Unreal (TV Series)
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''Unreal'' (stylized as ''UnREAL'') is an American
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
television series that premiered on Lifetime on June 1, 2015. It stars
Shiri Appleby Shiri Appleby is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her leading roles as Liz Parker in the WB/ UPN science fiction drama series '' Roswell'' (1999–2002) and Rachel Goldberg in the Lifetime/Hulu drama series '' ...
as a young
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
producer pushed by her unscrupulous boss (
Constance Zimmer Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence playing Dana Gordon on the HBO series ''Entourage (American TV series), Entourage'' (2005–11) and List of Boston Legal characters#Claire Simms, Claire Sim ...
) to swallow her integrity and do anything it takes to drum up salacious content for their dating reality show ''Everlasting''. The show was created by
Marti Noxon Martha Mills Noxon (born August 25, 1964) is an American television and film writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her work as a screenwriter and executive producer on the supernatural drama series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' ( ...
and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, and was inspired by Shapiro's award-winning independent short film ''Sequin Raze''. On July 28, 2017, it was announced that ''Unreal'' had been renewed for a shortened fourth season of eight episodes. The fourth season completed production in January 2018 before the third season had aired. By May 22, 2018, the fourth season had been acquired by
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
. The streaming service distributed the series exclusively as a "Hulu Original" in the United States for a set period of time before the episodes aired on Lifetime. On July 16, 2018, the fourth season was released on Hulu and it was confirmed that the season would be the series' last.


Plot

Producer Rachel Goldberg returns to ''Everlasting'', a popular dating show, after a breakdown. With a reputation to rebuild and executive producer Quinn King breathing down her neck, Rachel must pull out all the stops in what she does best: manipulating the contestants to create the outrageous drama that viewers expect.


