Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham loves that Rebecca is in 'turmoil' at start of season 3
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Hannah Waddingham's AFC Richmond-owning Ted Lasso character Rebecca is something of a mess at the start of season 3, and the actress could not be happier about that.
"I love that you find her in turmoil," she tells EW of the upcoming season's start.
Colin Hutton/Apple TV + Jeremy Swift and Hannah Waddingham in 'Ted Lasso' season 3
Rebecca is sent into an emotional tailspin by her ex-husband, Anthony Head's Rupert, who is now the owner of Richmond's Premiership rivals West Ham.
"Despite her best laid plans of moving on, she sees him, and it jolts her system, and she thinks f--- you, I still want to bring you down," Waddingham says. "I love her for that, I love that she is incomplete and flawed, and that I get to play that still. Season 2 very much became about the dating apps and my head down in a phone and all of that. I love that the things that are muscular with her this year, [she's] wanting to be the figurehead of that team, and wanting to go [extends middle finger of right hand] to Rupert. That's just where we find her and I hope that I'm serving her in that. I enjoyed the first three episodes more because of her being a bit wonky. I want the audience to go, ugh, mate! Let it go! You've got to move forward!"
Talking of moving forward (or not), even the show's star and co-creator Jason Sudeikis seems unsure if Ted Lasso will continue beyond the third season. If the series does conclude this year, would Waddingham consider starring in a Rebecca-centric spin-off?
"If I'm honest, I'd really have to think about that," Waddingham says. "For me, there's no Rebecca without Ted. So I would find it quite jarring. I don't know at the moment."
The actress does have two massive, if extremely different, projects coming up. Over the weekend, director Chris McQuarrie announced on Instagram that Waddingham has joined the cast of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two. The actress is also co-hosting this year's Eurovision Song Contest in May. Traditionally, the competition is held in the country that produced the previous victor. As last year's winning song, "Stefania" performed by Kalush Orchestra, was the Ukrainian entry, the 2023 event is being held in the British city of Liverpool.
"It's so exciting," Waddingham says. "Coming from theater, it's a big deal for us. Everyone always has Eurovision parties, so I was so thrilled that they asked me. But also, I have had, as we all have, my heart broken about the Ukraine, and the fight that they are putting up, how magnificent they've been as a country. So, to be involved in it this year, when we are standing firmly shoulder-to-shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, honestly, it's a deep deep honor to be joining that show this year, of all years."
Season 3 of Ted Lasso kicks off on Apple TV+ March 15.
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