“Ted Lasso” is kicking its way into its third season.
Co-created by Jason Sudeikis who also stars as the titular character, the Apple TV+ show focuses on Lasso – an optimistic American football coach managing a British soccer team – as he and his team navigate life on and off the pitch.The third season of the series, which previously won two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, premiered today.
Ahead of the season three premiere at the Regency Village Theatre, the Daily Bruin’s Dannela Lagrimas spoke with director M.J. Delaney and actors Andrea Anders (Michelle Lasso), Annette Badland (Mae) and Cristo Fernández (Dani Rojas) on the red carpet about their characters and the cast dynamic.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
[Related: Q&A: Actors discuss race for gold, familial relationships in ‘Outer Banks’ season 3]
Daily Bruin: What is your approach to directing stories such as “Ted Lasso” that are both dramatic and comedic?
M.J. Delaney: One of the joys of doing this show is sometimes you get to do comedy in the morning and drama in the afternoon or the other way around. Sometimes, it’s a scheduling thing, where I ask them to do in the morning and then have fun in the afternoon because it’s going to be really hard for them to change gears. But it’s an incredible cast, and everyone has such a good time doing it, so everybody comes in excited to go, which makes my life very easy.
DB: You’ve played a lot of comedic roles in your career. What about “Ted Lasso” is different to you?
Andrea Anders: This is a bit different than my usual comedy. It’s a comedy show, but my role is not that jovial – I’m Ted’s ex. It’s nice, though, to have so much heart and get a chance to express a really important thing, which is a blended family – which is something that many people go through, where you always have to put the children first. It’s a good depiction of that to me.
DB: Your dynamic with the actors who play your pub stowaways is a highlight of the show. Did that rapport develop naturally or over time?
Annette Badland: It was a very natural thing. They (Adam Colborne, Bronson Webb and Kevin Garry) call me “The Boss.” We just have a good camaraderie and like playing around together. It’s quite something since I’m short and behind the bar, and they’re always in front of me with the camera, so often, I’m trying to dodge and dive and duck and try and be seen. It became a sort of joke, but they’re a great crew. They’re three very different personalities but a tremendous mix. We just really gel and act daft together. We’re very silly together.
[Related: TV preview: Weather the winter season with new releases of 2023]
DB: Dani Rojas is such a positive character who brings a lot of light to “Ted Lasso.” Do you feel like you brought that to Dani, or did the character bring that into your own life?
Cristo Fernandez: I think both ways – it’s hard to separate them. Dani has taught me so many aspects, so many lessons, but I think the most important one is he’s a reminder that through life, in whatever you end up doing, in whatever job you end up doing, sometimes there’s stress, sometimes there’s some bad moments. But I think Dani brings out that inner kid and that inner joy and is a good reminder of that passion and the reason we do what we do. Whatever you are doing, I think it’s always good to remember that. That’s probably, for me, the biggest lesson I’ve learned from Dani.
Comments are closed.