Cast and characters


Main


Crew

*
Shiri Appleby Shiri Appleby is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her leading roles as Liz Parker in the WB/ UPN science fiction drama series '' Roswell'' (1999–2002) and Rachel Goldberg in the Lifetime/Hulu drama series '' ...
as Rachel Goldberg, a producer on ''Everlasting'' who is brought back to the show by executive producer Quinn despite Rachel's breakdown during the previous season. Though conflicted by how she must lie to and manipulate the contestants, Rachel is a "closer" who thinks fast on her feet and knows exactly what needs to be done to create drama on the show. Meanwhile, she is drawn back to her ex-boyfriend Jeremy and finds herself getting close to the show's suitor Adam, but she later loses relationships to both of them. Rachel is later promoted to supervising producer, which is short-lived as Coleman is hired by the network as the new
showrunner A showrunner is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...
. *
Constance Zimmer Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence playing Dana Gordon on the HBO series ''Entourage (American TV series), Entourage'' (2005–11) and List of Boston Legal characters#Claire Simms, Claire Sim ...
as Quinn King, ''Everlasting'' scheming, demanding
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...
who pushes boundaries on the show to maximize ratings. She is having an affair with Chet, but their dysfunctional relationship is strained by his marriage and their work. She later gets promoted to showrunner until Chet returns, and their conflict results in the network hiring Coleman as the show's new EP and showrunner. *
Craig Bierko Craig Philip Bierko (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor. Early life Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York, where, for a brief time, his mother Pat was president of The Harrison Players, a local community theatre. After graduating Bl ...
as Chet Wilton, the eccentric and drug-using
creator Creator or The Creator may refer to: Film and television * ''Creator'' (film), a 1985 film starring Peter O'Toole, Vincent Spano, Mariel Hemingway, and Virginia Madsen * ''The Creator'' (1999 film), a French film written and directed by and sta ...
of ''Everlasting'' who is having a volatile affair with Quinn. His immaturity, vulgarity and callousness have given him a keen eye for what the audience wants, but his tremendous success has only fueled his self-destructive self-indulgence. He gets banned from work for his bad behavior
behind-the-scenes https://www Googlefinans.co= In filmmaking, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK ( ...
, but later returns after adopting a healthier lifestyle, putting himself into direct conflict with Quinn. He also joins the
men's liberation movement The men's liberation movement is a social movement critical of the restraints which society imposes on men. Men's liberation activists are generally sympathetic to feminist standpoints. The men's liberation movement is not to be confused with ...
, and enlists Jeremy as part of his cause. The following season, he starts dating a swimsuit model named Crystal. *
Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (born October 21, 1984) is a Canadian actor, model, and television personality. He is known for appearances in films and television, most notably as Jay in the Lifetime dark comedy- drama series '' Unreal'' (2015–2018) a ...
as Jay Carter, a
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
producer on ''Everlasting'' who is initially one of Rachel's only friends. He soon crosses Quinn, and becomes more willing to step over the line in order to ingratiate himself to Chet. He later becomes jealous of Rachel for her job promotion, and grows frustrated by competing against a newly promoted Madison. He later produces his own show, ''Passport to Dance''. * Josh Kelly as Jeremy Caner (seasons 1–3), a
camera operator A camera operator, or depending on the context cameraman or camerawoman, is a professional operator of a film camera or video camera as part of a film crew. The term "cameraman" does not necessarily imply that a male is performing the task. ...
(later promoted to
director of photography The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
) on ''Everlasting'', and Rachel's ex-boyfriend. Engaged to the show's
make-up artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...
, Lizzie, at the beginning of the series, he still has unresolved feelings for Rachel. He briefly gets back together with Rachel, but breaks up with her after he finds out that she cheated on him with Adam. He returns to work on the new season a bitter and angry drunk over having his heart broken by Rachel. *
Genevieve Buechner Genevieve Sterling Buechner (born November 10, 1991) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her television roles such as Tamara Adama on the Syfy series ''Caprica'', Fox on The CW series '' The 100'', and Madison on the Lifetime series ''UnR ...
as Madison (seasons 3-4, recurring seasons 1–2), Quinn's meek
production assistant A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a member of the film crew and is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production. The job of a PA can vary greatly depending on the budget ...
who had oral sex with Chet and is later promoted to junior producer on ''Everlasting'', and later to Junior Vice President of Non-Scripted at the network, working under Fiona Berlin. Through the rapid progression in her career, she quickly learns to become more confident and conniving to get what she wants. As Vice President, she also produces her own show, ''#Adulting''. *
Brennan Elliott Brennan Elliott (born 24 March 1975) is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Dr. Nick Biancavilla in the Lifetime medical drama series, ''Strong Medicine'' (2000–2004). Elliott later had recurring roles on ''The 4400'', '' Cedar Cove' ...
as Graham (seasons 3-4, recurring seasons 1–2), the host of ''Everlasting''. * Aline Elasmar as Shia (season 1), a producer on ''Everlasting'' who has a professional rivalry with Rachel. Initially earnest with her take on contestant storylines, she soon learns that she has to be more ruthless and manipulative—like Rachel—to compete and succeed. To this end, she gets Maya drunk and tampers with Mary's mood stabilizing medication, but loses control of the outcome. She is sent home after the last of her assigned contestants quits. *
Michael Rady Michael Rady is an American actor. Career Rady made his acting debut in the feature film '' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'', playing Kostas Dounas, a role he reprised in the sequel, '' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2''. He has ...
as Coleman Wasserman (season 2), an executive producer and new showrunner on ''Everlasting'' who was a
documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
filmmaker prior to joining the show. He and Rachel become a couple and briefly date, but she worries when Coleman makes it clear he wants to destroy the show by publicly exposing its past crimes committed by the producers. He is later killed (along with Yael) by Jeremy when he rigs his car that crashes on the road. * Francois Arnaud as Tommy Castelli (season 4), a devious new producer on ''Everlasting'' who is brought in to handle the new games format for the show's All Stars season. He proves to be a match for Rachel's underhanded manipulation techniques, and eventually starts a relationship with her, leading to their engagement. In the series finale, Quinn scapegoats him as a rogue producer to protect Rachel.


Suitor

*
Freddie Stroma Frederic Wilhelm C. J. Sjöström (born 8 January 1987), known professionally as Freddie Stroma, is a British-French actor. He is known for his work in roles including Cormac McLaggen in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, Adam Cromwell on the ...
as Adam Cromwell (season 1; guest star season 2), a rich British playboy and the "suitor" on ''Everlasting''. He is reluctant to do the show, but is hoping the publicity will improve his "bad boy" reputation and help with his business ventures. As Adam becomes savvy to the producers' manipulations and what will make the show "better", he alternately plays along, and does some kindnesses to individual contestants. He also begins to develop an attraction to Rachel and has an affair with her, but it ultimately ends in heartbreak when he later finds out from her boss Quinn about her fragile mental health, and she convinces him to end his affair with Rachel. *
B. J. Britt B. J. Britt (born April 20, 1982) is an American actor best known for his role as Antoine "Trip" Triplett on ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,'' set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe''.'' He is also known for his roles as Paul Patterson Jr. on ''Bein ...
as Darius Beck (season 2), the first African-American suitor on ''Everlasting'' and a professional football player, who hopes that being on ''Everlasting'' will help polish his image after being involved in a
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
scandal. *
Caitlin FitzGerald Caitlin FitzGerald is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for her roles as Libby Masters in the Showtime (TV network), Showtime drama ''Masters of Sex'' (2013–2016) and Simone in Starz series ''Sweetbitter (TV series), Sweetbitter ...
as Serena Wolcott (season 3), ''Everlastings first female suitor who is a successful
Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...
venture capitalist Venture capital (VC) is a form of private equity financing provided by firms or funds to startup, early-stage, and emerging companies, that have been deemed to have high growth potential or that have demonstrated high growth in terms of number ...
, who comes on the show to seek a husband when she is tired of being single.


