The 2017 Emmys was a huge win for women, with shows like Big Little Lies and The Handmaid's Tale sweeping the award show. Considering that the entertainment industry that consistently fails to include the appropriate number of women in the conversation, it's so important that we remember women are capable of doing amazing things in front of and behind the camera.
What does this have to do with former Disney Channel star Debby Ryan? Surprisingly, everything.
Shortly after Ryan's series The Suite Life on Deck came to an end, the actress, who will next star in the Netflix series Insatiable, landed the lead in the nanny sitcom Jessie. In an anniversary post for Jessie, which premiered six years ago, Ryan reminded fans that she was a producer on her TV series as well as its star.
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"Today in 2011, Jessie premiered on Disney Channel. I got to pitch, produce and cast my dream job right outta high school with special folks."
Today in 2011, Jessie premiered on Disney Channel.
— debbyryan (@DebbyRyan) October 1, 2017
I got to pitch, produce and cast my dream job right outta high school with special folks pic.twitter.com/eH1goZKqJS
In a series of tweets that followed — in which Ryan waxes poetic about her time on the Disney sitcom, in which she played an Upper West Side nanny — the star also mentioned that working on the series earned her a very important title.
"We shot over 100 episodes across 4 seasons as Disney’s first straight-to-series pickup. I became their youngest female director and producer," she wrote.
We shot over 100 episodes across 4 seasons as Disney’s first straight-to-series pickup. I became their youngest female director and producer pic.twitter.com/ntizH9xvRS
— debbyryan (@DebbyRyan) October 1, 2017
This might not sound like a big deal, but consider how awesome it is that a young woman was given the opportunity not only to be the leading lady in a sitcom — already not nearly as common as it should be — but also have some say in how she was presented.
Jessie may not have won any Emmys, but the series is another example of why the industry should be more willing to place women in the driver's seat of our TV shows and films. Clearly, they're doing something right here.