show or get it out there or express our excitement about it.
I didn’t set my hopes too high because that’s how it goes in this industry. You never know what might happen with a show, but it was really brutal. It was really hard. This is probably the most special job I’ve ever worked on. I think that most people you talk to from this show would agree with me. We built something really amazing and all really proud of it. It was a bummer that was the end of it, at least for the foreseeable future. We all kind of expressed our grievances to each other and hung in there. There had been some talks about how we’re going to push really hard to get this on another network. Maybe someone would pick us up. Mike was very hopeful about all that, which I think kept our spirits up. Luckily, that is what ended up happening.
Starz
Mike spoke about how the cast and crew did such great work and would have been a shame for only a small audience to see it. What does it mean to you to know more people will see what you all created thanks to Netflix?
I think it’s really best best-case scenario. That’s my perspective on it. I would love to continue doing this. I would love to continue playing Crystal and see how the story pans out because there are so many questions left unanswered at the end of Season 2. Just the fact the work we’re so proud of is going to be seen on such a larger scale is so comforting. On a platform like Netflix, a lot more people can find this show. We always said we just wish more people found the show. That’s exactly the opportunity that has been given to us now. I’m really proud of this work. I think if people find this show and word begins to spread, so many people could get behind this show and really love it.
For the people who are just watching the show for the first time, how would you describe Crystal’s journey over the two seasons?
Crystal I would say has one of the biggest transformations out of every character in the show. She really is sort of a whole different person going into Season 2. Mike and I joke about that all the time. He’d say, “Can you believe the difference in the photos and outfits and persona you see with Crystal between Season 1 and 2?” She really defies all the odds. She really is the biggest underdog. In my opinion, she is the character you cheer hardest for at times. She has such a quiet strength about her that is very obvious from the start. You see this girl really deserves a place here and wants a place here, but isn’t quite sure how to go about it because she is such an outsider in this world. The DWL is completely male-dominated. They don’t have any women’s wrestlers. She is just looked at as the valet. The pretty thing on Ace’s hips. In learning her story, I think we just continue to root harder and harder for her. I think this is especially true at the end of Season 1.
She really has a powerful moment.
It is to me a moment you jump up off your couch and put your hands in the air shouting because you’re so excited about what is going on. It’s really nice to know as the story goes to Season 2 the characters that didn’t acknowledge that start to and start to hold her accountable in a really real way. They aren’t necessarily brushing it off and saying, “Alright, you’re one of us. It’s time to get real.” I think that hits her in a way that makes her grow a little bit. Now she achieved this thing she has wanted and now it’s real. Just the struggle in that alone and learning how to perform this 30-minute match and having the stamina to do that. Does she have her own wrestling persona in the ring? These are all new challenges on a greater scale in Season 2. That was really fulfilling to do. It wasn’t just a sad girl that is the girlfriend that just wanted to be seen. She just really transforms.
We see a lot of pro wrestlers. One on Season 2 was AJ Lee, who had since left the ring before coming back for this role. I think that made a lot of fans happy. What do you remember about working with her considering she lived through a lot of what Crystal has?
I have nothing but amazing things to say about AJ. I was nervous at first because I have such respect for her and know the world has such respect for her. I believe she is the first woman I wrestled in the show. She was nothing but kind and understanding and really helped walk me through the matches we had to do together. She really listened to me. She was such a great teacher as long as the rest of the team helped me get through all of it. To have someone so iconic by my side through this whole thing and show me kindness and understanding.
As a person who is not a wrestler but an actor who trained to be a wrestler, my first instinct was that I wanted to impress her so badly. I just wanted to make it come off legit and that I knew what I was doing. She really put me at ease. There were so many times, especially going through Season 2, where ti was nonstop matches for me with all different people. I just wanted to do the best I could to make them look great. It was amazing to watch her wrestle. It was amazing to wrestle with her. Seeing her wrestle up close is one of the reasons I consider her one of my favorite wrestlers. She is just fantastic. We’re so lucky to have someone like her in the show. It’s crazy.
Starz
What are your thoughts on a potential Season 3?
I can truly say I speak for everyone when I say we would all be in. I saw a lot of the cast members the other night, and we all had said we would do whatever it takes. We would rearrange schedules, make this some way somehow because this was such a special show. We’re all really proud of it. There is just so much that has been left unsaid with this show. I see all the tweets and Instagram comments saying, “It can not end this way.” I respond back that if it was up to me it wouldn’t end this way. Yes, we would love to come back and do Season 3, Season 4, and Season 5.
What would you want to see by way of storylines if there was another season?
I’m really interested to see what happens with Jack. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but there is a huge event that goes on with him in the last episode of Season 2 that could go so many different ways. It would be very pivotal to the story because he is our Jack Spade. A lot of things lie with him in terms of story. It would be really interesting to see how things pan out. I think the Crystal and Ace storyline, we strayed away from that in Season 2.
For the better, they were able to go on their own journeys and grow into these newly evolved people. There are a couple of moments in Season 2 where they cross paths and wonder if there is something there. How does Ace feel about all of this with Crystal’s new position in the league? I think it would be really interesting if they got scouted or chosen as these people to represent the DWL and are now stuck together to do it. How would that pan out professionally and romantically? Also, what we found out with the Staci (Alison Luff) and Willie (Mary McCormack) storyline is highly interesting. Will it lead to the collapse of the DWL? Will they fix all the problems from the past? I don’t know. There are so many questions right now. Nothing is wrapped up in a bow. The possibilities are sort of endless.
Do you want to see Crystal and Ace end up together in the end?
I think there is something there between Crystal and Ace that sort of will never go away. I do love the hope Bobby (Trey Tucker) gives Crystal. I think it’s really great for her. I just wonder if her star starts to rise, how is that going to affect that relationship? Ace might understand that world a little bit more. So, maybe they are better together and more powerful together. I think it could be something really great. I do think they have some things they need to work on individually and together. I think it would be a fun full-circle moment to see them reconcile their differences and maybe come back together.
In the meantime, are you staying in ring shape just in case you get that call?
You know in doing this job I found a love for fitness that I have never had before. So, I do work out often. I’m not quite doing the three hours a day training, three protein shakes level of things. I do love weight training. I love pilates, and going for walks. I do more maintenance now. I am doing all that in hopes I get a phone call saying it’s go-time. You need to bulk up again. And then I won’t have to go from zero to a hundred. I would be so happy to do it now I’ve had time to process and think about how I would do things differently. I would be so excited to start training for Season 3.
Have you thought about wrestling yourself? Have you got the itch?
I wish I’d learned about wrestling or started wrestling myself when I was younger because I think I would be so much more fearless. I think it would depend. I hold myself to a very high standard. The last thing I would want is for anyone to say after I get in the ring, “What is this girl doing?” I have a good base knowledge. I would need to train for it, but never say never. I think it would be kind of fun.
Heels Season 1 and 2, September 15, Netflix
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