UnReal’s Constance Zimmer on Why She Loves Playing Badass Women
Actress Constance Zimmer stars in the new TV series UnReal. (Photo: Adam Hendershott)
If you love The Bachelorette, you have to tune in to UnReal, a new Lifetime series that follows a team of producers as they create a dating competition program. Constance Zimmer stars as Quinn King, the strong, confident, and often-ruthless executive producer of the fictitious show “Everlasting.” It’s not the first time Zimmer has played a badass woman — she portrayed movie executive Dana Gordon on Entourage (she recently reunited with the cast for the film version) and journalist Janine Skorsky on House of Cards — but her newest character might be her best yet. We caught up with Zimmer to talk reality television, her love of face masks, and what we can expect from season two of UnReal.
Alexandra Perron: I’m so excited that we could jump on the phone today. I’ve been watching UnREAL, and because I’m a shameless fan of The Bachelor, I’m totally addicted to the show.
Constance Zimmer: Oh good.
I think your character, Quinn, is a total a badass, she’s really smart, and she’s really tough. You’ve played roles like this in the past, on Entourage and House of Cards. What’s it like portraying really strong, tough women?
I’m super proud to be able to portray them and that there are so many on my resume that I’ve been able to do on different levels — political levels and entertainment levels. These strong women exist everywhere, but when they’re portrayed on television they’re always played to an extreme to make a point. So, for me, what I always try and make sure that we’re all doing from a writing and acting stand point and the story stand point, is to make sure that they’re not just one color — because nobody is just one color.
I think Quinn, and I hate to use this word, is the quintessential example of the person who does such a good job of separating her career, her business, who she is at work, from what her personal life is. In this kind of world where she’s producing reality television and she’s producing people’s lives, I think it forces her to not look at her own love life. Which is why her love life is such a mess. Which is why it’s been so much fun to portray her in particular; because a lot of her strengths or anger toward the situation comes form her own experience.
Yeah, and we have seen a few moments where she’s been really vulnerable and let her guard down. It’s so important that she’s still really strong, but also shows that she’s human throughout the show.
Quinn is the first character that I’ve played where you get to see all of her. Dana was a reoccurring character and we didn’t get to see much of her personal life, and Janine the same thing. So with Quinn it’s been so fun, because we’ve been allowed to dive into her personal life.
Zimmer as Quinn King with her team of producers in an episode of UnReal. (Photo: James Dittiger)
The show on UnREAL, “Everlasting,” was obviously based on these Bachelor-style dating shows. Did you watch any of them leading up to the show or do you watch them now?
I do sort of watch them as an outline to understand this kind of thing, to be aware of it. I just wanted to have the same awareness as everyone else.
Do you have a reality show guilty pleasure?
Amazing Race. I love that show. I also watch Project Runway. Those kinds of reality shows, to me, were easier to watch — the drama felt like a second story line, whereas the dating shows, those feel like the drama is the first story line. I don’t know if you really learn anything from those types of shows.
Shiri [Appleby] and I were just celebrity judges on Project Runway.
Oh awesome!
We did it last week. It was funny; Shiri said to me, “I think we just got produced.” It was so fun being on a reality show after working on our show. It’s like, wait, did they just make us say that? Are they going to edit us down to sound meaner than we did?
A lot of the contestants on “Everlasting” come onto the show with so much confidence, but the producers break them down and they lose that confidence. What have you learned about confidence over the years?
For me, it’s always having a sense of self. And knowing who you really are when you’re at home, not when you’re in front of a crew or in front of a camera. It really helps to keep me balanced. It’s very easy to become insecure and upset. I’ve also been super blessed to play really strong confident women — it actually forces me to always be above and beyond who I am. I’m not as strong or as confident as the characters that I play, but the one thing I’m confident about, is just who I am as a person. And I don’t ever let somebody dictate that, that will never change. I can definitely go from being super soft and vulnerable to being incredibly strong and sassy and all of that, but ultimately it just comes from having your core be really strong and not letting anybody else tell you otherwise.
Now that UnREAL has been picked up for another season, is there anything that we can expect from the second season? Is it going to be another “Everlasting,” is it going to be another reality show?
Yeah, from what we’ve been told, which is not much, the show “Everlasting” will be everlasting, but the situations might be different. For example, it might not be a suitor and 25 women — it might be a female looking for love and 25 men, [or] it could be a man and a woman.
UnReal stars Shiri Appleby (left) and Constance Zimmer (right). (Photo: Joseph Viles)
Let’s switch gears and talk about your beauty routine. In all of your years acting, what have you learned about beauty?
It’s such a tricky thing because you get introduced to new products all the time. So you quickly try and figure out what works for you, but you’re traveling a lot and you’re stressed out, so different products work for you at different times. It almost comes down to the inside out — drinking a lot of water, having cold pressed juices once or twice a day — and finding those beauty products that work for different times in your life. When you’re working, your beauty regimen is so much different because of all the stuff that is being put on your face everyday. Keeping yourself feeling hydrated and never allowing your skin to get dry has always been the most important thing. Body lotion, face lotion, and eye cream. And lately I’m obsessed with these amazing face masks.
Which face masks do you like?
The ones from Tatcha. You put it over your whole face and you leave it on for like half an hour. And I’ve found that if you do that like every other week, it’s amazing how much it hydrates and moisturizes your skin. And they have just the little eye ones, too — I do those before I get my makeup done.
What’s your off-camera beauty vibe? Do you pamper yourself?
I’m very low key. I probably should be more high-maintenance, [but] it’s an expense that I’ve never allowed myself. If I’m not working then I’m trying to save myself time by sleeping and spending time with my family. The idea of going and leaving for three hours to go and be pampered is just is a tough choice for me. Next Friday I’m going in for a facial, because it’s like, OK, six months of traveling and press and all that, I think I finally deserve something. It’s hard to find the time without feeling guilty.
Do you know René Rouleau? She’s awesome because she’s one of those people where her products make the facials, but it’s not a facial itself. She makes it like a whole schedule for me. She has this awesome toner that I use every night. Her lotions are so specific to me, which I like, because there’s not just one. And I really love serums.
They are so nourishing and you feel the impact of them immediately because they penetrate so well and they’re full of so many actives. It’s like the best drink for your skin, a good serum.
And you know what’s great, too, is Beauty Counter.
I love Beauty Counter!
Yes and it’s completely terrifying when you realize that probably half the stuff in your cabinet has horrible ingredients.
It’s the worst realization, especially as a beauty editor, because I have so many products and I don’t want to put any of it on my face anymore! It’s so scary.
Yeah, but you know, good for them. Maybe that’s why I’m playing these characters, but I’m all for people just saying, “We’re being honest and do what you want.” Some people will say, “I’m still going to use these because they’re good for my skin.” Which is fine, you know, we all should. And then there are people that really, really care and want to know what is in their products. I love that.
UnReal airs on Lifetime on Mondays at 10:00PM ET/PT.
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