Pop-Culturalist.com

Filmmaker Ash Avildsen and star Emily Bett Rickards pin their talents against the backdrop of professional wrestling in Queen of the Ring. This gripping narrative vividly recounts the life of Mildred Burke, a formidable wrestler and single mother who not only broke gender barriers but also redefined the sport. Her journey to become the first million-dollar female athlete and the longest-reigning champion unfolds in an era when wrestling faced severe restrictions and was largely outlawed across the nation.

The film explores the intense personal and professional battles that Mildred endured, showcasing her resilience and determination in the face of overwhelming adversity. It paints a compelling portrait of her struggle for legitimacy in a male-dominated field, capturing the spirit of a trailblazer who fought for her dreams and forged a legacy that changed the face of sports forever.

Pop Culturalist spoke with Ash and Emily about Queen of the Ring, the impact Mildred’s story had on them as storytellers, and the collaborative nature on set.

PC: Ash, one of the most beautiful aspects of filmmaking is its ability to shine a light on individuals like Mildred, who have had a significant impact on history but might otherwise remain unknown. After reading the book Jim Ross gave you, you wanted to adapt her story for the screen. What about her story resonated with you, and what unique freedoms does this medium provide for bringing her story to life?
Ash: On a human level, it was incredibly unique. She was a single mother who risked everything at a time when pursuing her dreams was illegal. I’m a big pro-wrestling fan and had never heard of her story. That’s so much more magnified and outrageous—if I don’t know it, I’m sure casual fans don’t either.

It’s such an incredible human story, even outside of all the pro-wrestling drama. It’s about an unorthodox family trying to chase their dreams and do something special with their lives while they’re on this short trip on Earth. It deeply inspired me after reading the book.

Then, of course, without giving away any spoilers, there’s peculiar, unusual family drama. I always ask myself if we’ve seen this scene before. There are a few scenes with the two families that I had never seen before in a movie or read in a book. I thought, “Wow, this is really, really unique.”

PC: Emily, you underwent an extensive training process in preparation to play this incredible woman. Can you share a bit about how you prepared to step into her shoes and how that physicality helped you tap into the core of who this woman was and how she carried herself and moved in the world?
Emily: When the script first came to me from Ash, one of the questions was whether I had wrestled before. I absolutely had not. I had been in the boxing ring before, but I’ve always been quite physical. I felt like I had the potential. [laughs] After we hopped off that call, I called a friend of mine who is the only wrestler I know. I didn’t know much about wrestling at that time. I can probably say that I have an extensive amount of knowledge now. Not as much as Ash, but it’s extensive. I asked my friend to show me the ropes because I was about to sign on to play Mildred. I wanted to know what I was in for. After bouncing around on the mat for a bit, I was like, “Okay, when I get to Louisville, this is going to be full on.” Until then, it was training with my trainer, Tom Taylor, through T3 Athletics, as well as Dr. Diego Botezelli for nutrition. I put on a lot of muscle, which was mostly weights. No cardio was recommended at all. I’m a runner and boxer mostly. I like to do yoga and that kind of thing. So it was a big change for me, especially at that time. I had gotten into a more softer way of life in a sense with more running. This was putting a couple of strengths together.

When I was in the rehearsal process with my coaches Andrew McCllroy and Matthew Anderson, there was a time early on when I was trying to find her spine. It was Andrew McCllroy who said to me, “When you keep putting on the muscle, the spine is going to evolve with this character.” It was true. The muscle wasn’t just for the physicality of the role and what she looked like, but it was the way she carried herself and the way that her spine represents strength and power. I felt it. There’s a pulling down of the lats that I no longer have and the strength from the chest that I didn’t have before.

So there is that embodiment aspect with the training process as well. That continued through our filming because that went into training with OVW Wrestling and wrestling rehearsals with our coaches Heath Hensley and Kelly [Phelan]. We were in the ring as much as possible—all the time. [laughs]

PC: Your performance was transformative. Ash, the way you depicted the adversity these women and characters face onscreen is gut-punching. As an audience member, you immediately feel it. As a writer-director, how did you create an environment on set where your ensemble could tap into the vulnerability needed to tell this important story?
Ash: Because we had such a grueling schedule and it was really hot in Louisville, the cast could take inspiration from the natural intensity of pulling off this story with this scope on a small independent budget. It was really tough, mainly because of the schedule. We also faced other issues, like a bad storm at the carnival. There were a lot of challenges that came our way. But as far as the environment, the cast really built their own camaraderie as artists. From what I could tell, it came across very genuine. Outside of Toni [Rossall] and Kailey [Farmer], none of them were wrestlers, so they were discovering this world together. It felt like, on set, they were all at a sleep-away summer camp, studying a never-before-touched underworld. They all had a natural chemistry as friends. That translated to the screen because it really feels like they’re all in it together and they’re genuinely bringing to life the characters they’re playing. It didn’t feel forced on or off the screen. I think also because none of them lived there, they were all away from home, learning something new. It was an underdog production because normally stories this ambitious are big studio pictures. All these elements fed into the dynamic that they all shared together. Also, the training too, because there’s a lot of action in the film. The girls studied it. There’s no faking those moves and those bumps. They were really in it together, which helped the chemistry among all of them.

