Ted Lasso stars Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Sarah Niles talk biscuits, karaoke, and season 2
While Ted Lasso may be a sports comedy, most of the really interesting stuff happens off the pitch. Two of the cast members ensuring that life in the offices of AFC Richmond is never dull are Hannah Waddingham, who plays club owner Rebecca Welton, and Juno Temple, who portrays the team's brand manager Keeley Jones on the Jason Sudeikis-starring series.
EW remotely met up with the pair to talk about all matters Ted Lasso-related, including how the Apple TV+ show was instantly embraced by viewers.
"Social media went mental," said Waddingham. "Having worried myself about where the show might sit or what the tone of the show would be… I kind of stole myself away to not look, and then I thought, I've just got to know, and as soon as I looked I just thought, 'Oh,' and it made my whole body go cold, because I just thought, 'Oh god, I think we might have hit on something magic and I'm in it!'"
"I'm going to be honest, this is kind of the first time I've been a part of a show or a project that I think more than just 10 people in the industry have seen," said Juno. "This is quite a new experience for me... It's really interesting having friends and family and people I admire and people who I listen to and who have given me advice throughout life, talking about this character that I'm playing, and the relationships that she's going through on the show."
Also joining in with the chat was new cast member Sarah Niles, who plays a sports psychologist named Sharon on season 2 of the show, and revealed she hadn't actually seen Ted Lasso when she was approached about auditioning for the series.
"It had been out, and we were in a lockdown, and I got asked to do a self-tape," said the actress. "I got this friend to help me do a self-tape and I was like, 'I don't know this show.' I knew who Jason was, I'm a big SNL fan, so I knew who he was, but I was like, 'I don't know what this show is.' When I told my friend he was like, 'Oh my gosh, this show, you have to watch it.' So I thought, I'm not going to watch it yet, I'm just going to do this self-tape and just go with what's on the page. Then I started watching it. I was like, I have to get this!!!… I was lighting candles. Visualization. Manifestation... So I was so thrilled to get this job. I couldn't believe it."
Season 2 of Ted Lasso premieres July 23. Watch the full conversation with the three actresses above.
For more on Ted Lasso and our "99 Ways to Spend 99 Days" summer guide, order the July issue of Entertainment Weekly or find it on newsstands beginning June 18. Don't forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.
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