Abbi Jacobson

Using a beloved film like A League of Their own as source material for a new Amazon Prime series of the same name comes with more than just anxiety, as co-creator and star Abbi Jacobson is acutely feeling now. “This is people’s favorite f**king movie. There’s so much pressure.” Not based on the film, the dramedy (August 12) explores a more diverse set of stories about the women who made up the All-american Girls Professional Baseball League in 1943. “It was really important to us to get to tell those stories that were missing from the film, but also try to maintain the spirit and the energy.” The show explores the queerness of some of the players, the stories of Black women denied entry into the league and the treatment of Latinx women, among other stories. “Balancing the comedy and the drama is definitely a challenge.” One familiar face from the film does make a pivotal appearance in the series: Rosie O’donnell. Meeting O’donnell was “f*cking insane,” Jacobson says. “I wrote to her, ‘We have a role for you. Would you ever consider?’ She was like, ‘I’ll do it.’”

Were you obsessed with THE film AS A KID?

I loved it. There was no other film, where it’s women playing, and so well. Hilariously, as a kid, I don’t think I was picking up on any of the queer undertones, but it’s an iconic queer film even though no one’s gay in it.

HOW IS THE SHOW DIFFERENT FROM THE film?

There were things Penny Marshall couldn’t really lean into and we can. We’re really trying to tell a lot more stories about women who dreamed of playing baseball.

THE WAY IN WHICH THE WOMEN SPEAK IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER PERIOD PIECE. WAS THAT INTENTIONAL?

That was kind of controversial. I hope you’re not brought out of the period by every once in a while hearing my “likes.” But the modern way a lot of the characters speak was intentional.

THIS DOES FEEL LIKE AN ACTING DEPARTURE FROM Broad City. HOW DID THAT FEEL?

I hope at some point I do roles that are even more of a departure, but I still do very much feel that Carson has a lot of my DNA, just in a very different way than the Abbi on Broad City does. I was very scared about the acting part. I have a hard time even just saying I’m an actor. I fully have impostor syndrome, especially about that part of it, and I worked really hard to try and get some tools in my tool belt for this role.

“This is people’s favorite f**king movie. There’s so much pressure.”