'Grand Army': Anthony Ippolito calls George product of toxic masculinity ‘magnified in high school’ setting
In 'Grand Army', George Wright is one of Joey's best friends but he also has no qualms sexualizing her or calling her a slut behind her back. In one of the show's pivotal moments he and Luke rape Joey in the back of a cab when they are drunk and high and are later arrested on Joey's police complaint.
His dark side also emerges in his interactions with Leila who he sexually fetishized as "China doll" and he sees girls in general as disposable sexual commodities. Anthony Ippolito, who played George on the show, spoke to MEAWW in an exclusive interview about how he saw his character and what attracted him to the show.
"George Wright is in his own way as lost anyone else in high school. He’s flippant and reckless. He’s also dangerous and oblivious to his own character flaws," he said about how he saw his character. According to him, most people who go to high school are exposed to 'locker room talk' and its surrounding culture, which molds them. "Toxic masculinity is definitely an issue in our culture. There are certain flaws in our social fabric that are magnified in places like high school or college. It affects our vernacular, behavior, and our perspectives if we let it," he remarked, and emphasized the need to "replace these flawed social norms".
When he decided to audition for the part, what stood out most to him was Katie Cappiello’s writing that he felt was "so grounded in reality". "I could tell what she was going for with this story, at least stylistically," he said. According to him, Cappiello wrote the script so meticulously that it was important not to improvise but rather stick to the script as closely as possible. "Especially during certain sequences, every word is written for a reason. A big focus of ours was on staying true to that vision," he said about shooting for the show.
Despite the way he slut shames Joey behind her back, Ippolito believes that George in reality admires Joey. "He’s been best friends with Joey since they were little and I think they have a really deep bond. George looks up to Joey in a lot of ways. I think he also appreciates her confidence and individuality," he said. In contrast, George's initial interest in Leila, according to Ippolito, is "purely physical" but over the course of the season, "he develops a real interest in her". This would explain why he texts her after she stops responding to him and starts hanging out with theater kid Omar instead.
Since George and Luke rape Joey and then deny it later -- even refusing to acknowledge to her privately that they violated her, the question always is -- how do you embody or relate to such a character while acting? Ippolito tapped into how George was part of the swim team. "We were both athletes in high school, so I can relate to the physicality in some respects. But after that, taking on his perspective and understanding the circumstances he was in was where most of the work took place," he reveals.
This is why he hopes that if 'Grand Army' is renewed for a second season, George's character will develop some complexity rather than remain a mostly uni-dimensional antagonist. "I think it would be interesting to see more of that other side of George -- the side that made him and Joey such close lifelong friends to begin with. [But] it’s hard to pick a direction because there are so many possibilities," he said.
With the show's first season streaming on Netflix at such a critical time, Ippolito hopes the audiences will be hooked by its timely themes. Ippolito stressed how important it was that "the show inspires some good, and hopefully well-rounded, uncomfortable conversations." He added, "I hope the show leads to some introspection and empathy for young people growing up in these difficult times. Stories like this one challenge certain flaws in our social fabric that need to be brought to the surface."
'Grand Army' is currently streaming on Netflix.