Contestants

*
Johanna Braddy Johanna Braddy is an American actress. She played the leading role in the 2009 horror film '' The Grudge 3'', and has appeared in ''Pop Rocks'' (2004), '' Hurt'' (2009), ''Easy A'' (2010), '' Paranormal Activity 3'' (2011), and '' The Levenger Tap ...
as Anna Martin (season 1), a
bulimic Bulimia nervosa, also known simply as bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating (eating large quantities of food in a short period of time, often feeling out of control) followed by compensatory behaviors, such as self-induc ...
contestant who works as an attorney. She almost leaves ''Everlasting'' when her father dies, but she is coaxed back by Rachel with feigned assurances that she will likely win. *
Nathalie Kelley Nathalie Kelley (born 3 March 1984) is a Peruvian-Australian actress, known for her role as Neela in the 2006 action film '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'', and for her roles in various television series including ''Body of Proof'' (2 ...
as Grace (season 1), a contestant who is a swimsuit model. She and Adam have an immediate sexual attraction, although Quinn does not see her as an acceptable winner for the competition. * Ashley Scott as Mary Newhouse (season 1), one of the oldest contestants who is a single mother with an abusive ex-husband. Quinn, finding Mary uninteresting, pushes her to step up her game, not knowing that Shia has tampered with Mary's mood stabilizing medication and given her alcohol. Bipolar and struggling with
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
, Mary begins to unravel under the pressure put on her by the manipulations of Rachel, Quinn, Shia, and Chet. *
Breeda Wool Breeda Wool is an American actress, writer and producer. She is best known for her roles as Lou Linklatter in the Audience crime drama series '' Mr. Mercedes'' (2017–2019) and Faith Duluth in the Lifetime/Hulu drama series ''UnREAL'' (2015 ...
as Faith Duluth (season 1, guest season 4), a contestant who is a shy and insecure
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
virgin. *
Monica Barbaro Monica Maria Barbaro (; born June 17, 1990) is an American actress. She began training in ballet at an early age, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance from New York University. She began acting soon after college, taking on small roles in ...
as Yael/"Hot Rachel" (season 2), a contestant who is an undercover reporter (posing as a
fashion blogger Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into outfits that depict distinctive ways of dressing ( style ...
), and who the crew labels as a more attractive, less damaged, sane version of Rachel. *
Denée Benton Denée Benton (born December 31, 1991) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her performance as Natasha Rostova in the 2016 musical '' Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812'' on Broadway, for which she was nominated for a ...
as Ruby Carter (season 2), an outspoken
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
activist who joins ''Everlasting'' looking to use the show to promote her message and, against all odds, falls in love and ends up with Darius. *
Kim Matula Kim Matula (born August 23, 1988) is an American actress. She made her television debut playing Tara Conner in the teen comedy film '' Queen Sized'' (2008) and later starred as Hope Logan in the CBS daytime soap opera ''The Bold and the Beautifu ...
as Tiffany James (season 2), a contestant who is the wealthy daughter of an
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
team owner who hopes that being on ''Everlasting'' will help her step out of her father's shadow. *
Meagan Tandy Meagan Yvonne Tandy (born May 3, 1985) is an American actress and model. She is a former Miss California USA who placed as third runner-up at Miss USA 2007. As an actress, she had long running roles in '' Jane by Design'', ''Teen Wolf'', ''Su ...
as Chantal (season 2), a contestant who is a beautiful and sophisticated southern
debutante A debutante, also spelled débutante ( ; from , ), or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and is presented to society at a formal "debut" ( , ; ) or possibly debutante ball. Origin ...
who is recovering from the death of her fiancé. *
Bart Edwards Bart Edwards (born 1989) is a British actor. He is known for playing the roles of Jasper Hunt in the Lifetime/Hulu drama series ''Unreal'' (2018), Jonathan Kay in the NRK drama ''Lykkeland'' (2018–2022), Duny / Emperor Emhyr var Emreis in ''T ...
as Jasper Hunt (season 3), a contestant who is a successful
Wall Street Wall Street is a street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the west and South Street (Manhattan), South Str ...
investment banker Investment banking is an advisory-based financial service for institutional investors, corporations, governments, and similar clients. Traditionally associated with corporate finance, such a bank might assist in raising financial capital by unde ...
who seems like he will make the perfect
power couple A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...
with Serena. * Alex Hernandez as Owen Boyd (season 3), a contestant who is a
firefighter A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...
and a single father looking for love. * Adam Demos as August Walker (seasons 3-4), a contestant who was a surfer who joined the
Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an Independent agency of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...
to save the world. He returns for the show's All Stars season. *
Alex Sparrow Alexey Vladimirovich Vorobyov (; 19 January 1988) is a Russian singer and actor who performs both in Russian and English. For international purposes Vorobyov is also credited as Alex Sparrow, a translation of his Russian name. He is best kno ...
as Alexi Petrov (season 3, recurring season 4), a secretly bisexual contestant who is a "bad boy"
ballet dancer A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...
and an ostensibly recovering
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
addict. He returns for the show's All Stars season, and stars on Jay's new reality show ''Passport to Dance''. *
Natalie Hall Natalie Elise Hall or Natalie Melinda Hall is a Canadian actress and singer. She has appeared in various Broadway, film and TV productions. One of her first TV appearances was when she portrayed the role of Colby Chandler on the soap opera ''All ...
as Candy Coco (season 4), an outspoken contestant who is a single mother and stripper. Although she had never been on the show before, she is invited to All Stars by Quinn as a cross-promotional tactic to market another reality show she's set to star in, ''Stripper Queens'', under the pretense of her being a superfan of ''Everlasting''. *
Meagan Holder Meagan Holder is an American actress, who is best known for her works throughout television. She portrayed Kelly Bowers on the comedy-drama series ''Born Again Virgin'', Evelyn Sanders in drama series ''Pitch'', Noelle Jackson in the drama seri ...
as Noelle Jackson (season 4), a fan favorite All Stars contestant who had previously been runner up on her original season. She hopes to have a second chance with her original season's suitor, Rodrigo, who is also set to be on All Stars. *Alejandro Munoz as Rodrigo (season 4), a flirtatious and charismatic soccer player, All Stars contestant and former suitor.


