‘Glamorous,’ a comedy-drama on Netflix, centres on the life of young man who adores makeup, Marco Meija. While working at a beauty store, he also creates videos for his YouTube channel. He longs for a bigger life, but up until he meets Madolyn Addison, he seems to be stuck in a rut. Madolyn, a former model and the brains behind the Glamorous beauty line, is looking for someone who can help her reconnect with her target market. When Madolyn hires Marco to be her second assistant, his life is forever changed.
The programme, which was created by Jordon Nardino, follows Marco’s journey as he discovers his sexuality, his meaning behind his appearance, and what he wants out of life. On multiple levels, Marco’s story is relatable, particularly in terms of the challenges faced by someone in their early 20s who is pursuing their aspirations and desires. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re wondering whether the show is based on a true story. Spoilers follow.
Is Glamorous a True Story?
No, the plot of “Glamorous” is not based on a true event. Jordon Nardino came up with the concept for the show a few years ago. It was created by The CW at the beginning of 2019, and Miss Benny played Marco, the main character. The event back then was described as “a coming-of-age show involving a makeup influencer.” Although the pilot episode was filmed, the network did not order a series of it. As time went on, the show’s makers looked into different platforms to tell Marco’s narrative. Eventually, Netflix recognised its potential. Miss Benny, a former cast member who called playing Marco their “dream role,” continued in the current iteration of the tale. They remarked, “I feel like I’ve grown up with this show and character.
“And it’s funny that it’s just now coming out because I feel like I’ve been doing it for years,” Miss Benny continued. Their understanding of Marco’s tale is a little limited. “The amalgamation of everything I’ve worked towards,” they dubbed it. Benny and Marco have a lot of things in common. They both identify as gender nonconforming and enjoy wearing cosmetics, which they discussed on their YouTube channels. Benny transitioned towards acting after leaving makeup videos behind and making music videos over the years. They were all too familiar with Marco’s tale. “I’ve worked in comedy, social media, and makeup,” they proclaimed.
“So, right now, getting to do all those things at this scale is mind-blowing,” Marco continued. It feels important. The show underwent a makeover after the initial pilot’s poor reception. At first, it was planned to follow a young Marco who had just graduated from high school and was living the dream thanks to an internship with Madolyn Addison’s business. Since having a revamp before airing on Netflix, the plot has “changed a good amount” from how it was originally. In the current iteration, 20-year-old Marco faces numerous obstacles and heartbreaks in both his personal and professional lives while attempting to always be true to himself.
The story’s heart and soul haven’t changed, despite possible modifications. The story, according to Miss Benny, is about “a queer young person’s first experiences with career success and failure, [as well as] heartbreak and falling in love.” “We kind of see him get into trouble, which personally I love,” the actor continued. The programme also tends to focus more on delving into the relationships of other characters, giving them room to develop (like Marco), and showing the audience other facets of love and loss.
The fact that the majority of our characters are variously queer is fantastic. According to Miss Benny, “usually, when there’s a queer character on a show, [the writers] put all of the stereotypes and jokes that they can into that one character,” which results in the loss of “individualism and nuance” in the characters who don’t “really get to breathe,” she added. With all of this in mind, it is evident that even if “Glamorous” is a fictional show, its writers made an effort to keep it grounded in reality and near to events that the viewer can relate to.
