Rosie O'Donnell has recalled an instance where filmmaker Penny Marshall instructed her to lose 20 pounds during the production of the 1992 film "A League of Their Own." O'Donnell, 64, shared this anecdote in a recent interview with People, reflecting on her body image during her career.
"When I would do late-night, my biggest concern wasn’t my set - it was, did I look fat?" O'Donnell said. "On League of Their Own, Penny Marshall didn’t help by saying, 'Rosie, I want you to lose 20 lbs.' I’m like, 'You think I carry it around for fun, Penny?'"
The hit film, which documented a World War II-era female professional baseball league, also starred Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Geena Davis.
O'Donnell expressed regret about her past self-criticism regarding her body image. "When I look back, I go, 'God, I wish I could have enjoyed the size I was,'" she stated.
O'Donnell, who has spoken about using Mounjaro for Type 2 diabetes, noted that she is now at the same weight she was in the early 1990s but feels healthier and more empowered. She previously discussed her experience with Marshall, who died in 2018, on the podcast "We Can Do Hard Things."
Reflecting on Marshall, O'Donnell suggested the director was a "closeted feminist" who, while not overtly embracing the label, significantly supported women and female athletes through "A League of Their Own." O'Donnell recalled how the film made a profound impact, evidenced by children dressing as her character, Murphy, for Halloween.
In a separate 2021 interview on the podcast "Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino," O'Donnell discussed her interpretation of her character's speech in the film, which she believed had undertones of being gay. She recalled Marshall wanting the take reshot, stating the speech was "not a gay thing," a point O'Donnell challenged by referring to the dialogue itself.