The 1992 baseball classic, A League Of Their Own, is still a timeless hit for many reasons, mainly for some star actors' performances. However, audiences continue to love it because the film portrayed what it was like for the all-female baseball teams in the World War II era to play the favorite sport. The comedy that the film cleverly conveys adds a more lighthearted tone to the clear struggles the women players constantly ran into.
The "dirt in the skirt" production stars some of Hollywood's most renowned actors and some that aren't as popular, but who, nevertheless, have some pretty interesting facts about their lives and the high-rated baseball movie they all got cast for.
Tom Hanks Wanted To Be An Astronaut
That's right! Tom Hanks, Sheriff Woody, Forrest Gump, that guy who was cast-away on an island for years, whatever fans remember him the most for, actually wanted to be an astronaut. Coincidentally, the widely-beloved actor also starred in Apollo 13, playing the real-life astronaut, Jim Lovell.
Hanks loves the concept of space so much that he is a member of the National Space Society, was awarded the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award by the Space Foundation, and he produced the HBO miniseries, From Earth To The Moon. Tom is clearly a supporter of space travel, its vitality for humanity, and the importance of showing the reality behind space travel. After all, he wasn't kidding when he said "Houston, we have a problem!"
Geena Davis Tried Out For Archery For The Sydney Summer Olympics
It's obvious how physically fit Davis was when she portrayed Dottie in the film. Viewers probably don't know about this interesting little tidbit about the fabulous Davis though.
In 1999, Geena was one out of 300 other women who were competing for a spot in the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics in archery. She placed 24th and thus, didn't qualify for the official team, but 24th place isn't half bad! Davis later admitted that she had only become majorly involved in archery in 1997, two years before her tryouts for the Olympic team.
Madonna Was A Backup Dancer Before Her Fame
The young Madonna left Michigan for New York City and worked at a Dunkin' Donuts to support her dance career. Little do most of her fans know today that prior to her huge stardom as a singer, she started out as a backup dancer.
Taking dance classes at schools including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater became important for her rise to fame, as she later got to perform with professional modern dance troupes. It wasn't until a few years down the line when the "Starlight" and "Material Girl" singer joined and helped form a rock band, only to then realize that she was definitely talented enough to become a solo artist.
Ann Cusack Worked With Tom Hanks Again In Sully
Cusack played left-fielder, Shirley, in the film alongside Tom Hanks, who played the team's coach. While Ann didn't have as much on-screen time as she does in her other productions, her chance to work with her former costar again came up in 2016.
Sully is a film centered around the real events of Flight 1549, piloted by Captain Sullenberger, "Sully," which landed on the Hudson River due to an in-flight complication. With a dramatic turn of events, Captain Sully has to defend his actions in making the emergency landing on the river. The former '90s co-stars got the opportunity to portray a biographical experience, one that is honored today.
Bill Pullman Was An Adjunct Professor At Montana State University
Otherwise known as the dad character from the family-friendly Halloween favorite, Casper, Pullman has been seen in numerous movies throughout the course of his career.
However, many don't know that Bill is an intelligent scholar, as he was granted an honorary doctorate degree from his school, Montana State University. It's been said that Pullman's students encouraged him to pursue a career in film when he taught their classes at the School of Film and Photography. He also received a doctorate degree at Alfred University, where he additionally serves on the Board of Trustees.
Lori Petty Was A Graphic Designer First
She is most famous for her role as Kit, Dottie's sister, in the baseball flick. Petty gave Kit an edge that audiences would never forget, as they watched her throw and hit with ferocious dedication. She also is known for her recent role in Orange Is the New Black as Lolly Whitehill.
However, prior to her work as a film actress, Lori worked as a graphic designer in Omaha, Nebraska. While not much about her design work is discussed, it is known for a fact she worked in graphic design for years before she made the big move to Los Angeles to pursue show biz.
Anne Ramsay Broke Her Nose On Set With A Baseball Mitt
Famous for her future roles in television such as in Wizards of Waverly Place and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Anne Ramsay's face continues to be seen in multiple shows and films.
On the set of A League of Their Own though, Ramsay was the victim of an unfortunate incident. Even though her character, Helen Hay, is more skilled at catching, Ramsay literally broke her nose on her mitt. This was definitely an unpleasant moment, so it goes to show that Ramsay should be praised for her dedication.
Renée Coleman's Thigh Bruise Was Real
Anne Ramsay wasn't the only one with an injury on the set of the all-women baseball team. Avid viewers of this film can recall the camera shot on the poor baseball player that's sitting down in grueling pain, revealing a huge black-and-blue bruise on her thigh.
Talk about "dirt in the skirt!" Coleman's character certainly looked in pain, but that could actually have been because the large bruise was authentic. She somehow sustained this "strawberry" bruise while filming, and it lasted on her leg for over a full year. Well, that's definitely a genuine way of making her mark.
Tom Hanks Is Actually Related To Fred Rogers
Recently seen in A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Tom Hanks portrays the famous, Fred Rogers or Mister Rogers as he was always called. Hanks gave a convincing performance, but fans were not expecting to find out his true connection to the television icon that Rogers made his mark as.
Tom is ironically related to Fred Rogers as sixth cousins according to ancestral research. Hanks discovered this right before the film premiered, learning that both he and Mister Rogers share the same great-great (and many greats), grandfather.
Rosie O'Donnell Was Almost Cast In Hocus Pocus
O'Donnell portrayed the comic relief character on the women's team, Doris, who aggressively shouts on the field with no regrets whatsoever. Her tough-as-nails demeanor brings a different angle to the team in the film as the all-female team has to beat the odds that professional baseball had only included men before them.
However, it may not be widely known that Rosie could have played the part of Mary Sanderson in the Sanderson Sisters bunch of Hocus Pocus, the Halloween classic that became a modern hit. Kathy Najimy was given the part of Mary after O'Donnell turned it down to pursue other roles.