Let's be honest, things on this season of 'The Bachelor' have been a little unreal...
Let's be honest, things on this season of The Bachelor have been a little unreal…
From the jaw-dropping actions of breakout star Corinne Olympios to Nick Viall's crybaby tendencies, ABC has upped The Bachelor franchise's on-screen antics to a whole new level – and even the stars of Lifetime's dating dramedy, UnREAL, are loving it!
ET was the first to catch up with Constance Zimmer, Shiri Appleby and the rest of UnREAL's cast on set in Vancouver, and while we can't yet spill what's in store for season three, we can tell you that the show's stars are proud of the fact that they may have had some influence when it comes to the casting of Rachel Lindsay as the first black Bachelorette in Bachelor franchise history.
EXCLUSIVE: Get to Know 'UnREAL' Star B.J. Britt - aka 'The First Black Suitor' of 'Everlasting'!
"I think it's awesome, I think it's fantastic!" Zimmer gushed over the news that ABC will finally feature an African-American Bachelorette. "And I would like to just have an ego and say, maybe it had a little bit to do with us?"
Last season, UnREAL's show within a show, Everlasting, famously featured its first black suitor, Darius Hill (B.J. Britt), and Appleby exclaimed that it's "wonderful" that ABC's 15-year-old franchise is finally shaking things up.
"I feel like, if we've been a catalyst for anything, if we were a part of that, that's fantastic," Appleby said. "And I hope she has a really great experience and finds what she's looking for."
Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, who plays Everlasting producer Jay, believes that regardless of her race, new Bachelorette Rachel is "the perfect choice" to lead this summer's season. "I don't think that her selection was based strictly on the color of her skin," the 32-year-old actor said. "I think that she is so nuanced and has so many, you know, beautiful qualities of character. Out of all the girls -- black, white, Latino, whatever -- I think that Rachel was the perfect pick."
MORE: 'UnREAL' Season 3 to Feature Female Suitor, Shiri Appleby 'Excited' for Another 'Strong' Woman
As for the comparisons that The Bachelor's Corinne seems to have been plucked straight from the "crazies" list of suitresses on Everlasting, the UnREAL stars are all for it. "And that's when we say, 'Thank you. We're doing our job right.' I love it!" Zimmer said with a laugh.
"I think [Corinne] is incredible!" Bowyer-Chapman added. "I think that what's interesting is, as likable as she is, she was clearly there and made it as far as she did because the producers needed good TV. We had to make it to the home town. We had to be introduced to Raquel. It was great, right? I stayed tuned in so I could meet Raquel. It was worth it."
The season finale of The Bachelor airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and season three of UnREAL premieres on Lifetime this summer!