‘Heels’ Boss Mike O’Malley on Netflix Switch & What’s Next for Show

Just when fans thought Heels was down for the count, like any good pro wrestling story, there is the comeback. Hopes for Season 3 were bodyslammed by Starz when it canceled the drama in September 2023. Fast forward a year later and the first two seasons are finding a home on Netflix starting September 15. 

This opens the door for more eyes on the show, which may ignite a groundswell of demand for more. At the center of the story are Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig as brothers Jack and Ace Slade who butt heads when it comes to continuing their late dad’s promotion Duffy Wrestling League and legacy in Georgia. 

When the network axed Heels, it was no doubt a punch to the guts for showrunner Mike O’Malley. The veteran actor who plays the excentric Florida Wrestling Dystopia owner Charlie Gully shared a deep-rooted passion with others attached to the series. He takes pride in knowing more audiences are getting the opportunity to watch something the Heels team worked so hard to produce. 

Before dropping on the streamer, we caught up with O’Malley on what this could mean for the show’s future. 

Mike O’Malley as Charlie Gully in Heels (STARZ)

What does it mean to you to see Heels enter the Netflix arena? 

Mike O’Malley: We dedicated a lot of our lives to this. We make shows to share them with people. We make shows not to just make a living, but because we want to share these stories with people. What happened with the second season, the strike was going on, so we couldn’t promote the show. The fact these episodes now live on a platform where everyone knows how to find it. We’re just thrilled it will be shared with people. The beautiful thing is all you have to do is go to Netflix, search Heels, and watch the episodes. We’re talking about 275 million people who have this platform. Hopefully, enough of them will watch it. 

What do you think is the main reason Netflix decided to acquire Heels? 

I think the main interest is because of the quality of the show. At least that is what I’ve been told. I think there is an audience for this kind of storytelling. That being said, they’ve got everything on Netflix. They have a variety of programming there. People love wrestling, but the people who don’t love wrestling, I think part of it is they don’t get why everyone takes it so seriously. I do think this show explores that. You don’t think of pro wrestling as a creative endeavor. An endeavor that has to do with storytelling as well as it has to do with athletics and stunt performance and production values. 

I’m just speculating, not as an official representative of Netflix. I do think one of the things Heels does a good job doing is explaining what is so important to these people who wrestle. There is a line of dialogue from the mother of Jack and Ace Spade. She says, “It’s a stupid thing to give your life to.” At the end of one of the episodes, Jack is looking at his brother Ace and saying, “It’s not a stupid thing.” 

It’s real to them!

When you think about that, all of the things every one of us as human beings wants to find meaning in our lives. Heels peels back the curtain on what it means to be a wrestler and what it means to be around people building a wrestling league. I don’t think people understand how somebody who dreams of being a professional wrestler. Where does it all begin? It begins at small promotions and in the backyard and people saying, “I love this thing and find joy doing it.” That’s what the first seasons are about. This is a road you don’t often see. You don’t see a lot of shows set in the South about this kind of situation. I think it’s very unique. 

Then when you dig deeper beyond the ring. It’s about a relationship between brothers, husband and wife, and colleagues who want to make it. The journeys they all go on to achieve their dreams or goals in life. There is a powerful relatability there. 

I appreciate you saying that. Everyone wants to be seen but not everyone can be a star. It’s hard when you’re building a business. Life is all about your potential in your teenage years or early 20s. Once you get into your late 20s or early 30s, it’s wait a minute. What am I doing? You look at the landscape of your life and ask if you want to have a family. Can I make enough money? Is this sustainable? What if I get injured? Think about all the people dedicating their lives to sports. Wrestling is much of the same. Everyone wants to get over. Everyone wants to be seen. I think it’s watching people strive and yearn for those things is great terrain. 

You can tell the actors really bought into this world and show. Even now Stephen Amell is posting about the show coming to Netflix and wanting to make more episodes. What does that mean to you? 

I love these actors. I think for people who made a show during the pandemic, there was a unique alchemy that occurred because you weren’t able to go about the rest of your life like everyone else. You were restricted to your cohort. I think this cast became close. Also, I think the cast is uniquely made up of individuals, top to bottom, who are very team-oriented. It’s an ensemble show. It’s led by brothers who are fantastic, but they wanted the entire enterprise to really work. 

What I think is specifically amazing about the actors who are both actors and wrestlers is their dedication to this show. They had to learn the wrestling, then had to be in shape. They had to work out in the gym and look great. Then we would give them reams of dialogue. It was a very immersive experience. I think what is fun about Heels is there is comedy, drama, stakes, a wide range. It’s a human story about people trying to connect and love despite the emotional obstacles built into existence. I’m just thrilled people are going to have an opportunity to see their acting, main cast, and background actors. They had to bring it every day and did. It almost feels like we were doing a play in high school and college where we all became so close. 

Kelli Berglund as Crystal Tyler in Heels (STARZ)

The end of Season 2 has this huge cliffhanger wondering what happens to Jack and his career. How do you having Heels’ two seasons on Netflix will impact the show’s future? 

I’m just so happy that people are going to see the episodes we made. There was a time when we were taken off the Starz platform and we thought all this work had just vanished. It was like a great concert or a one-act play you saw in the state of New Hampshire where it was like you had to have been there. That’s not why you make television or movies. You make them to share with people. I of course am talking to you because I want people to watch it. I will say that the ensemble, the people I worked with,  the setting of Duffy, Georgia, these characters, there are many more seasons of story to tell for this show. I desperately want to do that. 

I think we have to turn out an audience of people. I believe this is a high-quality show and believe people are out there who want this type of storytelling from these kinds of people and the hearts they have. There will be people who go, “Wrestling? I couldn’t care less. I’m not interested in that.” I think if they give it a chance, they will see it’s not just about wrestling. That’s the backdrop. What it’s really about is how a group of people come together to make something. And is making it worth it? Is doing it worth it? What is the cost? I’m confident when people watch this show they will respond and say, “Wow, that’s a well-made show. That’s really good. I want to tell my friends about it.”

Ironic on Netflix after they canceled GLOW in a heartbreaking move. And here we are where Netflix might prove the catalyst to see more Heels. The timing of it all. 

Scott, from your lips to God’s ears. 

Heels Season 1 and 2 comes to Netflix on September 15.