Getty Actress Caitlin Fitzgerald attends Lifetime's UnREAL Cast and Producers Kickoff Summer Group Date at Malibu Wines Safari on June 4, 2017 in Malibu, California.
There’s a new bachelorette in town, but this one is part of the scripted Lifetime reality series, unREAL. (Not the ABC reality series that’s nearing its finale.)
Caitlin Fitzgerald will play Serena Wolcott, a venture capitalist, and the star of Everlasting this season. The show follows the behind-the-scenes drama that ensues on a reality show much like The Bachelor or Bachelorette.
Here’s what you should know about Fitzgerald:
1. She Will Prove to Be a Challenge for Rachel and Quinn
GettyCaitlin FitzGerald attends the Showtime Emmy Eve Party at Sunset Tower on September 17, 2016 in West Hollywood, California.
Unlike the past two male bachelors of unReal, Serena challenges Rachel and Quinn in a way they haven’t seen before. In an interview with TV Line recently, the actress said, “the gender piece is a huge part of the difference [from previous seasons], particularly because I don’t think Rachel and Quinn have met their match before, and I think my character, Serena, really can hold her own with the two of them.”
Described by Entertainment Weekly as “the female Elon Musk”, Serena will be told by Rachel early on, “You are smart, pretty, and successful. Half of America already hates you!”
It took time and effort to write and find the kind of suitress appropriate for the season. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Stacy Ruyekser says, “I think that a lot of it was what kind of a female suitress we chose… that she is this smart, strong woman. She’s not a demure kindergarten teacher. And, we started writing this back when everybody thought that Hillary Clinton was going to be the next president of the United States.”
It’s her world, everyone else is just competing in it. Meet our new suitress tonight on #unrealtv.
2. She’s Best Known for Playing Libby Masters on ‘Masters of Sex’
FitzGerald is perhaps best known for playing the role of Libby Masters on the Showtime series Masters of Sex. Libby is the wife of sex researcher William Masters on the show.
In a 2013 interview with the actress before the ball really got going with her character on the show, she was asked if Libby is based closely on the real Libby Masters. FitzGerald said, “I would say of all the characters, they may have taken the most liberty with mine. There is a lot that is factual about my character. My character had a really tragic background. That’s on the show.”
In another interview, FitzGerald joked, “For me, it’s more difficult to be a perfect Fifties housewife and hold my tongue [laughs], because I long to liberate her, but yeah, I would say it’s harder to keep smiling and being optimistic.”
3. She Comes from a Very Successful Family
FitzGerald’s family is extremely accomplished.
Her father, Des Fitzgerlad, is the former CEO of the multinational corporation ContiGroup and the founder of Ducktrap River Fish Farm Inc. The actress’s mother, Pam, is the author of Knitting for Dummies, and the founder of a yarn company called Quince & Co.
Frances Fitzgerald, her aunt, is an American historian who wrote Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam, which earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1973.
According to Learn More Facts, Fitzgerald’s grandfather was the deputy director of the CIA during the Kennedy administration.
4. She Co-Wrote the Movie ‘Like the Water’
FitzGerald’s talents extend beyond just acting. In 2012, she co-wrote and starred in the film Like the Water.
The synopsis of the film reads, “Charlie (Caitlin FitzGerald) returns to her hometown to write a eulogy for her best friend, Katherine. She feels guilty for not having been a better friend, and she must pick up the pieces after a nasty confrontation with Katherine’s girlfriend.”
Asked to discuss her work as a writer/director/producer with The BGB Studio, Caitlin said, “I think all actors should be ‘hyphenates’ and get curious and excited about making their own work and collaborating. It’s important and empowering to remember that we are artists no matter who is saying yes or no to us. I’m really excited to continue to make my own work and collaborate with my favorite people.”
5. She Graduated from Tisch School of the Arts
FitzGerlad graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied at the Stella Adler Acting Studio. During her time at NYU, she also studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Asked by Crave Online what she learned at NYU that is still helping her today, FitzGerald said, “So many things. I had great teachers whom I still work with today and I had great acting classes and also great academic classes. I think that’s important because I think actors should be as smart as they possibly can.”
In 2010, Caitlin appeared in the CBS crime drama Blue Bloods. Her other early shows include Gossip Girl, BlueBloods and Newlyweds. In 2010, she was also played the titular role in Hedda Gabler. The play was performed in a private house in New York City to an audience of jut 25 people.