Big Shot: Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessalyn Gilsig, and More Explain the Show’s Importance

Disney+ has a new show, Big Shot, premiering this week that sees John Stamos stepping into the role of a high school basketball coach. ComicBook.com recently had the chance to chat with some of the show’s stars and they explained what makes this series special. They also explained why it will appeal to audiences and shared what they’re hoping folks will take away from the episodes. We spoke with Community alum Yvette Nicole Brown as well as Glee‘s Jessalyn Gilsig and some of the show’s younger cast, including Monique Green and Sophia Mitri Schloss.

“The thing that drew me to the show, aside from the fact that it is about female empowerment, and these young girls learning to find their place in the world unapologetically, is, of course, John Stamos, David Kelly, Dean Laurie, Bill D’elia,” Brown shared. “All these wonderful men are creators, but the show is ours, and everyone gets the chance to shine, and it’s collaborative, and it’s women-centered, and it’s just lovely. I think it’s such a love letter to sports and to young women … It’s just great, I just love the show. I know I’m biased, but I just love the show.”

“I am so excited that we are featuring these young high schoolers… Not just athletes. Just these teenagers and that we’re recognizing that what girls are preoccupied with is not traditionally what we tell people they’re preoccupied with, through the stories that we tell,” Gilsig explained.

When I mentioned my young family member who plays basketball, Gilsig added, “As you know, with your 11-year-old niece, she has ambition, she has goals. Most of which are not related to boys, clothes, appearance, you know, superficial things, all of which have a place, but she’s got dreams. She wants to go places, and I’m just so excited and proud to be a part of a show that is highlighting something that we as women have always known, but I don’t know that we’ve always, necessarily portrayed that on TV.”

“I want people to watch women’s sports more,” Green replied when asked what she hopes audiences will take from Big Shot. “And understand how hard they put in the work and they don’t get the same amount of recognition. So I want the support to be there more after people watch Big Shot.”

“I think in addition to basketball, just feeling a sense of love and connection for the people in your life,” Schloss added. “It sounds really cheesy, but Big Shot has a lot of heart and it’s all about relationships and friendships, and there’s just so much there to explore in the show and then to apply to your own life. So that’s something I love about the show and something that I hope families take from it.”

Stay tuned for more from our interviews with the Big Shot cast! You can watch our chat with Monique Green, Sophia Mitri Schloss, and Nell Verlaque at the top of the page. You can also view our conversation with Yvette Nicole brown here, Jessalyn Gilsig here, and another with Cricket Wampler, Tiana Le, and Tisha Custodio here.

Big Shot premieres on Disney+ on April 16th.