PC: It’s so believable on screen. Emily, there’s a beautiful moment at the start of the film where Mildred attends a wrestling match and you see and feel that spark that ignites within her. From that moment, I was hooked on this story. For you as a storyteller, what’s been that equivalent on set when you knew this was your path and purpose?
Emily: There’s some sort of throughline in there that Mildred and I do share in reaching for this dream and this calling. I’m not sure when it started. I loved watching TV and movies growing up. I’ve always loved fiction. I’ve always loved being able to say words that I might not necessarily say, and it’s not only about dictating them, but feeling what they mean for that person. There’s this alchemical thing that I don’t get to do unless there are 200 other people with me helping me do it, which is similar to Mildred. She needs a scene partner. She needs a ring. She needs a coach. She needs the platform to be able to do it. She’s like, “This is my dream. I’m going to need a village.” It’s that drive that people gravitate toward. She has those women as friends, teammates, and confidantes. She creates a community because of her dream. It’s so interesting how much she got out of that life. She has her son with her the whole time. She not only wants to be a wrestler, she wants to be a mother and a leader. She wants to break down barriers in the world. She has high-level women around her who also want to do that. That’s what she’s attracted.

PC: When Mildred was making her mark on the world, it was during a time where societal norms didn’t believe women could be tough and feminine at the same time. Emily, you did such a brilliant job portraying this woman who defied those expectations. For each of you, could you talk about how you ensured that contrast was reflected not only in the script, but also in the performances?
Emily: That’s me, that’s Ash, that’s Mildred. The script was an honest script. There wasn’t a flowery aspect to covering up who this woman was. You were able to see who she was and who were were representing on the page. When you have that clarity, as an actor, you feel safer to explore what that is. You don’t have to decode things. There was also such an extensive amount of research that we got to do on her and for her. Jeff Leen’s book is incredible. It’s well-written and a joy to read. There’s a ton on the internet as well. I’ve talked about this a few times, but those pictures on the internet were so important to show who this woman was. The strength and femininity in that is shown in who she was back then and who she was always going to be. In an alternate reality if she had stayed in that diner, she would have always been feminine and strong, and a single mother. I don’t think that’s something she grew into. That’s who she was.

Ash: That was another thing that drew me to the story. In the current era of society, fit women are really being celebrated, which is amazing and beautiful. Back then, it wasn’t accepted. If women had real physiques, it was considered to masculine and it wasn’t embraced. It wasn’t considered beautiful and attractive. The girls all really committed, especially Emily as the lead, to getting their bodies in the right shape to reflect that. It comes across on screen. But that was another thing. As a reader, I started looking at her story and I thought it was so timely because it’s really just now that that’s changing. Mildred was the first person to bring that into pop culture, which is a story that people should know.

PC: She was a trailblazer. Ash, something that I loved about this film is how you’re immediately transported back in time with the set design and the costumes. That attention to detail is so grand and subtle, and it really creates that immersive experience where the cinematic landscape feels like a character in itself. Can you talk a bit about the process of building that world with your creative team?
Ash: So much of that is due to the crew. Molly Coffee was such a great production designer, and Sofija Mesicek handled the costumes. Pro-wrestling is a colorful world. We purposely didn’t want the world, even down to the background colors, to feel like what you see in traditional period pieces where it’s all grays, browns, and a lack of color on screen.

Everywhere we went with Mildred, unless it was intentional like the divorce court, we wanted to see that color come to life because the pro-wrestling world brings excitement. It’s a blend of circus and theater—both colorful realms. We aimed to balance staying true to the period as best as we could with our budget while capturing the unique essence of pro-wrestling, which wasn’t like anything else back then. That was part of the magic and allure for fans and performers.

Another reason we chose Louisville was for its many period-friendly hotels and venues. The Palace Theatre was one of them. It radiated life and a spectrum of color throughout the building. That was a significant reason we were able to pull it off as an indie film—because of the locations in Louisville that were willing to let us film there. All credit and respect go to the crew that brought it to life. I’m very grateful we were able to assemble the team that we did.

PC: I think “magic” is the perfect way to describe this film. Emily, like any profession, there are highs and lows. Mildred’s story really highlights the importance of getting back into the ring. Now that you’ve wrapped the project, what impact has portraying her had on you and how you navigate your own career moving forward?
Emily: She taught me a lot about propelled momentum in oneself and not getting wrapped up in any type of self-doubt. She has a strength to keep going and, innately, I think that we both have that. This constant cheering yourself on and believing in yourself is something that’s so strong in her. It’s something I’ll take with me for the rest of my life. Maybe in my weakest moments is when I’ll need her most, but she’ll always be there. I’m grateful for that.

Make sure to follow Ash (Instagram) and Emily (Instagram). Queen of the Ring is currently on the festival circuit. Keep up with the film by following them on Instagram.