Prime Video is putting a spin on Penny Marshall’s beloved classic A League of Their Own as it tells a broader story of women playing professional baseball in the 1940s.
Helping bring some of the fresher elements of this story to life is D’Arcy Carden‘s Greta, a flirty and vivacious young player who strikes up an early connection with Abbi Jacobson‘s Carson. “This was not in my wheelhouse,” Carden admits of the role. “I tend to play a lot of goofy weirdos, and that’s what feels like home to me.”
Fans might now her best as the sentient Janet from NBC‘s former comedy The Good Place or they’d recognize her from HBO‘s Emmy-winning comedy Barry. But after A League of Their Own fans may never see Carden the same way again. “There was a part of this that was so scary,” she says of taking on a more dramatic role. “I love the movie so much. I love the time period. I love baseball. But then I remember when Abbi asked me to read the script and look at the role of Greta, I kind of was like… I don’t know that I would’ve chosen this role for me.”
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She rises to the occasion though, disappearing into her bold character’s skin. “I had to move past my fear of this character and this cool, confident, sexy, sultry woman that feels just outside of my comfort zone,” Carden remarks, and the results are evident.
Recruited by the Rockford Peaches, Greta begins her adventure with her best friend Jo (Melanie Field) by her side. They’ve been through a lot together and speak their own language of sorts. “Greta is such a survivor,” says Carden. “Her friendship with Jo Deluca, they’ve really been through it and they’ve really had some rough times, but they always come out on top.”
“They’re scrappy partners in crime,” she adds, “and they get into trouble.” It’s a far cry from the good-two-shoes Carson who ditches her quiet life for the baseball field and immediately strikes up a connection with Greta and by proxy, Jo.
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And while Greta uses “red lipstick and the outfits and the confidence” to project a certain version of herself publicly, “she will be damned if she’s going to show you that she is actually really vulnerable and scared and worried about being hurt,” Carden teases.
As for their skills on the field, Carden says, “I played as a kid, but we wanted to look like real baseball players, so Abbi and I decided to go down to the park and just pick up a glove and ball and see if we could throw it. But this wasn’t enough.”
Ultimately, the performers trained for months before the pilot was filmed as Carden notes, “we were out on the field at like seven in the morning. Everybody wanted to help each other rise to the occasion. And we had these amazing coaches that were so patient and supportive, and everybody had the best interest in mind. Everybody wanted the show to look as good as possible. It was pretty magical.”
And fans can feel a bit of that magic come to life by tuning into the series when it arrives on Prime Video.
A League of Their Own, Series Premiere, Friday, August 12, Prime Video
