Inside Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham's life as a single mother (2024)

Ted Lasso was the big hitter at the73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night - scooping not only the gong for Outstanding Comedy Series, but prizes for the show's stars as well.

Leading manJason Sudeikis earned himselfone of the top honours on the night as he scooped Lead Actor in a Comedy, while his British co-stars Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein won the Supporting Actor andSupporting Actress prizes.

The heartwarming Apple TV+ show follows small-time American football coach Ted Lasso who is hired to rescue a fictional Premiership football team AFC Richmond in London - despite a total lack of experience.

Ted Lasso - of which there are two two critically acclaimed series and it has been renewed for a third - premiered in August last year and catapulted several of its lesser-known stars - many of whom are British - to international fame.

Now MailOnline takes a look at everything you need to know about Ted Lasso.

WHAT IS TED LASSO?

The premise for the show originated from a string of TV adverts in 2013 asNBC Sports promoted its forthcoming coverage of Premier League soccer.

In the adverts, Jason took on the role of Ted who was the new head coach of Tottenham Hotspur that struggled to grasp the basic elements of the game.

After the adverts proved to be a hit with audiences,Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence was enlisted to develop a television series based around the character and he worked alongside Jason to create the hit Apple TV+ show.

The first season of Ted Lasso, comprising 10 episodes, premiered on Apple TV+ in August, 2020, with the second season premiering the following year in July.

HOW CAN YOU WATCH IT?

Ted Lasso is only available on Apple TV+, Apple's streaming service that includes around 50 programmes and movies that subscribers can watch.

To watch Apple TV+ content you will need a device that has the Apple TV app - this can include an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV box, many Sony, LG or Samsung TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire and Google Chromecast, Sony PlayStation and Xbox.

The Apple TV+ subscription costs £4.99/$4.99 a month. However, you don't have to pay to start to watch the show as you can take advantage of a seven day free trial by signing up.

If you purchase a qualifying Apple product, your Apple TV+ trial period is three months.

WHERE IS IT FILMED?

As Ted's fictional employers are AFC Richmond, naturally many scenes are filmed in the area, which is a town in Greater London.

Sights fans of the show may recognise are his apartment on Richmond Green and the Prince's Head Pub, both of whom feature in the area.

Other locations that have lent themselves to filming are theTwickenham Rowing Club on Eel Pie Island, and The Eel Pie, a rugby-themed pub on Church Street in Twickenham.

As for AFC Richmond's training ground, it's actually the home of Hayes and Yeading FC, a football team inthe Southern League Premier Division South.

The training ground onBeaconsfield Road, is next to West London Studios, where much of the interior scenes for Ted Lasso are filmed.

The fictional Nelson Road, aka the 'dog pound' because it's the home of the AFC Richmond Greyhounds, is filmed at Selhurst Park, home of the Premier League club, Crystal Palace.

WHO ARE THE STARS?

Hannah Waddingham

Who does she play?

Hannahshot to international recognition with her stellar portray of Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, going from bitter ex wife to confident club owner in just one season.

The character everyone loves to hate proved to be a big hit with critics, and Hannah earned herself an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress on Sunday night. Prior to that she also scooped a Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Ahead of her Ted Lasso role, Hannah appeared in several hit West End productions and speaking with the Daily Mail, Hannah revealed that her past stage experience was one of the things Jason and his team were attracted to when 'the little girl from Wandsworth Common' auditioned.

In the first series of Ted Lasso, Hannah's Rebecca- who gets club AFC Richmond in a divorce deal - is humiliated on a regular basis by her verbally abusive former husband Rupert, who enjoys parading his youthful girlfriend, also called Rebecca, in front of her and the tabloids.

Hannah's first scene involved firing the existing manager of the club so she can make room for the arrival of Ted Lasso, who she's hired in an act of sabotage against her ex beau's beloved team.

However over the course of the episodes, viewers saw Rebecca go from actively trying to ruin the club and Ted's chances to realising that she actually could enjoy her new role as owner if she gave it a chance.

In the second season Rebecca's character arc progresses, showing her trying to get back into the dating world and caring for hergoddaughter.

Speaking about her hopes for season three, Hannah told ELLE magazine: 'I want her to find inner calm. And she does very much through this season—she knows who her friends are, and knows that family are the people you choose in your life, not necessarily your own family.

'I want her to thrive and be happy in all elements of life, not just being successful as an owner while the rest of her life is just flailing around.'

Where have you seen her before?

Although Hannah may now be best known for her role in the Apple TV+ show, the actress has already starred in several big name productions such as Sex Education and Game Of Thrones.

