Jason Sudeikis has said that Donald Trump inspired him to make changes to the character of Ted Lasso.
The actor discussed the origins of the character in an interview with The Guardian, where he explained that Lasso was originally more “belligerent” before the former US president, and the culture surrounding him, prompted changes.
“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.”
The actor said he “didn’t want to portray” the character as it was originally developed, adding: “Things became very binary and I don’t think that’s the way the world works. And, as a new parent – we had our son Otis in 2014 – it was like, ‘Boy, I don’t want to add to this.’”
Ted Lasso is currently in its third season, which debuted on Apple TV+ in March. It’s unclear whether the show will return for a fourth season.
Ahead of season three, the cast of Ted Lasso visited the White House to promote and discuss the importance of mental health. Speaking about the visit, Sudeikis said: “I’d been in a fake Oval Office a number of times. And so there’s a little bit of me that’s nonplussed by it and just holding my shit together.
“And I’d met the president when he was vice president and he’s a very warm guy. It’s like meeting your good friend’s father or your young friend’s grandfather. He just makes you feel at home and that home just happened to be the White House for that afternoon.”
In a three-star review of Ted Lasso’s latest season, NME wrote: “The addition of Zava brings real zing to the show, and the newly-formed rivalry with the Hammers, as Shelley and Mannion try and supplant Richmond, is Premier League funny. Welcome back Ted – we’ve missed you.”
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