‘A League of Their Own’ Star Melanie Field on Why Playing Jo Was ‘Empowering’ (Exclusive)

After much talked-about buzz and anticipation, Melanie Field is ready for viewers to see A League of Their Own. The Prime Video series starts streaming on Friday, Aug. 12 with three episodes, and Field plays Jo, one of the top players for the Rockford Peaches. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Field explained why she loved playing the feisty baseball player, Jo. 

“God, I love Jo so much,” Field exclusively told PopCulture. “I really love her so much and I miss her. Something we actually haven’t talked about, which is very much aligned with my values is, being in this body and playing a professional athlete, who’s confident and good, Jo afforded me that opportunity, and it’s very empowering to stand in her newfound power. She doesn’t necessarily start there, but you put her on a field and she knows she’s the best. That, to me, was just so, so exciting to inhabit, and particularly to do it in my body, it brought a lot to my personal life.”

Jo is a key member of the Rockford Peaches, a team that is trying to win an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League title. But while Jo is a star on the field, she is also strong off the field as she knows who she is and is not going to apologize for it. When asked about how the series is different from the 1992 movie, Field said, “We broke it open,” meaning the series will focus on things that the film couldn’t. 

Fans are first introduced to Jo in the season premiere as she is with Greta (D’Arcy Carden) and Carson (Abbi Jacobson). The three have a close bond that gets tested in multiple ways during the series. Field said, working with Jacobson, who is also the co-creator of A League of Their Own, was an experience she enjoyed. 

“She’s a great boss,” Field explained. “She’s a great actress. We were incredibly supportive of each other. I remember being on set for some of the more difficult scenes and just sticking around and lifting each other up and making sure we were taken care of. I loved the dynamic between the three of us, and I loved the times that we got to be together.”