Other regulars

* Gentry White as Romeo Beck (season 2), Darius' cousin and manager who moves into the ''Everlasting'' mansion with him.


Recurring

*
Amy Hill Amy Marie Hill (born May 9, 1953) is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Hill's first major role was as Yung-Hee "Grandma" Kim on '' All-American Girl''. Hill has been a mainstay on American television in her work, many of her roles bein ...
as Dr. Hillary Wagerstein (seasons 1–2), a therapist employed by the show who feeds the producers personal information about the contestants to better manipulate dramatic moments from them. *
Martin Cummins Martin Cummins (born November 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor known for his role as Ames White in '' Dark Angel'' and as Nick Boyle in '' Poltergeist: The Legacy''. Life and career Cummins went to Seaquam Secondary School in the town of North ...
as Brad (seasons 1–2), an executive at the network that airs ''Everlasting'', who was later fired by the network after Chet returned to work. *
Mimi Kuzyk Marilyn Iris Kuzyk (born February 21, 1952) is a Canadian actress. Early life Kuzyk was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Fred and Kay Kuzyk, both of whom were Ukrainian immigrants, and received her early education at the Immaculate Heart of Mary ...
as Dr. Olive Goldberg(seasons 1–3), Rachel's controlling psychiatrist mother. *
Donavon Stinson Donavon Stinson (born August 25, 1976) is a Canadian actor. Career Moving to Vancouver in 1997, Donavon auditioned for a motion capture role in Mainframe Entertainment’s, Heavy Gear. He got the role which lead many other motion capture roles ...
as Dan, the
assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...
of ''Everlasting''. *
Christopher Cousins Christopher Maher Cousins (born September 27, 1960) is an American actor who has been acting in television since 1986. He is best known for playing conman Cain Rogan in forty-one episodes of the soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime d ...
as Gary Taylor (season 2–3), the president of the television network that airs ''Everlasting''. *
Tracie Thoms Tracie Thoms is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in ''Rent'', ''Cold Case'', '' The Devil Wears Prada'', ''Death Proof'', the Fox television series '' Wonderfalls''; as of 2018 she has been a recurring cast member of th ...
as Fiona Berlin (season 3–4), a high-end executive who is a
lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...
and a close friend of Quinn since early in their careers. She later becomes the President of the television network after Gary is fired. * Tom Brittney as Roger Lockwood (guest season 1, recurring season 4), a friend of Adam's who appears on ''Everlasting'' as a guest. He rapes a contestant on the show, Maya. Rachel later invites him back for All Stars, despite him not being an actual contestant, hoping to manufacture drama surrounding the incident. *Natasha Wilson as Maya (season 1, season 4), a contestant who is a sommelier. Shia gets her drunk which results in Maya being raped by Adam's friend Roger. Rachel invites both her and Roger back for All Stars in the hopes that she would confront Roger on television.


