With its happy exuberance, Netflix hit series Glamorous feels like a close cousin of Emily in Paris, albeit with one groundbreaking difference: It’s quite possibly the most truly diverse TV show ever made.
Set in a gleaming New York office, the film stars Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall as Madolyn Addison, a former supermodel who now heads the waning beauty empire Glamorous by Madolyn. Cattrall, 66, is a brilliant choice as queen of a dynamic young team, one of whom boasts, “Titanic is the oldest movie I’ve ever seen — and I don’t know who Cher is.”
Even more interestingly, Netflix launched the show concurrently with the new series of And Just Like That…, the spin-off of Sex and the City, which stars Cattrall’s allegedly estranged former co-stars. Even though she has a brief cameo in “And Just Like That…,” the bitterness lingers. So don’t expect that she will befriend Sarah Jessica Parker in real life anytime soon.
What’s it like being a part of this revolutionary new show, which also stars Miss Benny, who’s garnered critical acclaim as Cattrall’s hilarious, gender-nonconforming assistant, Marco Mejia?
There’s no one better to ask than Damian Terriquez, who plays Dizmal Failure, a popular drag queen who befriends Mejia.
Set in a gleaming New York office, the film stars Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall as Madolyn Addison, a former supermodel who now heads the waning beauty empire Glamorous by Madolyn
Just four years ago, 25-year-old Mexican-American Terriquez thought about a life in marketing after studying international business structure in London. The pandemic put an end to that, and Terriquez moved to Hollywood to do odd jobs on movie sets.
As a non-binary actor, they were convinced that a big part was a long time coming. Born in San Diego, California, Terriquez and her family relocated to her mother’s hometown of Tijuana, Mexico, as young children, but returned to California after high school.
Terriquez now lives just outside of Los Angeles with her fiancé, actor Luke Lowry, and their miniature schnauzers, Nadia and Nala.
Appropriately, while on holiday, Terriquez had just kissed Ireland’s famous Blarney Stone when they heard about the audition for Glamorous.
However, they tell me, “I was a trained dancer with an academic mindset and not much acting experience.” I thought there was no way I was going to get a Netflix series starring Kim Cattrall. But Luke encouraged me to try and here I am.
“Glamorous came about a few months after I decided to pursue acting,” adds Terriquez, “and there’s no better time than now to be someone like me — a non-binary Latinx.” Two years ago it would have been in never given two similarly different people in a show. On Glamorous, everyone in the cast is a different facet of diversity. I hope this changes the notion that a show can only have one role like this.”
Terriquez, who wears a navy turtleneck, dark jeans and pearls for our interview, says she watched the Sex and the City movies with her mother as a kid — they were “too young” for the TV original — and gives admitted to having been intimidated at first meeting Cattrall.
“I was quiet so I assumed she knew I was a little nervous, but in our scenes together she couldn’t have been nicer, always asking how my day was going.”
With its happy exuberance, Netflix hit series Glamorous feels like a close cousin of Emily in Paris
Cattrall not only starred but also produced the show, and Terriquez says it was impressive to watch her juggle both roles. “As soon as they called ‘edit’ she made changes very quickly and said, ‘I think this or that would make more sense.’ It was always a long day on set but then still having to work after the cameras stopped had was something I had never experienced before. “It was an inspiring process.”
Cattrall didn’t socialize with the younger actors, who, unsurprisingly, had great fun on set together. “It was like a summer camp. “There was this board game cafe in Toronto that we used to go to and it was always someone’s birthday, so there was a lot of celebration.”
Filming for the show began last year in the Canadian city, which also served as the New York City double in Suits, and the massive Glamorous offices were one big set.
“I’ve never worked on anything so carefully constructed,” says Terriquez.
While legendary Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field designed Cattrall’s outfits – the two remain friends despite other arguments – the rest of the cast was dressed by film and television costume designer Nancy Gould. For one scene, Terriquez wore a pink catsuit with sequined platform boots – a look she’ll never forget: “My heel fell off and I embarrassingly fell out of my trailer!”
Watching an entertaining show that will help you disconnect from the world is totally justified
In addition to extravagant clothing, the show also introduced Terriquez to makeup.
“I used to do some soft eye makeup occasionally, but now at all these red carpet events, I enjoy makeup.” I love the Tom Ford used on the show and cheaper ones Brands like Clinique. When I’m preparing for something, I put glitter around my eye and powder around my beard.”
While there is talk of a second season of Glamorous, Terriquez is currently planning her wedding to Lowry, which will take place in Mexico next year so that all 450 relatives can attend. The couple, Terriquez says, met online, “like people my age do … I find it so new now watching a romantic comedy.” I’m like, “Oh, wow, it’s so cute — they did.” met in person! How did they know they liked each other?”
Of life off screen, Terriquez says, “I enjoy the quiet.” I’m trying to live out my fantasy of being an aristocratic English compatriot. I’ve taken up knitting and gardening and I have my dogs.’
They also have their eye on Netflix colleague Emily in Paris. “There’s an idea that everything has to be intense, but a fun show to disconnect from the world is perfectly valid.” “Emily in Paris was great – I know French and have a degree in marketing so come on !“
A new co-star for Lily Collins?
Glamorous is now available to watch on Netflix