The stunning actress, 47, originally started out in musical theatre landing parts in shows including Kiss Me Kate and Spamalot - which certainly came in useful when she performed memorable rendition of Let It Go at the AFC Richmond karaoke party.

As for her other famous parts pre-Lasso, Hannah regularly appeared in Netflix hit Sex Education as Jackson Marchetti's mother, often seen pushing him with his swimming career as its something they can bond over.

Additionally, she also starred in the fifth and sixth seasons of Game of Thrones as Septa Unella, alongside Jonathan Pryce and Natalie Dormer.

Brett Goldstein

Who does he play?

Brett, 41, became an instant fan favourite with his role aspotty-mouthed coach Roy Kent, a character he helped write.

The comedian, from Sutton, London, channeled his character during his acceptance speech at Sunday night's Emmys, providing a memorable - and mostly bleeped out - speech as he accepted the Outstanding Supporting Actor gong.

Along with being one of the series' star players, Brett is also one of the head writers in charge of bringing the story to life - and was awarded another gong for his efforts at theWriters Guild of America Awards earlier in the year.

In Ted Lasso, Brett both writes for and stars in the role of Roy , an aging, often angry box-to-box midfielder for AFC Richmond who won the Champions League with Chelsea eight years earlier.

He retires after a knee injury during a match against Manchester City, and is briefly a commentator on Sky Sports, before becoming an assistant coach for Richmond.

Giving his take on the show's popularity, Brett told WWD: 'It's a show about kindness and people trying to be decent to each other, but it isn't just slogans; it isn't just 'be nice to each other'.

'People are struggling with stuff, and things have consequences. [Ted Lasso] has panic attacks, he's going through a divorce, aging — all these issues that are in the show. So the kindness and optimism and idealism, you're seeing people struggling with it and still choosing the better path.

'I think that was very unusual to see on screen for a while. And I guess it speaks to how hungry we all were to see some decency.'

Where have you seen him before?

Prior to his work on Ted Lasso, Brett appearedin Ricky Gervais' Channel 4 comedy dramaDerek playing Tom, a grandson of one of the care home residents in which the series is set.

While he has made a name for himself in the television industry, Brett didn't go straight into the business, and after graduating with a degree in Film & Feminism fromthe University of Warwick, the actorbriefly relocated to Marbella, Spain, to work at strip club owned by his father.

As a result, Brett turned the experience into a stand-up comedy show called Brett Goldstein Grew Up in A Strip Club, which was named by the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

While his acting roles have been sparse, Brett has worked behind the scenes on many shows, co-writingThe Catherine Tate Live Show with Catherine Tate, as well as writing and performingfour solo stand up shows.

Additionally, Brett teamed up withBlack Mirror writer Will Bridges to create the six-part anthology series Soulmates for AMC, which is based on their 2013 short film For Life.

Jason Sudeikis

Who does he play?

Jason takes on the titular role asTed Lasso, an American football coach who led the Wichita State Shockers to a Division II National Collegiate Athletic Association championship.

He is then hired to coach AFC Richmond, an English soccer team. A folksy American, he is seen as unsophisticated but is smarter than he looks. He loves to coach and cares more about people than wins.

During Sunday night's Emmy Awards he scooped the award for theOutstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - continuing his winning streak after picking up a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award earlier in the year.

As he made his acceptance speech, Ted thanked his colleagues, stating:'I want to thank our incredible writing staff. I want to thank our incredible directors. I want to thank my incredible cast, you know, look, I am only as good as you guys make me look.

'So really it means the world to me to be up here and just be a mirror of what you guys give to me and we reflect back and forth on each other, so thank you so much.'

Jason's co-stars later repaid the favour, with Hannah Waddingham thanking him in her speech when she picked up Outstanding Supporting Actress.

Hannah announced: 'Jason, you changed my life with this. I'm so privileged to work with you!'

While season three for Ted Lasso has already been commissioned, it's not yet clear if Jason will use it to end the series.

Despite the show's popularity, Jason previously said: 'The story that's being told—that three-season arc—is one that I see, know, and understood. I'm glad that they are willing to pay for those three seasons. As far as what happens after that, who knows? I don't know.'

Where have you seen him before?

Jason, 46, is undoubtedly the biggest name attached to the project, with the Hollywood star first becoming a household name after landing a role on Saturday Night Live in 2005 - two years after he was hired as a writer.

He is also known for his leading film roles in the comedies Horrible Bosses and We're the Millers.