Season 1

*
Arielle Kebbel Arielle Kebbel (born February 19, 1985) is an American actress and model. She has starred on several television series, including ''Gilmore Girls'' (2003–2004), ''The Vampire Diaries'' (2009–2017), ''Life Unexpected'' (2010), 90210 (TV serie ...
as Britney, a contestant whom Quinn brands "the villain" and is one of the first eliminated from ''Everlasting''. Chet brings her back for the finale as a wild card. *
Siobhan Williams Siobhan Williams (born 10 January) is a British-born Canadian actress. Career Williams's first role was as recurring character Jamie Lewis on ''Heartland (Canadian TV series), Heartland''. In 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Fox's ''Flicka: C ...
as Lizzie, a
make-up artist A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...
on ''Everlasting'' and Jeremy's fiancée until he breaks up with her on realising he still has feelings for Rachel. * Christie Laing as Shamiqua, a contestant who is a clerk for a Supreme Court Justice. * J. R. Bourne as Bill DeYoung, Quinn's former writing partner and ex-boyfriend, who is a recovering alcoholic. * Stephanie Bennett as Pepper, a contestant who is an elementary school teacher. *
Sonya Salomaa Sonya Salomaa (born 1974) is a Canadian actress, known for her performances in ''The Collector'' and '' Durham County''. Early life She was born in Sudbury, Ontario. Salomaa grew up in Prince George, British Columbia and attended the University ...
as Cynthia Wilton, Chet's ex-wife. * Graeme McComb as Sam, the assistant director of ''Everlasting''. *
Andrea Brooks Andrea K. Brooks (born March 3, 1989) is a Canadian actress and model best known for portraying Faith Carter on the Hallmark series ''When Calls the Heart'' and Eve Teschmacher in The CW series ''Supergirl''. Early life Born in Brantford, Onta ...
as Tanya, a contestant on Everlasting. * Natasha Burnett as Athena, a contestant on Everlasting who is hoping to use the publicity to open a salon. Jay encourages her to play up to the "black bitch" stereotype in order to get noticed.


Season 2

*BJ Britt as Darius, the “suitor” -a well known African-American football player who is trying to save his image after a soured interview with a reporter. *
Ioan Gruffudd Ioan Gruffudd (; ; born 6 October 1973) is a Welsh actor. He is known for his roles in film and television series in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. Gruffudd became known for his portrayal of Harold Lowe in ''Titanic'' ( ...
as John Booth, an optimistic and adventurous tech billionaire who owns the television network that airs ''Everlasting''. * Karissa Tynes as Jameson, a contestant who is a police officer dedicated to her job, but she hopes that her chemistry with Darius will help fill the missing void in her love life. * Lindsay Musil as Beth Ann, a contestant from a small town in
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
who speaks her mind without a filter, and is cast on the show to stir up controversy. *
Monique Ganderton Monique Ganderton (born August 6, 1980) is a Canadian stunt performer and actress who works in television and film. Ganderton was born in Edmonton, Alberta. She started out in modeling before moving to stunt work. Standing 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) tal ...
as Brandi, a shy contestant who overcame a traumatic past to become a
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
fighter. * Elizabeth Whitmere as Dominique, a contestant who is a professional basketball player and a serious contender for Darius since they have a lot in common as professional athletes. * Jessica Sipos as Hayley, a contestant who is a physical therapist and is sexually adventurous, loves yoga, and is a
healer Healer may refer to: Conventional medicine *Doctor of Medicine *Health professional Alternative medicine * Faith healer * Folk healer * Healer (alternative medicine), someone who purports to aid recovery from ill health * Spiritual healer F ...
. *
Sunita Prasad Sunita Prasad is a Canadian actress. She has appeared in television series such as '' iZombie'', '' Bates Motel'' and ''UnREAL'' and also voiced Alicia Masters in '' Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes''. She has had recurring roles in sever ...
as London, a contestant who is an engineer with a conservative personality who joins the cast of ''Everlasting'' to explore her wild side.


