Does 'UnReal' talk about tough issues?

UnReal has been deemed many things: Soapy, shocking, surprisingly addicting. But a star of the Lifetime show posits that the scathing behind-the-scenes drama may accomplish something more: Making people talk about controversial issues.

Breeda Wool, who plays the virginal contestant Faith on the show, spoke with Paste BN about how recent twists on the show — such as her character's surprising coming-out and bipolar contestant Mary's (Ashley Scott) suicide — may facilitate conversations about hot-button issues.

"I think 'UnReal' is making episodes that people have conversations about," Wool said. "When people watch now, they'll talk about mental illness, they'll talk about being gay and in the closet."

UnReal reaches approximately 4.8 million views across all platforms, and Wool hopes that some of these viewers will be impacted by the show's raw storylines.

Wool's character, Faith, came out as lesbian in the fifth episode of UnReal, but decided not to come out to her family because of her small town's close-minded sensibilities. The show kept her sexuality a secret until both Faith and the viewers came to the realization in the episode. Wool herself didn't know about Faith's sexuality until after they shot the pilot.

"I had a lot of suspicions — she was a virgin, she was awkward around men... The idea of the story was that when I go in the show, it forces (Faith) to understand who (she is). It's like a pressure cooker," Wool said.

That pressure cooker could be beneficial for some like Faith, but end up fatal for characters like Mary, who jumped from the roof after producers of the show messed with her meds and invited her abusive ex-husband to the set. Wool praised Scott's performance as Mary, saying the "role was very challenging — there were a lot of parallels to herself because she's a mom too."

Wool hopes that Mary's struggle with bipolar disorder and the fallout from her suicide will cause viewers to talk about mental illness.

"The show really facilitates conversations and it does it in a way that doesn't pander," Wool said. "By being subversive and antagonistic, it fuels the topic with conflict."