A version of this interview with Kylie Bunbury first appeared in the print edition of TheWrap Magazine’s Fall TV Issue.
On Fox’s “Pitch,” Kylie Bunbury’s character is making history and shattering a glass ceiling that’s still intact in the real world: She plays Major League Baseball’s first female pitcher. But that doesn’t make her a superhero.
“Ginny is every woman,” Bunbury told TheWrap. “She’s a regular person who just has a lot of focus and works really, really hard. She’s strong but she’s vulnerable as well. She’s sarcastic and determined and is a dreamer.”
According to the 27-year-old actress, Ginny really just wants to play baseball for the San Diego Padres, but making history tends to come with more than that.
“It’s a lot for her,” she said. “She has to deal with the responsibility of becoming a role model. She’s sort of the face of women breaking glass ceilings, and also pulled to do the stuff on the side she doesn’t really care about. She just wants to be taken seriously. She wants everyone to treat her like a regular ballplayer.”
The idea of women playing baseball is becoming an increasingly debated topic, perhaps closer to reality than ever, and Bunbury has her own opinions on its likelihood after researching the topic for the role.
“I think it’s only a matter of time,” she said. “What’s interesting is when we tell people about the premise of the show, a lot of times their reaction is, ‘Oh, is that based on a true story?’ So it’s already within the realm of possibility to people. So I think it’s going to happen sooner rather than later.”
Bunbury trained for two and a half months to learn to pitch before filming, and the pilot was shot on location at San Diego’s Petco Park, where the real Padres play ball.
“It’s incredible,” she said. “My reaction walking out on the mound is my real reaction. I remember thinking, ‘Whoa, how many people would love to be in this position?’ I really took it all in. It was a really powerful experience and quite emotional for me.”
“Pitch” premieres Sept. 22 on Fox.
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