Season 3

*
Brandon Jay McLaren Brandon Jay McLaren (born October 15, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He made his first screen appearance in the television series ''Just Cause'' (2002). He has been known for his main and supporting roles in shows such as ''Graceland'', '' Power Ra ...
as Dr. Simon, a
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...
who was a former corporate crisis counselor who is hired by Quinn to work on ''Everlasting'' and to treat Rachel. *
Melvin Gregg Melvin Gregg is an American actor known for his roles as DeMarcus Tillman in Netflix's mockumentary series '' American Vandal'', Erick Scott in Steven Soderbergh's sports drama film '' High Flying Bird'', Drew 'Manboy' Miller on FX's crime drama ...
as Zach Taylor, a contestant who is a charming
social media Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
star. *
Terry Chen Terence Chen (born February 3, 1975) is a Canadian actor. Early life Chen was born on February 3, 1975, in Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the ...
as Guy Moretti, a contestant who is a tattooed
chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...
who is looking for any way to get ahead on ''Everlasting''. *
Marcus Rosner Marcus Rosner (born August 10, 1989) is a Canadian actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of television and film projects since 2012. Some of his more notable roles include appearances in the TV shows ''Unreal'', ''Arrow'', ''Supernatural'', a ...
as Warren Johnson, a contestant who is a rancher with a
cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
attitude. *
Chelsea Hobbs Chelsea Hobbs (born February 18, 1985) is a Canadian actress. She is known for roles such as Gerda in the 2002 television film '' Snow Queen'' and Emily Kmetko in the ABC Family teen drama '' Make It or Break It''. Early life Hobbs attended an ...
as Charlie, a
camera assistant A focus puller or first assistant camera (1st AC) is a member of a film crew's camera department whose primary responsibility is to maintain the camera lens's optical focus on whatever subject or action is being filmed. "Pulling focus" refers t ...
on ''Everlasting'' and Jeremy's girlfriend. *
Kassandra Clementi Kassandra Clementi (born 10 October 1990) is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Maddy Osborne on the Seven Network soap opera ''Home and Away'', a role she played for over three years before leaving in May 2016. Early life ...
as Crystal, a
swimsuit model A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model. Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone els ...
and Chet's girlfriend. *
Tyler Hynes Tyler Hynes is a Canadian actor. Early life Hynes was born in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up on a ranch outside Ottawa. He began acting professionally at the age of eight. Career Hynes got his professional start at the age of eight during a 7 ...
as Billy Byrd, a contestant who is a race car driver who lives by his own traditional and conservative values. *
Cameron Bancroft Cameron Timothy Bancroft (born 19 November 1992) is an Australian cricketer contracted to Western Australia in Australian first class cricket, Gloucestershire in English first class cricket, and the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. He ma ...
as Preston Palmer, an older contestant who is a
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
real estate
tycoon A business magnate, also known as an industrialist or tycoon, is a person who is a powerful entrepreneur and investor who controls, through personal enterprise ownership or a dominant shareholding position, a firm or industry whose goods or ser ...
. * Joe Abraham as Norman, a contestant who is a
jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...
and a very confident elite athlete. * Jaime Callica as Xavier Chopin, a dancer and Jay's boyfriend.


Season 4

* Christopher Russell as Jack, an All Stars contestant who is a pediatrician. He is a fan favorite on ''Everlasting'', and had previously appeared on two seasons before being invited to All Stars. Rachel confides in him that he was the reason she became a producer on the show. *
Meghan Heffern Meghan Heffern (born October 3, 1983) is a Canadian actress. She was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and lives in Toronto, Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ont ...
as Sofia, an All Stars contestant who was previously known as a sweetheart on her original season, but hopes to cultivate a more villainous reputation on her second time. *Alli Chung as Skye, an abrasive All Stars contestant who enjoys the limelight. *Karis Cameron as Naomi, an All Stars contestant who is Amish. *
Samantha Cole Samantha Cole (born October 31, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter. Early life Samantha Cole grew up in Southampton, New York. At the age of 15, Cole began taking vocal lessons and landed a number of singing engagements in New York. Career ...
as Emily, an All Stars contestant. *Greg Delmage as Luke, an All Stars contestant. *Maxwell Yip as Joe, an All Stars contestant.


Episodes


Production


Development

On July 30, 2013, Lifetime placed a pilot order on ''Unreal'', inspired by Sarah Gertrude Shapiro's award-winning independent short film ''Sequin Raze''. Shapiro had previously worked at the American reality dating series '' The Bachelor''. The pilot was written by
Marti Noxon Martha Mills Noxon (born August 25, 1964) is an American television and film writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her work as a screenwriter and executive producer on the supernatural drama series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' ( ...
and Shapiro, and directed by
Peter O'Fallon Peter O’Fallon is an American director/writer/producer. Biography O’Fallon was born and raised in Colorado, and earned a degree in film studies from the University of Colorado. He began his career in commercials winning several Clio awards ...
. On February 6, 2014, Lifetime officially green-lit ''Un-Real'' with a 10-episode series order. In March 2015, the premiere date was announced as June 1, 2015. On July 6, 2015, the series was renewed for a second season of 10 episodes, to premiere in 2016. The second season continued to feature the fictional show, ''Everlasting,'' with Quinn and Rachel returning as main characters.


