For Constance Zimmer, getting vulnerable with her ‘UnReal’ character wasn’t easy
It’s the sort of news that might have had fictional TV impresario Quinn King reaching for her walkie-talkie to launch a curse-laced tirade: It was reported earlier this week that “UnReal’’s” upcoming fourth season could be its last.
But Constance Zimmer, who portrays the tough-as-nails reality TV producer on the drama, was more at terms with the possibility — should it become official.
“The fourth season is pretty explosive in so many ways and we like to always have very controversial things to talk about,” Zimmer said of the season, which is already in the can, when she stopped by the Times’ video studio. “Season 4 is not any different. There’s a lot going on, and I do think the ending will leave people satisfied if that were to be it.”
What’s not in question is the challenge Zimmer felt stepping into her alter ego for the third season of the Lifetime drama, which served as a reset of sorts for the series following its critically polarizing sophomore outing. Coming off a season in which her character got her heart broken and learned that she was not able to have kids, Quinn spent much of the third cycle rediscovering herself.
“It was really hard at the beginning of Season 3 to play her at such a weak starting point,” Zimmer said. “I got so used to playing that character so strong and so big. That was definitely a fun, kind of new color, to show in her. And then, by the end, she still gets it back. She’s able to stand up tall and be proud of what she’s accomplished.”
The season also presented a challenge of a different caliber for the actress: She made her TV directorial debut with the episode titled “Recurrent.”
“It was very weird,” Zimmer says. “I’m the actor playing the part of director on the show. I didn’t even realize that when I was actually directing that it would be confusing because I was like, ‘No one thinks I’m actually Quinn … I almost got to the point where I said, ‘OK, when I’m saying “cut” as Constance the Director, I’m going to use a different voice. And when I’m saying “cut” as Quinn as the actor, I will use Quinn’s voice.”
To hear the vocal difference (we promise, there’s no Yanny or Laurel confusion here), check out the full conversation below.
Twitter: @villarrealy
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