In the freshman season of ‘Heels’, audiences watch the Spade brothers (played by Alexander Ludwig and Stephen Amell) reeling after the traumatic loss of their father, and trying to reclaim the glory of his once-thriving wrestling gym in the small town of Duffy, Georgia. The wrestling follows the style of some other popular takes that are still thriving in the real world today, with larger than life characters, scripted scenarios, but real passion in and out of the ring. With ‘Heels’, audiences just get the chance to see that the true story lies out of the spotlight and right into the heart of one family.
In Season 2, which premieres this week on Starz, the dynamics of the Spade brothers is shown in a more highlighted view of mental health, trauma, and familial dynamics. And of course, peppered in, there are plenty of other side characters and chair smashes along the way. But as Ludwig—who sat down for an interview— puts it, the heartbeat of this show lies more within the details than the pomp and circumstance, and this sophomore go-around showcases just that.
What were your thoughts when you first were approached with the idea of ‘Heels’?
Alexander Ludwig: I was in Costa Rica at the time on a surf trip, staying at a hostel with some of my buddies. And I got sent this script and I read it—and I loved it. They said, you know, we’re not going to do this show if you’re not going to say yes, and I was really humbled by that. But also…I was like, okay, are people going to watch a wrestling show? I don’t know, because I didn’t grow up with wrestling. I watched it a few times and I loved it, but I wasn’t a big wrestling guy. My manager called me and she said, I really think you need to take another read of this. And I did, and it reminded me of the movies that I grew up loving as a kid, [ones] that made me want to be an actor in the first place.
And what stories are those?
A real story about flawed people in a world that I don’t really know. That was all I needed. ‘Vikings’ was the same thing—when ‘Vikings’ was on the History Channel, I was [wondering], who’s gonna watch this show? And it doesn’t matter. It’s a show that I would watch and that I love, and it’s a story I want to tell.
And what were some of your first thoughts when you read your character, Ace?
Ace reminded me so much of Christian Bale in ‘The Fighter.’ He’s not the likable one in a great way and he’s flawed, but he’s fascinating to watch because he’s erratic and you don’t understand what he’s gonna do. And the beauty of the show is really understanding him, or at least learning about him as he learns about himself. So for me, it was just a dream job for an actor and I’m just so grateful every day that I said yes.
In Season 2, the plot goes deeper into how loss and trauma has affected the Duffy brothers. Without giving too much away, how did you feel being able to explore more of that side of the Spade brothers?
It totally blew me away. But I loved that because for the first time ever, the audience gets to [experience] what these boys had to [experience]. It doesn’t excuse Ace’s behavior, but at least you understand him and you understand why he’s so f**ked up. And then it’s about watching him on this journey of recovery, and I mean, that’s what I love about this show—it’s not a show about wrestling. It’s a show about people, and about a family, and about mental health and identity against the backdrop of this incredible world of wrestling. So for that to be in this season, I actually really love that because it’s unexpected.
And how does that help set up the rest of this season of ‘Heels’ for the brothers?
You get an idea of where these guys are at and where their heads are at and by the end of the season, I think you’ve paved the path to the kind of national sensation this promotion could be and the kind of superstars [they] could be, or any kind of businessman Jack (Amell) could be. But they’re the only ones in their own way right now. It’s a beautiful show and it’s really well written and I’m really proud of it.
And what would you tell fans to expect for Ace’s journey in Season 2 specifically?
I think you’re going to finally see an Ace that you haven’t seen before. At first glance, when we first met Ace, he was performing on and off camera and just trying to hide himself. Now he’s finally exposing himself to the world and through that, you’re going to start to see the greatness that is inside of Ace. You’re going to see a huge identity shift both in the ring and outside of the ring and a big shift in his own character, which I love so much. It’s a wild journey this second season and if anything we go deeper and you really connect with these characters in a way that you haven’t before. To me, that’s always been what the show has been about. It’s been about two brothers trying to find themselves and if only they can, they can conquer the world.
Catch Season 2 of ‘Heels’ when it premieres on Starz on July 28.
