‘Ted Lasso’ Stars On Another Mega Emmys Nomination Haul: “It’s A Real Team Effort”

Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
·6 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Ted Lasso‘s stars have once again played a blinder at the Emmy nominations — to borrow a phrase from AFC Richmond’s home city of London. This time the love has been shared around even further.

The second season of Apple TV+’s smash comedy matched its record-breaking 2021 haul to secure 20 nominations, and stars Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Hannah Waddingham, Nick Mohammed, Juno Temple, Sarah Niles, Toheeb Jimoh, Harriet Walter, James Lance and Sam Richardson all picked up acting nods.

More from Deadline

“When I saw Toheeb, Sarah, James and Harriet had been nominated I genuinely burst into tears,” said Waddingham, who plays Rebecca Welton, AFC Richmond owner, and is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series. “For us to be all drawn up like this is magical.”

Given that the show is into its third season (episode nine of 12 just wrapped), Waddingham said the cast is “in shock” at the huge haul, believing that the comedy could never match the debut season’s awards feat.

Emerging star Jimoh, whose character Sam Obisanya was involved in two major storylines in season two (standing up to an oil company shirt sponsor and starting a relationship with Waddingham’s Rebecca), was nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series category alongside Goldstein and Mohammed, and this evening UK time he paid tribute to his British co-stars.

“Ted Lasso has been getting so much success and we’ve been really lucky with awards, so to get an individual nomination makes me feel extra special — my name is there next to Brett and Nick’s and that’s just so cool,” he told Deadline on a sweltering summer night in London. “So many of the ensemble cast have been nominated, so it feels like the love has been spread out. As Ted Lasso is such a real team effort, it’s just a really cool thing.”

He paralleled his own journey as young actor finding his way with Sam’s development in the AFC Richmond dressing room. “I’m finding myself in the industry and standing on my own two feet and that’s also Sam’s journey,” he said. “It’s a happy, fate universe thing for those two things happening at the same time.“

The actor, who’s set to star in Amazon sci-fi drama The Power, added his relationship with series co-creator and lead Sudeikis also mirrored their on-screen interaction. “The way Ted relates to Sam is the way Jason relates to me — an older, more experienced actor full of dope advice who is helping us find our feet,” he said.

For Waddingham, the show’s pool of writers who “pull on everyone’s heartstrings” and provide “no holds barred, transparent writing,” deserve the credit.

The Final Whistle

Rumors continue to swirl season three will be the final whistle for Ted Lasso, with Goldstein recently telling British media it was being written “like that.”

Waddingham said there is a “gentle sadness that this is our swansong” but didn’t rule out more Ted Lasso.

“Who knows for now?,” she quipped.

Jimoh recently told Deadline, “Regardless of whether we do more or not, this still feels like the end of the first chapter of Ted Lasso.”

Today he chuckled as Deadline pushed for more details, saying: “I can’t give anything away or I’ll get sued.” However, he would say there “are definitely a lot of resolutions, especially for the younger characters.” Referring to the series as a three-act narrative, he added: “Ted has come in, we’ve unearthed a lot of people’s insecurities and addressed them in the second season and the third will be how people flourish having dealt with that. That’s as much as I’ll say, or I’ll get myself in trouble.”

Whether there’s a season four or not, Ted Lasso has opened “unexpected and really bloody exciting doors” for Waddingham, she said, with “lots of big projects” on the way.

Lance, who was handed a nom for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series for his role as journalist Trent Crimm later this evening told Deadline: “I’m on our first ever family holiday with our little boy, so today was already a doozy, but Hannah Waddingham just Facetimed me kinda cry-laughing with this extraordinary news. I told her I love her. I’m kinda cry-laughing now too because this is beyond my wildest dreams. I’m over the moon. What a day for my wonderful Ted Lasso family.”

Ted Lasso is competing in the major Outstanding Comedy Series category, where it will compete against Abbott Elementary, Barry, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hacks, The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, Only Murders In The Building and What We Do In The Shadows.

The series will also compete for Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series (Jane Becker), Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour), Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series (MJ Delaney), Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series (AJ Catoline), Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling (Nicky Austin, Nicola Springall), Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation and Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation.

Ted Lasso follows Sudeikis as a kind-hearted American football coach who heads to the UK to manage fictional southwest London soccer team AFC Richmond, despite his limited understanding and experience of the latter sport. While the odds are initially stacked heavily against him, his positive outlook ultimately transforms the troubled team and begins to change the minds of the irate fans, sceptical reporters and unimpressed players.

The second season has been roundly praised for the way it handled storylines around mental health challenges while keeping its sunny outlook. The season ended on a shocking twist involving Assistant Coach Nate, played by Nick Mohammed.

In addition to starring, Sudeikis serves as executive producer, alongside Bill Lawrence via his Doozer Productions, which produces in association with Warner Bros. Television and NBCUniversal Content’s Universal Television. Hunt, Kelly, and Bill Wrubel also serve as executive producers, along with Doozer’s Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer. Jane Becker and Jamie Lee also serve as executive producers. Brett Goldstein, who last week signed with WME, serves as writer and co-executive producer. He also stars as grizzly former pro-turned-coach Roy Kent.

Ted Lasso won seven of the 20 awards it was up for in 2021, including Outstanding Comedy Series.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.