Diana got a much-deserved promotion, but that doesn’t mean she won’t face new problems. ‘American Woman’s Jennifer Bartels spoke to HL EXCLUSIVELY about the finale and her hopes for Diana in a possible season 2.
The American Woman season one finale airs Aug. 23 at 10 p.m. on Paramount Network. The series starring Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Bartels, and Mena Suvari follows their characters — Bonnie, Diana, and Kathleen — as they navigate the relationships, careers, and more in 1970s Los Angeles. American Woman is such an empowering show about the fierce and determined women of that era who face similar challenges as the women of today.
HollywoodLife talked EXCLUSIVELY with Jennifer ahead of the show’s season finale about what’s ahead for Diana. In the penultimate episode, Diana told Mr. Bishop off in an epic speech after he tried to take their professional relationship to an inappropriate place. She opened up about her reaction the incredible moment, what this means for Diana and Mr. Bishop, and how closely she relates to her character.
What can you say about how this season wraps up for Diana?
Jennifer Bartels: Just looking from an aerial view of the character you see that she has really played a dance of going two steps forward, one step back. Just trying any dance move, so to speak, to get ahead and to play the game because she realizes that’s what she needs to do, both with her job, her mother, with men, with her friends, and so I think she saw this pop of success in this promotion in the last episode, but in Diana fashion, I feel like it’s always two steps forward, one step back. And that’s kind of what keeps the viewers interested as the show has grown because people are like, ‘Oh, life is not always a beautiful package that’s always wrapped up.’ She’s successful, but what’s on the other side of that? So I think that’s what’s going to be nice to explore in the final episode, and there are some kind of juicy things.
What was your reaction when you got handed that script and saw that speech where you were going to tell off Mr. Bishop for being inappropriate?
Jennifer Bartels: I didn’t come up in the industry, so I aspired to be an actor, and I had been working as an actor for a while before receiving this opportunity. I came up in the corporate world, and I was doing Upright Citizens Brigade at night and doing auditions and sneaking away at lunch when I was living in New York. I have very tight relationship with this character. As a woman, period, but also as a woman in the corporate workplace. I really was able to see and compare the notes of what I was given as a script to what I was personally experienced when I was aspiring to be an actor and living in New York. I was a data sales manager and worked for a wireless company and worked with a lot of men. I remember there were specific times where I was coachd for my outfit. There are things that were said that I look back on and think that shouldn’t have been allowed to be said. It had nothing to do with my performance. It was because I was a woman and because I was coming across as too flirty or the dress I was wearing was too pretty for a workplace. That was inappropriate, but I didn’t know that then. A lot of women don’t know and a lot of women don’t want to lose their jobs and want to be taken seriously, so you absorb more crap than you should. I think that still happens today. Whenever I had scenes with Bishop or her mother or any of the stuff she dealt with, I really resonated with that, and I think a lot of people do. Women want to be their own person. I don’t think we should be punished for wanting to be strong and independent.
Given that Mr. Bishop tried to take things to an inappropriate level, how does that change things for Diana and Mr. Bishop in the workplace?
Jennifer Bartels: I think that’s the thing. A promotion is a promotion, and a title is a title, a new office chair is a new office chair. But it really still depends on the relationship between the people you’re working with. As far as Bishop and Diana’s relationship, Bishop got a wake up call, but I think that those behaviors don’t change overnight. Like I said, a promotion is a promotion, but it doesn’t mean that she’s not going to have obstacles to overcome in the coming episode and possibly beyond. Again, it doesn’t mean much if behaviors don’t change. At that time, things were still really acceptable that shouldn’t be.
What are your hopes for Diana in a potential season 2?
Jennifer Bartels: I really love the feedback I’ve been receiving from fans who really resonate with Diana. They see a bit of Diana in themselves, and it’s because she overcomes a lot. She messes up, and that’s what I think is so beautiful about wherever they take her character. She went through this crazy roller coaster ride with men. It wasn’t abut the men. It was about filling up this hole inside of her to feel like she had control over something because she was grasping for sticks and nothing was holding. We are all guilty of that. I would want Diana to explore the honesty and the humanity in tripping and getting back up.
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