UnREAL‘s Genevieve Buechner Has All the Power

Genevieve Buechner has had quite the arc on Lifetime’s UnREAL. In less than two seasons, her character Madison has gone from a lowly personal assistant afraid of her own shadow to a manipulative field producer all thanks to a bit of blackmail and a well-timed, er, favour.

“Her situation isn’t ideal, but she’s in a position of power now,” says 24-year-old Buechner. “In the beginning she was the lowest rung on the ladder and she’s a bit manic in thinking that at any moment she could be fired. It’s exhilarating for her.”

Luckily, since the Canadian actress has been in show business her whole life (Syfy fans will recognize her from Caprica and The 100), she’s never had to deal with a boss like her sadistic UnREAL one, played to perfection by Constance Zimmer.

“I don’t think I’d be able to work in that kind of an environment,” she says. “It’s so manipulative and scary. People think that’s what the acting industry is like, but compared to the world inside UnREAL, it’s a breeze!”

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Would you rather work as a producer on The Bachelor or be a contestant?

Oh, that’s tough. I think I’d rather be a contestant. I would just stand around and do nothing until I was kicked off! I’d be so scared of the producers now that I know a few things about it. UnREAL is fictional, obviously, but at the same time it makes you wonder!

Would you rather change the past or see into the future?

I think I’d rather change the past, at least a little bit. Seeing into the future would freak me out so much. I think I would grow obsessive about doing things to either prevent or create situations I saw in the future. And that could mess it up even more! Too much pressure.

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Would you rather be able to read or only be able to read minds?

[Laughs.] Wait, to read for real? Like read a book? Oh my god, I’d choose to read! I love reading books. I just finished reading The Name of the Wind, it’s part of a series called The Kingkiller Chronicle. I’d be worried about reading people’s minds. I don’t like the thought of mine being read so I won’t do that to other people.

Would you rather never be able to speak or only ever say exactly what’s on your mind?

I’d never speak again! I have way too many thoughts running through my head every minute that I’m awake. It would be so annoying. I’d never stop talking.

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Would you rather have a missing finger or an extra toe?

Hmm. Extra toe. You can hide it better. And instead of people feeling sorry for you that you lost a finger, you could freak everyone out by whipping out that toe!

Would you rather be a foot taller or a foot shorter?

A foot taller. I think it would actually be difficult to find work if I were a foot shorter!

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Photos by Kyla Hemmelgarn