Rosie O'Donnell recalls Penny Marshall asking her to lose weight
O'Donnell reveals the request came during A League of Their Own
Rosie O'Donnell says late director Penny Marshall asked her to lose 20 pounds while filming A League of Their Own, recalling the remark as she reflected on her long-running struggles with body image.
Speaking to PEOPLE, O'Donnell discussed her recent health journey after losing nearly 60 pounds with the help of the diabetes medication Mounjaro and undergoing a facelift.
'You think I carry it around for fun?'
Looking back at her time on the 1992 baseball classic, O'Donnell said Marshall's comment stayed with her.
"Penny Marshall didn't help by saying, 'Rosie, I want you to lose 20 pounds,'" she said. "I'm like, 'You think I carry it around for fun, Penny?'"
The actress added that concerns about her appearance often overshadowed her performances.
"When I would do late-night, my biggest concern wasn't my set — it was, did I look fat?" she said.
O'Donnell reflects on health journey
O'Donnell said she now feels healthier and more confident despite weighing about the same as she did years ago.
"When I look back, I go, 'God, I wish I could have enjoyed the size I was.' I'm now at that same weight. But I feel much healthier, more powerful in my own physicality," she said.
The actress also explained why she decided to publicly discuss her use of Mounjaro and cosmetic procedures, saying she wanted to be honest after people began commenting on her appearance.
Marshall and O'Donnell worked together beyond the film
Marshall directed O'Donnell in A League of Their Own, in which she played Doris Murphy alongside Geena Davis, Tom Hanks and Madonna.
The pair later reunited for a series of popular Kmart television commercials in the 1990s. O'Donnell has previously paid tribute to Marshall following the director's death in 2018.
