This ‘Barbie’ Actress Led a Teen Dramedy Series With Jodie Comer

The Big Picture

• The Barbies in Greta Gerwig’s
  Barbie
  have interesting backgrounds starring actresses who have had their own unique projects, like Sharon Rooney in
  My Mad Fat Diary
  .
• My Mad Fat Diary
  is a British show that follows a teenage girl’s journey toward self-love in the mid-to-late ’90s, starring Sharon Rooney and a young Jodie Comer.
• My Mad Fat Diary
  stands out for its portrayal of adolescence, tackling the dramedy genre and presenting relatable characters, realistic sexuality, and an honest depiction of mental illness.

If Kate McKinnon‘s Weird Barbie has something to teach us on this side of the silver screen, it’s that every Barbie has her own history. When it comes to Greta Gerwig‘s current massive box office hit Barbie, this lesson pertains not just to the dolls that inhabit the fictional world created by the director and co-writer Noah Baumbach, but also to the performers that give life to the movie’s many characters. From Issa Rae and Emma Mackey, to Hari Nef and Derry Girls and Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, all the Barbies in Gerwig’s movie have interesting histories as actresses and creators working in their own unique movies and TV shows. In light of the movie’s success, this seems like the perfect opportunity to call attention to some of its Barbies’ previous projects. And if there is a Barbie whose previous project deserves recognition and acclaim in the aftermath of the film, then that is definitely Sharon Rooney and her show My Mad Fat Diary.

Like the vast majority of the dozens of Barbies in Barbie, Rooney isn’t exactly the most active character on screen. Her Lawyer Barbie doesn’t do much besides doing her part in bringing down the Kens’ version of patriarchy and staring in horror at Margot Robbie‘s Stereotypical Barbie’s flat feet. But long before she made her way to Barbieland, Rooney had a much more significant role in this British critical darling that aired on E4 between 2013 and 2015. As a matter of fact, she was the star of the show, which deals with a mentally ill teenage girl’s journey toward self-love. By her side is none other than a young Jodie Comer, years before her Emmy-winning success as Villanelle in Killing Eve.

What Is ‘My Mad Fat Diary About’?

Written by Tom Bidwell, Laura Neal, and George Kay, My Mad Fat Diary takes inspiration from the adolescent journals of author Rae Earl, published under the title of My Mad, Fat Teenage Diary. Taking place in the mid-to-late ’90s, the show gives us a look into the life of a fictionalized version of Earl, played by a young Rooney. The story kicks off with Rae leaving the psychiatric institution to which she was committed after a suicide attempt, the culmination of years of self-loathing that manifested in the form of a binge-centered eating disorder. Back in the outside world, Rae has to balance her newfound group of friends with her overbearing mother and her continuing treatment sessions with Dr. Kester (Ian Hart). Funny, boy-crazed, and obsessed with ’90s British pop and rock (the show’s soundtrack is a true delight), Rae keeps a journal under medical orders, through which we learn of her sensations and opinions towards the world around her.

Besides Rooney, Jodie Comer co-stars in the show as one of the most important elements of Rae’s friend group, her childhood bestie – Chloe. Having grown up with more money and a body that is considered more desirable by the boys and men around her, Chloe is the complete opposite of Rae. She was also initially kind of mean, constantly putting her alleged best friend in uncomfortable situations, such as forcing her to confess that she has never kissed a boy and ditching her in the middle of delicate conversations to tend to her so-called boyfriend. (A teacher that is, as Rae points out, very much taking advantage of her.)

‘My Mad Fat Diary’ Is a Breath of Fresh Air on Teen Television

With a total of three seasons and sixteen episodes (kind of long for a British show), My Mad Fat Diary shines not as much for the story that it chooses to tell, but for how it tells it. The world of television is filled with teen shows, from comedies like Never Have I Ever to soul-crushing dramas like Euphoria. My Mad Fat Diary, however, delves into a genre that should definitely be explored more in teen TV: the dramatic comedy, or simply dramedy. By not committing itself to mere humor or tears, but allowing its characters to travel from one extreme to the other, My Mad Fat Diary captures the bitter-sweetness of adolescence like few other shows and movies out there. Rae is utterly relatable as a teenager, suffering with her whole heart for silly things like missed dates or being grounded, and laughing at the expense of her own mental illness. The opposite is also true: Rae’s issues are a source of great pain to her, and the show makes no effort to hide this, jumping from lighthearted moments to scenes of despair seamlessly as to mimic the unpredictable quality of both coming-of-age and mental health in My Mad Fat Diary.

In this depiction of such a delicate character, it’s not only Bidwell, Neal, and Kay’s writing that deserves to be commended, but also Rooney’s performance. The actress inhabits her character’s skin with an ease that comes from pure love and comprehension. As a result, her performance comes off as extremely realistic and empathy-inviting. Even in her most unlikable moments, Rae is never indefensible as a character, and that is all thanks to Rooney. And, boy, does Rae have her unlikable moments!

Another aspect in which My Mad Fat Diary stands out is how it allows its characters to appear annoying, gross, over-the-top, and out of line. You know, like regular teenagers. This is particularly true when it comes to how the series deals with its characters’ sexuality. In a TV landscape in which series like Elite, Riverdale, and the aforementioned Euphoria invite discussions about the fetishization of teenagers, My Mad Fat Diary presents its teens as sexual, but never in a way that seems intended for adult eyes. Rae makes explicit comments in her journal about Chloe’s body or all the things she wishes she could do with her crushes, but the camera never takes a leering angle in any of the more sexual scenes. Instead, we watch Rae’s face, focusing on what she feels as she experiences things for the first time.

‘My Mad Fat Diary’ Features an Honest Depiction of Mental Illness

Apart from its candid look at adolescence, My Mad Fat Diary also takes a refreshing approach when it comes to its main character’s mental illness. The show is careful to develop her beyond her diagnosis, but also never downplays it. The series seems to take advice from the real Rae Earl, who, in an interview with iNews, reminds us that we are not defined by our mental illnesses: “People with mental health problems are still funny, they’re still clever, they still laugh, they still cry, they’re still people,” she says. My Mad Fat Diary toes the line between comedy and drama carefully, never falling on the side of tasteless jokes or tear-jerking tragedy. The result is an effortless-looking honest, well-balanced show that takes place in a universe that feels real and lived-in.

For that, as well as for its one-of-a-kind take on growing up, My Mad Fat Diary was beloved by critics and gained some award recognition, including multiple BAFTA nominations. However, audiences never really got to enjoy the wonder that is this television gem. At least, not outside the UK. With Sharon Rooney now back in the public’s eye for her role in Barbie, it is the perfect time to give Rae Earl another chance.

My Mad Fat Diary is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

WATCH ON HULU