Diego Peralta
There are certain projects in an artist’s life that let everyone know that their career will never be the same again. This is what Lily James achieved with Swiped, the biographical film in which she steps into the shoes of Whitney Wolfe Herd. The founder of Bumble went through a complicated journey to reach a high level of success.
It was James’ responsibility to portray the tech executive in a way that informed audiences regarding what happened while establishing Wolfe as a complex character. Awards Radar sat down for an interview with James, with the actor diving deep about what made her passionate about the premise of Swiped.
Lily James was aware of how complicated it can be to make a biopic without the main subject’s input. Inspiringly, that didn’t keep the performer from tackling this role with a nuanced perspective: “When you’re playing a real person, it can go either way. Sometimes, they’re on board with the project. Sometimes they’re not. I would imagine there’s pros and cons to both. We had a well of information to source material from online. Sharing (Whitney Wolfe’s) story with the world was a huge responsibility that I didn’t take lightly. My ambition was to champion her extraordinary achievements. One of the key themes that we explore looking at these restraints, when women sign NDAs, which can really be weaponized to silence women.”
The Swiped protagonist is making reference to how Whitney Wolfe signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement as part of the settlement that was established after her time working for Tinder. The document prevented the executive from discussing some of the events that are depicted in Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s movie.
Whitney Wolfe made her way through a male-dominated industry before the #MeToo movement opened up a larger conversation regarding sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Lily James believes that the discussion established in Swiped goes beyond the tech or Hollywood industries: “This is why I was drawn to the story. Whether it is women in Hollywood or stories you hear about kids at school being bullied by their friends or an online presence. People (on the internet) are anonymous and they can say whatever they want. There’s no accountability. It’s a very dangerous space online. And I think the way women, particularly, are bullied and victimized, or attacked. Narratives can be spun way out of control. The truth is very unimportant, at times. That was something I felt passionately about.”
The Pam & Tommy star brought attention to the strengths that made her understand where the founder of Bumble was coming from: “One of the qualities that was so admirable about Whitney, and one of the reasons I wanted to share her story, was the way she did rise above this. This a phoenix from the ashes celebrating and empowering women who was able to rise above the level of her experiences. In doing so, she created a solution to her problem. She created an app where women are safe. Where women are powered. She continues to campaign to make the internet a better place for women.”
As of 2024, Bumble had more than 50 million users. What makes the platform different from other dating apps is how only women are allowed to text first once a match is struck between two profiles.
Lily James dazzled the world as Cinderella, before belting out ABBA’s biggest hits in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Swiped allowed the artist to grow as both an actor and a producer, bringing James to an entirely different side of the project: “I didn’t expect this necessarily. It’s been an unexpected journey. It happened organically and gradually. The longer I work, the more I become invested in projects from earlier on. I say: “Wow, I really enjoy crafting the story, working on the script, and figuring out who our best collaborators are.” I really enjoyed that. I really loved the edit, too! Whenever you shoot a movie, there are so many different stories a single movie could become. That’s challenging at times, too. And I love that there is so much compromise involved (when producing). I’m so passionate about what I do. I care about every single detail. But with this, playing an entrepreneur, and such a powerful woman who achieved so much at such a young age. In telling this story, I felt like life imitated art. I had to be involved with it. I had to have a seat at the table. If anything, it was a character study (connected to) how I like to work now.”
The actor’s determination to diversify her career can be seen in everything she does. James is scheduled to star alongside Pierce Brosnan in Cliffhanger, an action thriller that continues the legacy of the 1993 film. The artist’s voice will also be heard in The Angry Birds Movie 3. Becoming a producer for Swiped just continues to prove how hungry James is to expand her legacy as a Hollywood powerhouse.
The situation Whitney Wolfe lived through has another layer of complexity when taking into account that the Bumble founder had just gotten out of college when the events depicted in Swiped took place. Lily James was aware of how important it was to depict Wolfe as a young woman who had a dream before the major problems made their way into her life: “The movie tackles some pretty heavy themes. They need to be handled with great care, love and respect. It can feel controversial. There’s also a lot of fun in this. We wanted to celebrate the fact that these were a bunch of kids who had just left college during this explosive precipice of tech that changed the way in which we all live our lives and how we engage socially. Tinder and Bumble were at the epicenter of it. We wanted to capture the naivety and child-like (aspects of the discovery). It had to feel like rock-and-roll, and playful. Add some comedy to it. Celebrate the excitement!”
After stepping down from the role for a year, Whitney Wolfe became the CEO of Bumble once again in January 2025. Eight months later, Lily James brought her story to the screen in the form of Swiped. Both are ambitious women who take control of their narratives. And if this interview was any indication, Lily James is more than ready to tackle any major project that comes her way.
Swiped is now available for streaming on Hulu.
Comments
Loading…