Casting

Casting announcements began in September 2013, with
Shiri Appleby Shiri Appleby is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her leading roles as Liz Parker in the WB/ UPN science fiction drama series '' Roswell'' (1999–2002) and Rachel Goldberg in the Lifetime/Hulu drama series '' ...
first cast in the lead role of Rachel Goldberg, the young staffer working on the reality dating competition.
Freddie Stroma Frederic Wilhelm C. J. Sjöström (born 8 January 1987), known professionally as Freddie Stroma, is a British-French actor. He is known for his work in roles including Cormac McLaggen in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, Adam Cromwell on the ...
was the next actor cast in the series, in the role of Adam Cromwell, the smart and wealthy bachelor on the dating series. Shortly after, Josh Kelly signed onto the series regular role of Jeremy, Rachel's ex-boyfriend who also works as a cameraman on the reality dating series. Breeda Wool was then added to the cast for the role of Faith, one of the contestants on the series. In early-November,
Megyn Price Megyn Price is an American actress, best known for her roles on television as Claudia Finnerty in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox/The WB, WB sitcom ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–05), Audrey Bingham on the CBS sitcom ''Rules of Engagement (TV se ...
,
Nathalie Kelley Nathalie Kelley (born 3 March 1984) is a Peruvian-Australian actress, known for her role as Neela in the 2006 action film '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'', and for her roles in various television series including ''Body of Proof'' (2 ...
and
Johanna Braddy Johanna Braddy is an American actress. She played the leading role in the 2009 horror film '' The Grudge 3'', and has appeared in ''Pop Rocks'' (2004), '' Hurt'' (2009), ''Easy A'' (2010), '' Paranormal Activity 3'' (2011), and '' The Levenger Tap ...
joined the show's cast. Price signed onto the role of Quinn King, the controlling executive producer on the reality series; Kelley joined in the role of Grace, an eco-swimwear designer/model and contestant on the series; and Braddy set as Anna, a type-A control freak and attorney who is also a contestant on the series. Ashley Scott was later cast in the role of Mary, the single mother of a 4-year-old daughter who joins the series hoping to find love. In June 2014, Price was replaced by
Constance Zimmer Constance Zimmer (born October 11, 1970) is an American actress. She rose to prominence playing Dana Gordon on the HBO series ''Entourage (American TV series), Entourage'' (2005–11) and List of Boston Legal characters#Claire Simms, Claire Sim ...
as Quinn. On July 22, 2014, it was announced that
Craig Bierko Craig Philip Bierko (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor. Early life Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York, where, for a brief time, his mother Pat was president of The Harrison Players, a local community theatre. After graduating Bl ...
has been cast as a character named Chet, who is the reality dating show's creator. On August 8, 2014, it was announced that J. R. Bourne and
Siobhan Williams Siobhan Williams (born 10 January) is a British-born Canadian actress. Career Williams's first role was as recurring character Jamie Lewis on ''Heartland (Canadian TV series), Heartland''. In 20th Century Studios, 20th Century Fox's ''Flicka: C ...
were both cast on the show in recurring roles, Bourne as Quinn's recovering drug addict ex-boyfriend and former writing partner, and Williams as ''Everlasting'' new make-up artist who is also Jeremy's fiancée.


Distribution


United States

''Unreal'' premiered in the United States on Lifetime on June 1, 2015. The network made the first four episodes available on their website on June 6, 2015, before the latter three had aired. In July 2017, it was announced that the series has been renewed for fourth season that completed production in January 2018 before the third season had aired. On May 22, 2018, it was reported that the fourth season had been acquired by
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
. The streaming service would distribute the series exclusively as a "Hulu Original" in the United States for a set period of time before the episodes are to air on Lifetime. On July 16, 2018, the fourth season was released on Hulu. In 2024 it streamed on Netflix


International

The series is available to stream on Stan in Australia and on
Lightbox A lightbox is a translucent surface illuminated from behind, used for situations where a shape laid upon the surface needs to be seen with high contrast. Types Several varieties exist, depending on their purpose: * Various backlit viewing device ...
in New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, season 1 aired on Lifetime. From season 2, the show airs on
Amazon Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
a day after broadcast in the United States, with season 1 also available for streaming. In
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
the show airs on
yes Drama Yes Drama (styled as yes Drama and formerly called ''yes stars Drama'') is an Israeli television channel carried by the Israeli satellite television provider ''Yes (Israel), yes'', which broadcasts United States, American, England, British, Can ...
channel and on Cellcom TV. In India, the show airs on
Star World Star World, currently stylized logo-wise in capital letters and formerly known as Star Entertainment Channel and Star Plus respectively, is an Asian English language entertainment television channel originally launched on 15 December 1991 by ...
. In
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, the show airs on the channel ATRESERIES, owned by the network
Atresmedia Atresmedia Corporación de Medios de Comunicación, S.A., previously Grupo Antena 3, is a Spanish media group, present in the television, radio and filmmaking industries. Significant shareholders include Grupo Planeta and Bertelsmann. On 6 Marc ...
.


