Being Ted Lasso: Jason Sudeikis on playing the caring, sharing football coach who now wants to be a winner
- The comedy, about an overenthusiastic American football manager who takes a job leading a British Premier League football team, has a positive, joyful tone
- This month it earned 20 Emmy nominations, including seven for its actors; Sudeikis says it’s ‘hard to even speak about’ viewers’ enthusiasm for the show
We must remind you that Jason Sudeikis is not Ted Lasso.
Although his genial nature and chatty style make him seem very much like the chipper protagonist of Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso, they are not one and the same, although that notion is something Sudeikis occasionally encounters when interacting with fans.
“I correct them; tell them my name is Jason, in the kindest way possible,” Sudeikis jokes in a recent video interview.
He adds: “There are no classes in how to be famous. I just always felt a strong pull to return the energy that you’re given. If someone’s a little bullish, you maybe meet them there. But if people are enjoying Ted Lasso, they’re usually coming up and speaking through a place of kindness and appreciation. I just try to reciprocate that.”
Sudeikis, the co-creator and star of Lasso – its highly anticipated second season is now streaming on Apple TV+– is no stranger to the love of his series, which premiered last year to loud acclaim.