CULTURE

Aidy Bryant Is a Delight in the Trailer for Hulu’s Shrill

And honestly, it looks delightful.


shrill trailer.png
hulu

Aidy Bryant today shared the first trailer for Shrill, her upcoming show on Hulu—premiering March 15—and honestly, it looks delightful. In the clip, we get a sense of Bryant’s character, a journalist trying to make a name for herself while finding her confidence, and it’s as relatable as can be.

The series is based on Lindy West’s 2016 memoir of the same title, and the six episodes in the first season were co-written by Bryant. In addition to the Saturday Night Live actress, the cast is rounded out by Lolly Adefope, Luka Jones, Ian Owens, John Cameron Mitchell, Patti Harrison, Julia Sweeney, and Daniel Stern. Bryant isn’t the show’s only SNL connection; the executive produced is Lorne Michaels (along with Elizabeth Banks).

When Bryant first announced that she was working on the show, she talked about how she wished it existed when she was growing up because the representation of heroic, curvy characters is few and far between (not to mention the feminism inherent in it). “We are working hard to make the show I dreamed of seeing when I was fourteen,” she wrote on Instagram back in August, when she shared photo-booth pictures with her castmates. “A fat woman with a full dynamic life on TV!!! I can’t wait for you to see our talented cast @lollyadefope, @lukayovetich, @_dang_yall, and the incredible @johncameronmitchell. More to come but this is a dream come true and I love you!”

When West was promoting the book a few years ago, she talked about how important the premise behind it is: That size should be irrelevant to success, and even if some people think the two are intertwined, it’s possible to break through as long as you believe in yourself. “I just hope it’ll give people permission to feel okay,” she told Vogue. “We waste so much time trying to live up to these artificial standards. It puts your life on hold. That’s how my life used to be: I didn’t think it could start until I fixed my body. That was such a waste of time.”

West also talked about how she hopes Shrill will awaken people’s inner feminist. “I hope the fact that it’s entertaining will draw people in who might not normally be drawn to a book with positive messaging about bodies and feminism,” she said. “I hope I can trick some people into reading it.” Judging by the first trailer, that shouldn’t be a problem.