Concept and characterization

''Unreal'' is set
behind the scenes https://www Googlefinans.co= In filmmaking, behind-the-scenes (BTS), also known as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a documentary film that features the production of a film or television program. This is often referred to as the EPK ( ...
of ''Everlasting'', a fictional reality dating series operating similarly to ''The Bachelor''. Dalene Rovenstine of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' wrote, "''UnREAL'' has comic moments, but is also twisty and dark in a way you hope isn't reflected by real-life reality shows." According to Noxon, the series is based on what really happens in the world of reality show production. Shapiro says, "Viewers want to believe in fairy tales, and those reality shows tap into that want. Our show dismantles that want." Adds Noxon, "We thought uncovering the behind-the-scenes machinations would make great stories, and we wanted to comment on the kind of bully culture of a lot of reality television." Shapiro says of the genre: Writing for the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
,
Frazier Moore Hamilton Frazier Moore, Jr. (born April 4, 1951), known as Frazier Moore, is an American journalist. For a quarter-century he was a television reporter/critic for The Associated Press, retiring from that job in December 2017. He is the author of ...
described the show's dynamic: Jon Caramanica of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' called Quinn and Rachel "architects of destruction—ostensibly of the people on camera, but really of themselves." Moore noted that, despite the contestants' expectations, "the game is fixed and the matchmaking premise is only a pretext ... he contestantsare pawns in the ''Everlasting'' chess game, with Quinn, in her video-paneled master control, pronouncing which contestant is the designated villainess, which is the hot one, which ones are boring and should be bounced." Appreciating Rachel's "killer instincts" and manipulative skills, Quinn also "plays on Rachel's many weaknesses to keep her in line." Caramanica commented:


Reception


Critical response


Season 1

Season one of ''Unreal'' has received favorable reviews. Merrill Barr of ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' called it "one of the best new shows of the summer because it embraces the insanity it presents on screen". Dalene Rovenstine of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote, "If you love ''The Bachelor'', you're going to like ''UnREAL''. If you hate ''The Bachelor'', you're going to like ''UnREAL''." Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' called ''Unreal'' "acerbic and unrelentingly sad" and "a close and sometimes frustrating study of women tearing other women down". In December 2015, Jeff Jensen of ''Entertainment Weekly'' named ''Unreal'' as one of his "10 Best New Shows of 2015". The review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
lists a 98% approval rating, based on 41 reviews, with a rating average of 8.4/10. The site's consensus states: "The revealing and thought-provoking ''UnREAL'' uses
reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 199 ...
as a suitably soapy springboard for absorbing drama." On
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the series has a score of 78 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". In May 2015, ''Unreal'' was one of five honorees in the Most Exciting New Series category at the
5th Critics' Choice Television Awards The 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards ceremony, presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association#Broadcast Television Journalists Association, Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA), honored the best in primetime television pro ...
.


Season 2

Season two received acclaim from critics. On the
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the season holds a score of 87 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim". The review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
lists an 83% approval rating, based on 38 reviews, with a rating average of 8.6/10. The site's consensus states: "''UnREAL'' is smarter, more shameless, and more confident in its thrilling and riveting second season."


Season 3

Season three received generally favorable reviews from critics. On the review aggregator
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the season received a score of 63 out of 100 from six critics. The review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
lists a 95% approval rating, based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 7.86/10. The site's consensus states: "Timely and unapologetic, ''UnReal'' continues its satirical skewering with newfound fervor."


Accolades


Web series

On January 21, 2016, it was announced that Lifetime was developing a Faith-centered spin-off web series, with Breeda Wool reprising her role from the TV series. The 10-webisode series ''The Faith Diaries'' premiered on April 13, 2016.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Unreal 2015 American television series debuts 2018 American television series endings 2010s American LGBTQ-related drama television series American English-language television shows Hulu original programming Lifetime (TV channel) television dramas Peabody Award–winning television programs Reality television series parodies Television shows filmed in Vancouver Television shows set in the United States Television series about television Television series created by Marti Noxon