Team Spirit, Julia Butters, and One Amazon Original That Deserved Every Star

Before Julia Butters went toe-to-toe with Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and had Quentin Tarantino raving about her talent, she was on the set of The Kicks — and I was right there with her as dialogue coach. That is a fact I hold onto tightly, and with enormous pride.

Created by David Babcock and inspired by the best-selling book series written by U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team star and Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan, The Kicks was a genuinely wonderful Amazon original. Executive produced by James Frey, Todd Cohen, David Babcock, and Nastaran Dibai (who I’d later see again on Resident Alien!), the show was directed by the incomparable Joe Nussbaum (another recurring collaborator from Just Add Magic and Gabby Duran) — with writing from the great showrunner, Andrew Orensteing, and writers Marlana Hope, David H. Steinberg, and Jacquie Walters.

Sixx Orange was a revelation as lead character Devin Burke — grounded, determined, and completely believable as a kid fighting to unite a struggling team. Isabella Acres, Emyri Crutchfield, Sophia Mitri Schloss, Gabe Eggerling, and Monica Lacy rounded out a stellar ensemble. And Julia Butters, in her episode, reminded everyone in the room exactly why she was going to be a star. A show about teamwork, with a team that genuinely had it. So grateful to have been part of it. ⚽