Posted in: Preview, Starz, TV | Tagged: Alexander Ludwig, DWL, heels, preview, starz, stephen amell, wrestling

Heels Cast Define Kayfabe & Angle; Heel or Face; Tour DWL Locker Room

We're now officially less than a month away from Jack (Stephen Amell) and Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig) throwing open the doors to the Duffy Wrestling League (DWL) Dome to the public. So what better time for STARZ and the folks behind the pro-wrestling drama Heels to offer viewers a crash course in wrestling terminology, a look at the difference between a "face" and a "heel", and a tour of the DWL locker room area (though for some reason they took down Amell's tour of the DWL Dome… hmmm…). All of this comes as Amell dropped a ten-ton hint that fans can expect an official trailer to drop on Monday (though we're keeping our eyes peeled during tonight's Power Book III: Raising Kanan premiere).

First up, the cast plays a few rounds of "Face or Heel" to see who should be getting booed and who should be getting cheered (though sometimes it's both):

Following that, we have two rounds of wrestling lingo instruction, as Amell teaches us what "Kayfabe" (also the name of the series-opener) means while Chris Bauer (For All Mankind) aka Wild Bill Hancock explains why a good "Angle" can make or break a wrestler:

Finally, James Harrison (NFL star) aka Apocalypse, Robby Ramos (Snowfall) aka Diego, Trey Tucker (What Lies Below) aka Bobby Pin take viewers on a tour of the DWL locker room area:

Here's a look at the first teaser released for the pro-wrestling drama, followed by a chance to get to know the cast:

In Heels, the focus is on 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 — Jack Spade (Amell) and Ace Spade (Ludwig) — 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.

In the ring, Amell's Jack Spade is the charismatic villain, or heel, of the Duffy Wrestling League (DWL). In the real world, he's its hard-working owner, a husband, and father trying to make ends meet while fighting to realize his impossible dreams. He has the mind of an artist in the body of a warrior, and a Steve Jobs-ian need for perfection — and for control. He says he'll do whatever it takes to build the DWL into an empire. Will he go so far as to risk his marriage – or his relationship with his brother, Ace?

Ludwig's Ace Spade is the beloved hero and star of the DWL. Things are more difficult in the real world, where he struggles to reconcile his town idol status with his insecurities and demons. He's brash, cocky, and self-destructive — yet so damn charming and good-looking that you can almost forgive him. If he can keep it together, he'll have a ticket out of Duffy and to the big time. But that's a big if…

Written by Michael Waldron (Loki), directed by Peter Segal (Shameless), and with Mike O'Malley serving as showrunner, Heels stars Stephen Amell as Jack Spade, Alexander Ludwig as Ace Spade, Mary McCormack (The Kids Are Alright) as Willie, Chris Bauer (For All Mankind) as Wild Bill Hancock, Kelli Berglund (Animal Kingdom) as Crystal Tyler, Alison Luff (New Amsterdam) as Staci Spade, Allen Maldonado (The Last O.G.) as Rooster Robbins, James Harrison (NFL star) as Apocalypse, Trey Tucker (What Lies Below) as Bobby Pin, Robby Ramos (Snowfall) as Diego, Alice Barrett as Carol Spade, series showrunner Mike O'Malley as Charlie Gully, Duke Davis Roberts as Big Jim Kitchen, CM Punk as Ricky Rabies, and Bonnie Somerville (Blue Bloods) as Vicky Rabies. Waldron and O'Malley are also set to executive produce, alongside LBI Entertainment's Julie Yorn, Chris Donnelly, and Patrick Walmsley. STARZ and Lionsgate TV produce.

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