Juno Temple

Who does she play?

Juno, 32, will have been a familiarfaces to audiences before her role in the Ted Lasso, but was better known for her work in indie films than Hollywood series.

The actress has the role of Keeley Jones in the show a model who works for AFC Richmond as their manager of marketing and public relations, and is Jamie's ex-girlfriend and now Roy's (Goldstein) girlfriend.

Where have you seen her before?

Juno was born into the limelight as the daughter offilm producer Amanda Pirie and film director Julien Temple, while her aunt Nina Temple was the last General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain.

Juno began her career at the tender age of eight with a role in the1997 film Vigo: Passion for Life, a film about Jean Vigo. Three years later she landed her next gig, with herfather directing her in the role of Emma Southey in the 2000 film, Pandaemonium.

She also had roles inThe Other Boleyn Girl and the hit Netflix series Dirty John.

Juno lost out on an Emmy on Sunday night as the Outstanding Actress gong went to her co-star Hannah, but has earned other accolades in her career.

In 2013, she won theBritish Academy Film Awards Rising Star Award - an honour that has also been awarded toJames McAvoy,Kristen Stewart and Tom Hardy in the past.

In 2020 she won the Best Actress award at the Prague Independent Film Festival for her role in the film Lost Transmissions.

Earlierthis year she was cast in the Paramount+ miniseries The Offer, depicting the production of The Godfather

While Juno may have plenty of acting experience under her belt, she previously admitted that she wasn't sure if she could take on the role of Keeley in Ted Lasso.

She told Marie Claire: 'I read [the Ted Lasso script] and I thought it was genius. But I genuinely thought [Sudeikis] may have thought I was somebody else. Because I'm definitely not known for comedy stuff.

'So when he said in the text, 'After you read, give me a call,' I was like, Well this is going to be the moment where I'm going to be like, 'Jason, it's Juno here.''

Nick Mohammed

Who does he play?

In Ted Lasso, Nick, 40, plays Nathan Shelley, the team's former equipment manager turned assistant coach who lacks confidence but knows a lot about football. Ted calls him Nate the Great.

Despite playing a super football fan in the show, Nick admitted that he actually has no clue about the sport, telling Entertainment Weekly: 'I couldn't give any amount of care for the sport whatsoever. I had to research so much to pretend that I care in Ted Lasso!

'I do ask a lot of questions on set, because there will be stuff Nate says where it's about tactics, and I just check in with Brendan [Hunt] or Jason [Sudeikis] or anyone basically. All our footballers on the show pretty much love football and are really passionate. It's great to see, but I can't tune into it. I don't know what it is.'

Where have you seen him before?

Studious Nick turned down an offer from Cambridge University and instead chose to study at Durham University before he began making the rounds on the comedy and acting circuit.

Nick has experience working alongside a Hollywood star in a British show - as he collaborated on a comedy series titled Intelligence with David Schwimmer for Sky One.

The star also featured in the second series of BBC One's Reggie Perrin and was a co-presenter in BBC Three comedy series The King Is Dead alongside Simon Bird and Katy Wix

His next project will be starring as a police office in black comedy Maggie Moore(s), in which he'll work alongsideJon Hamm and Tina Fey.

Nick had been nominated forOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at Sunday's Emmys for his role in Ted Lasso but lost out to co-star Brett.

Jeremy Swift

Who does he play?

Jeremy has a noticeable role in Ted Lasso, taking on the role of Leslie Higgins, the sycophantic Director of Football Operations who is helping Welton ruin the team, but who slowly becomes sympathetic to Ted's ways.

Although Jeremy lost out on his Outstanding Supporting Actor gong for Ted Lasso, he previously said that he was honoured just to be nominated.

'I was still a bit jet-lagged when the nominations came out… and my manager rang and said I'd been nominated,' he told The New York Post.

'I couldn't believe it. I said, 'The show?' and she said, 'No, you!' Then I was a little bit tearful, which is pathetic, then I was doubtful and confused and then I was tired.'

Where have you seen him before?

Jeremy, 61, began his acting career in the Eighties during which time heworked almost exclusively in theatre and television commercials.

By the noughties, the actor began branching out into film work and landed roles inRobert Altman's murder mystery Gosford Park and Michael Apted's historical drama Amazing Grace.

As well as Lasso, Jeremy is known for appearing in TV series Downton Abbey, having playedSeptimus Spratt, the butler of the Dowager Countess, for three seasons.

He was also known for his role as Dennis, manservant to Countess Mavrodaki (Leslie Caron) in The Durrells.

