Jason Sudeikis reveals his Ted Lasso character was changed because of Donald Trump
‘It was the culture we were living in,’ actor said
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Jason Sudeikis has revealed how former US President Donald Trump helped shape his Ted Lasso character.
The 47-year-old actor recalled a 2015 dinner date with his ex Olivia Wilde when he looked back at the Ted Lasso character he had crafted for a comedy skit.
In an interview with The Guardian, Sudeikis spoke about why he decided to make his character “warm and fuzzy” instead of “belligerent”.
“It was the culture we were living in,” Sudeikis said. “I’m not terribly active online and it even affected me. Then you have Donald Trump coming down the escalator. I was like, ‘OK, this is silly,’ and then what he unlocked in people… I hated how people weren’t listening to one another.
He added: “Things became very binary and I don’t think that’s the way the world works.”
Sudeikis also brought up how he and Wilde had just had their son Otis “and as a new parent, it was like, ‘Boy, I don’t want to add to this.’ Yeah, I just didn’t want to portray it.”
Ted Lasso is based on an American college football coach who is hired to coach AFC Richmond, an English soccer team.
He is frequently ridiculed for his folksy optimism and inexperience with the sport, but gradually wins people over through his kind, hopeful, and compassionate approach to coaching.
In March, Sudeikis spoke to Variety about the ending of Ted Lasso.
“This is the end of this story that we wanted to tell, that we were hoping to tell, that we loved to tell,” he told the outlet. “The fact that folks will want more and are curious beyond more than what they don’t even know yet – that being Season Three – it’s flattering.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments