Marilyn York ponders two TV projects about her work as the men’s rights divorce lawyer of Reno

By Ray Hagar, Nevada Newsmakers

Marilyn York, the Reno men’s rights attorney, is branching out.

Not only has she founded Esquire Realty, a brokerage for attorney realtors, but she may soon have a reality TV show or a scripted series about her work defending men in divorce proceedings.

If her life’s work is portrayed in a scripted series, Cameron Diaz may get the leading role, York said this week on Nevada Newsmakers. York would play herself in the reality TV show.

Whoever would play her in a scripted TV show would need to be schooled in how to be Marilyn York, she said. Of course, any schooling would include a study of York’s provocative and controversial TV ads about representing men in divorce proceedings.

“I would have them come here and I’d have to teach them how to be me,” York said. “Isn’t that funny?”

Yet York is not sure Diaz — who starred in “Bad Teacher,” “Any Given Sunday” and “There’s Something About Mary” — is right for the role.

“I wasn’t prepared when asked if I thought Cameron Diaz should play me,” York said. “They expect me to be flattered. I am. She is adorable. If I had a body that looked like that I wouldn’t be doing this, let me tell you.

“But I am not sure she is right,” York said. “I have better ideas, in my opinion, with my no TV background.”

York said she would like someone with more “grit” to play her.

“I like Kate Winslett,” York said. “I like myself some layers. Some grit. I feel it. But you know, they want dark comedy and I get it. They don’t know if she can play dark comedy. Or like Charlize Theron — but she’s botoxed in the face a little bit too much, like we all have to do in our 40s.”

York, however, is not totally against Diaz for the role.

“I’m sure they’ll come up with someone good,” York continued. “There is apparently a movie where Cameron Diaz played an attorney. I didn’t watch it. So I need to watch it to see how she does. She did a good job in “Bad Teacher.” She had a little bit of angry grit and that gave me some hope. She can certainly do comedy. But my kind of comedy is much more drier, much more British, if you will.”

Yet preliminary work for a reality TV series is also continuing, York said.

“It seems we have one network interested in doing reality TV,” York said. “I just finished having my office photographed last night to make sure it is pretty enough for television. I’m very proud of my office. It is a beautiful 1929 building.

“They also want me to send them many anecdotal story ideas to see what the (Reno divorce) business is like.”

Soon, York will have to choose between the two projects.

“I’m told both are interested and so a studio in Los Angeles is going to make that offer and likely, being Los Angeles, they will make me choose because they like exclusivity, like we all do,” York said.

She said she must decide “in the next couple of months,” adding, “They are pushing hard on me getting them the information so they can formulate an offer.”

She said she would be part of the team if she chooses a scripted series.

“I also like the creative concept behind scripted work,” York said. “I think it is really cool and I really enjoy writing and I understand that I would have quite an active role in the writing process and that thrills me to no end. It would be nice to just hide behind the scenes and do creative work for once in my life. I think it would be a really cool challenge.”

Thoughts on Trump

Although York said she doesn’t not pay a lot of attention to politics, she offered this gem when asked about Donald Trump’s presidency:

“I think he is doing better than people expected but worse than the people who liked him expected, (so he’s) somewhere in the middle,” York said. “I thought when he became president we’d find out how little presidents really do and I think we’re finding that out. Like the world was supposed to come to an end if and when he became elected and its not. It pretty much is the same with more negativity on social media.

“Yes he (Trump) is extremely embarrassing, like his unorthodox and unprofessional ways are, yet again, the world seems pretty similar.”

Yet York sees a negativity to the Trump era.

“This is an uneducated statement because I am super politically ignorant. But what I do see more of — which I hate seeing — is hate. I hate the bigotry, I hate the sexism, the racism. It is really disgusting and really scary,” she said.

“And the violence seems to be increasing and (is becoming) more and more acceptable,” York said. “I will give him some of the blame for it because of his style of leading and having been guilty a lot of those statements. It’s pretty sad.”

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