Sarah Niles

Who does she play?

While she only made her appearance on Ted Lasso in season two, Sarah's role as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone - a sports psychologist for AFC Richmond - managed to create an impact.

While she gets to the hearts of the characters in her role as psychologist, Sarah admitted she hadn't watched a single episode of the show before she was cast.

She told Entertainment Weekly: 'I was not familiar with it all. I felt like I was under a bit of a rock during the first part of lockdown, just trying to survive like everybody else. Then I watched it, [and] absolutely loved it.

'I love Jason Sudeikis, I love the humor, I love the heart of it, and I kind of love the clash of the cultures, the American and the English. The cynicism and the snobbery of the British up against this heart and this warmth of this kind of character.

'I just thought it was so funny because people are so precious about football over here, we take it really seriously, and so this guy who's just happy-go-lucky, has no idea really about the game and really doesn't know quite what he's gotten himself into.'

Where have you seen her before?

Prior to her role one the series, Sarah made a name for herself in the theatre world, working on showsat the National Theatre, The Royal Court, The Old Vic and The Bush Theatre.

The actress also landed a starring role in the BBC comedy Beautiful People alongside Olivia Colman, and appeared alongside Sharon Horgan and American comedian Rob Delaney in Catastrophe.

Phil Dunster

Who does he play?

In Ted Lasso, Phil stars as Jamie Tartt, a young up-and-coming striker, who played for AFC Richmond on loan before returning to Manchester City near the end of the season.

Following a controversial stint on the reality show Lust Conquers All, he eventually returns to Richmond.

While he has his tails tucked between his legs, Jamie still proves to be egotistical and a character that viewers love to hate - something that Phil appreciates.

He told Observer: 'It's quite dissatisfying for audiences if everything suddenly went right with the world and he was all of a sudden just a nice guy.

'I don't think it's that straightforward. I think that continued conflict is really exciting. We want to see the Death Star blowing up for each of the characters in the arc for people to sort out their final form.'

Where have you seen him before?

British actor Phil mostly made his name in UK-based roles, starring in The Trouble with Maggie Cole, Humans, Save Me and Strike Back, although will be known by some Americans for his rolein Hulu's Catherine the Great.

Brendan Hunt

Who does he play?

Brendan is one of the few American actors on Ted Lasso, who not only a cast member but a writer on the show.

On the show, Brendan, 49, stars asCoach Beard, Lasso's taciturn long-time assistant and friend who has far more knowledge of soccer and UK culture than Ted.

In real life, Brendan does have a knowledge of Europeanculture, spending time in his 20s living inAmsterdam as part of the Boom Chicago comedy troupe.

The Horrible Bosses 2 star has been involved in Ted Lasso from the beginning andco-wrote the NBC Sports adverts alongside Jason in which the Lasso character was originally born.

Jason previously spoke about their inspiration for the adverts, telling GQ magazine: 'When I was living and working in Amsterdam in about 2001, me and my friend Brendan Hunt - who plays my assistant in the video - would play Man United vs Arsenal, just like the menu gave us right off the bat.

'We would play that before and after every show in our dressing room. Our whole goal was making it so that American football fans will get the correlation, but also so that soccer fans over here and also in the States enjoyed it as well.'

Where do you know him from?

Brendan is known for roles in TV series Community and films We're the Millers and Horrible Bosses 2 as well as voicing two characters in the video game Fallout 4.

HOW MUCH DO THE STARS EARN?

It was confirmed earlier this month that the stars and writers were given significant pay raises for season three, which will make its leading man near the top of the list for highest paid TV actor.

Jason will earn about $1 million per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter. But that amount also includes creator fees, compensation for his role as the show's head writer and executive producer, as well as the two extra episodes of the current second season.

By raking in upwards of $1 million, Jason saw his salary quadruple, as hehad been making $250,000 to $300,000 an episode for the first two seasons, which was negotiated in advance to it becoming a hit.

Jason's co-stars Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Hannah Waddingham, and Brendan Hunt are all receiving pay raises as well.

In fact, all four of them had been earning $50,000 – $75,000 per episode for the first two seasons of the sports comedy-drama series.

With the new contracts, they will taking home $125,000 – $150,000 for each episode.

Not all things are equal, however, as Hunt will have a second salary to compensate for his roles as a writer and executive producer on the series. The same goes for Goldstein, who's also a credited writer and executive producer, and will have a second salary.

The other writers and staff of the show are also reportedly going to get 'sizable pay increases' following negotiations with Warner Bros. Television.