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The Easy Way Abbi Jacobson Convinced Rosie O’Donnell to Appear in A League of Their Own

In an exclusive chat with E! News, Prime Video's A League of Their Own co-creator Abbi Jacobson revealed how she got Rosie O'Donnell to appear. Find out why it meant so much to her.

By Daniel Trainor Aug 11, 2022 1:00 PMTags
Watch: A League of Their Own EXCLUSIVE: Rosie O'Donnell's Impactful Cameo

Rosie O'Donnell wasn't afraid to step up to the plate again.

The actress, who played brash Rockford Peach third basewoman Doris Murphy in the 1992 A League of Their Own movie, appears in the new A League of Their Own series, which premieres Aug. 12 on Prime Video.

For series creator Abbi Jacobson, it was a dream come true. 

"It was so special to have Rosie on the show for every single person involved," Abbi exclusively told E! News. "Rosie came into the writers' room and spoke to all of our writers about her experience on the film and her queer experience. It was a very special moment the days she was on set for everyone."

While Rosie steps back into the world of the A League of Their Own, she takes on an entirely different role in the series. Rosie plays a bar owner named Vi, a gregarious fan of the Peaches who eventually crosses paths with Abbi's character Carson and soon welcomes her into her world.

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Facts About A League of Their Own That Are Truly Outta There

Abbi and Rosie began having conversations about the show when Abbi started working on it back in 2018.

"I very nervously told her what I was doing," Abbi said. "She said, 'This is going to be like a queer version?,' which I wasn't fully labeling it that, but it kind of is. She was like, 'Well, good luck with that!'"

Whatever hesitancy Rosie might have had at the start was washed away when Abbi eventually asked her to come onboard. 

"I reached out to her and she was down to do it pretty much immediately," Abbi revealed, "which was so exciting."

While Abbi said they didn't want to overload the series with appearances from actors from the original film—which also starred Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna and Lori Petty—she explained that Rosie's inclusion meant something on a deeper level.

"Season one, we weren't trying to do that many cameos. We just really wanted to differentiate the show from the film," the Broad City co-creator said. "But Rosie felt like the one that really felt special because we are telling so many of these queer stories that weren't told in the film."

ANNE MARIE FOX/AMAZON PRIME

The first season of A League of Their Own premieres Aug. 12 on Prime Video.

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