The third and final season of Hulu's hit comedy series Shrill just dropped, and although it's a bittersweet feeling to see one of TV's most diverse, queer-inclusive shows come to an end, it's nice to know that it's leaving behind a legacy of authentic representation when it comes to the lives of fat people, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people. A legacy that will surely be felt and inspire for years to come!
PRIDE got to sit down virtually with Shrill's lead star, executive producer, and writer Aidy Bryant (who plays main character Annie) and chat about the series' impact on viewers, giving characters from marginalized identities rich, fulfilling lives and storylines, working with women in front of and behind the camera, and so much more!
"I think it was just something that was very natural to our show and felt very easy," Aidy told PRIDE when asked about bringing so many different kinds of LGBTQ+ characters to one series, from John Cameron Mitchell's nefarious, self-centered editorial powerhouse Gabe, to Lolly Adefope's Fran (Annie's best friend and roommate who happens to be a lesbian), and Fran's nonbinary partner Em, played by nonbinary actor E.R. Fightmaster.
"A lot of these people were my friends or people I knew from comedy clubs, so there are all these little connections of people that we just genuinely know and so often we were writing these roles for them, and writing them sort of based on who they are as people. Giving them these full, dynamic personalities and characters because that was our goal with the show for Annie, was to see a fat character with dignity and a full life. So we wanted, of course, all our side characters to have that as well because they're kind of the heartbeat of the show. They're who Annie cares about, and so naturally who the audience cares about, so you want them to have full, rich lives with dynamic thoughts, and a family backstory, and you know, all those things that make people real."
And speaking about working on a show with so many amazing women, from author Lindy West to actor/director Carrie Brownstein to executive producer Ali Rushfield, Aidy said, "I think I just naturally gravitate towards women because that's who so many of my friends are and collaborating with them feels so easy."
"I think women are particularly very good listeners usually, so there's something about it where they're up for compromise, they're up for putting their heads together, and so of course that's gonna make for better products and better art. I really look forward to that. There were just so many wonderful women who helped make the show possible. I feel really grateful for them."
"The girls and the gays are the most powerful alliance of all time," she added.
The third and final season of Shrill is now streaming on Hulu!
