In fact, she and Chanté Adams both were able to knock it out of the park. They admit that they were both professionally—and personally—inspired by the team mentality of their new series, A League of Their Own. Influenced by the 1992 Penny Marshall movie of the same name, the new series from Prime Video is about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which debuted in 1943, and was met with great resistance from a society that was not ready to embrace girl ball players. This is a passion project for Jacobson, (Broad City), who portrays team catcher, Carson Shaw and co-created the series alongside director/producer Will Graham (Mozart in the Jungle). Adams (A Journal for Jordan) plays Maxine “Max” Chapman, a gifted African American ball player living at a time when none of the teams want to give her a chance, so she has to make them take notice of her talents. Series baseball coordinator Justine Siegal says that she worked with the actors-turned-ball players on honing the skills they already brought to the game. Jacobson met her trainer at their first baseball lesson and the goal was to improve her overall game. “Abbi is a really hard worker and truly wanted to be the best catcher she could be,” Sigel tells Parade.com. “So, we gave her all the information I would if I was coaching a college player or a pro player. I gave her the information she needs to be Carson, a major force on the Rockford Peaches.” Keep reading to discover why Jacobson and Adams love their characters, and why they hope we will be captivated and moved by the personal stories of the players.
What do you love about your characters in A League of Their Own?
Abbi Jacobson: I think that Carson is this very unlikely leader. I love that throughout this season, through all her insecurities and bumbling, she finds her voice and her confidence to become a very unlikely leader. I really love that section of her arc. Chanté Adams: For me, I think it’s Max’s passion for what she does; it’s undeniable. At times it can be mistaken for being stubborn, but at the end of the day, she knows what she’s meant to do. She understands she has a purpose in this world and that’s to play baseball, and she’s going to find her team to be able to do it.
Talk about the importance of the message that it’s never too late to take your shot.
Abbi Jacobson: I love that. Yes, I think it can be put on whatever it is that you’re passionate about, whatever your thing is. I think it’s true, you have to find the means, even if it’s just a little kernel of inner knowledge, that what you’re trying to do is worth it and that you’re good enough. I do feel like it’s never too late. Chanté Adams: I agree. When you know that you are meant to do something in this world, you have to keep going. And it’s not always going to be easy, but I hope that people take away from this show that you work hard, and you really stick at it, you just might #findyourteam.
Talk about the importance of bonding, both while you were filming and during training camp.
Abbi Jacobson: I think that the training was so important because it was team building and it gave us the opportunity to hang out off-set. Prime Video Chanté Adams: Yes, and just get to know each other, too. Because once we started filming, because our storylines are so separate, we didn’t get to interact that much. Well, at least me with the rest of the Peaches, while we were filming. But because we have our group message and we did baseball camp together, we’ve done our dinners and all that stuff like that, we were able to build camaraderie and our own team off-screen.
Did you both become really good baseball players?
Abbi Jacobson: Yes, we’re both in pro leagues now! Chanté Adams: Of course. We became incredible players! Abbi Jacobson: It shouldn’t be funny because I feel like we could be. But we both came at it with some experience. I had played as a kid, so, I think we both just got better than where we came at it. But there was definitely a progression. It was incredible working with the modern-day version of the women we are playing. They are the ones teaching us how to hold our bodies in the positions we are playing. That was a pretty incredible experience.
Abbi, what is the highlight for you after helping to create, write and also star in A League of Their Own?
Abbi: Jacobson: The fact that I got so nervous means that I really care about it. I haven’t really done a project where there’s this responsibility of telling these stories that are inspired by real women. And those women are really important to me and are an important part of history. Prime Video I don’t feel like the stories we’re telling in the show have been told yet. And that’s across the board. So, I think that goes for all the roles I had on the show. I feel a deep sense of responsibility and a deep sense of pride in sharing them. All eight episodes of the new Prime Video series A League of Their Own will premiere on Aug. 12. Next, find out all about the stars of A League of Their Own—from the cast themselves!
