Ted Lasso‘s triumph at the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards is a clear indication of the show’s massive popularity. Stunning screenwriting, engaging narratives, and refreshingly feel-good humor are a few of the many reasons Ted Lasso is becoming a sitcom landmark.
The series also includes masterful performances from an outstanding cast: many of whom have garnered critical acclaim over the first two seasons. While every actor in Ted Lasso is an indispensable part of the story’s ebbs and flows, there are a few who are either overshadowed by other characters’ or fail to firmly establish their relevance in the continuity of the narrative.
10 Nailed Their Role: Nick Mohammed’s Nathan Shelley Takes An Unexpected Descent Into Darkness
Nicholas Mohammed has been a part of the British comedy circuit since his college days, earning a place in the prestigious Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club.
Ted Lasso‘s unassuming kit man turned assistant coach, Nate Shelley, is one of the highlights of the show, garnering Mohammed widespread acclaim and an Emmy nomination. Nate’s descent into darkness is a major plot point that is bound to have some major repercussions in Season 3.
9 Fell Short: Brendan Hunt’s Coach Beard Has Too Much Potential To Be A Side Character
Brendan Hunt has been involved in a variety of projects, including writing for Comedy Central and partaking in SNL sketches. Hunt’s one-man show, Five Years in Amsterdam, was described as “superbly crafted, unflinchingly honest and enormously enjoyable.”
Hunt plays Coach Beard on Ted Lasso, a hilariously taciturn sidekick who, despite enormous potential, is regularly benched in favor of the sitcom’s main characters. Coach Beard does get an entire episode dedicated to him in Season 2, but it doesn’t quite make up for the character’s overall lack of screentime.
8 Nailed Their Role: Brett Goldstein’s Roy Kent Is Blunt, Brusque, And Thoroughly Endearing
Brett Goldstein’s Roy Kent, the cranky yet adorable team captain, undergoes a significant transformation over the course of Ted Lasso‘s two seasons. Kent’s blunt demeanor bristles with unfocused anger at himself and the world around him – a trait that he struggles with great difficulty to shed.
Although Goldstein was originally brought on to write for Ted Lasso, he “emailed a self-taped audition” for Kent’s role and eventually won the part. Goldstein received a Writers Guild award for his writing, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award for Roy Kent.
7 Fell Short: Phil Dunster’s Jamie Tartt Fades Into Semi-Obscurity After Season 1
Jamie Tartt’s ego is almost tangible — it engulfs the pitch, the stadium, and even the locker room, explaining why Roy refers to him as a “little b***h prima donna.” This character is blessed with exceptional football talent, which is something he weaponizes with unbridled arrogance.
Tartt is played by Phil Dunster, who is a relative newcomer to the sitcom genre, having taken on minor roles in shows like Humans and Strike Back. Dunster’s portrayal is engaging and meaningful, but Tartt fades into semi-obscurity after the first season.
6 Nailed Their Role: Jeremy Swift’s Leslie Higgins Is One Of The Show’s Brightest Jewels
Jeremy Swift’s career has involved everything from performance art and TV commercials to theater and film. His most famous character (until Ted Lasso) is Septimus Spratt – one of Downton Abbey‘s many butlers.
Swift’s Leslie Higgins is thoroughly endearing: his self-effacing timidity and congenial attitude cement him as one of the show’s brightest jewels, even if it takes him a long time to find his voice. Swift was deservedly nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his role on Ted Lasso.
5 Fell Short: Cristo Fernández’s Dani Rojas Feels More Like A Stopgap Than Anything Else
Cristo Fernández’s Dani Rojas is an exceptional football player who quickly rises to the top of AFC Richmond, which obviously annoys Jamie. This doesn’t bother Rojas whatsoever, given his favorite line happens to be “football is life!”
Interestingly, Fernández used to play professional football for the Estudiantes Tecos Club, explaining Rojas’ incomparable footwork on the show. On the other hand, the character’s presence seems more like a stopgap than anything else.
4 Nailed Their Role: Hannah Waddingham’s Rebecca Welton Learns How To Be A Badass Boss
Hannah Waddingham has been nominated for numerous theater musical awards, including for her performances in Spamalot and Kiss Me, Kate. Her oeuvre also extends to television: Septa Unella in Game of Thrones and Sofia Marchetti in Sex Education.
Waddingham’s performance as Rebecca Welton, the club’s grudging new owner, has been critically acclaimed. Waddingham won the Best Actress Award at the Primetime Emmys for her empathetic portrayal of AFC Richmond’s resident “boss ass b***h.”
3 Fell Short: James Lance’s Trent Crimm Needs More Screentime To Thrive And Flourish
James Lance has appeared in a wide array of TV programs, such as Absolute Power, No Heroics, Smack the Pony, Black Mirror, Boy Meets Girl, and several others. On Ted Lasso, he plays the one-note Trent Crimm, a football journalist with a penchant for hardline reporting and associating himself with The Independent (the newspaper he works for).
Crimm’s dislike of Ted’s coaching methods slowly grows into respect for the American’s enduring vitality. Unfortunately, this character just doesn’t have enough screentime to thrive and flourish.
2 Nailed Their Role: Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso Is Charming But His Optimism Is Superficial
Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso was spawned from an NBC Sports Promo in 2013 — it was so well-received that Sudeikis managed to sculpt an entire sitcom out of the character.
Ted Lasso is the emotional pivot of the titular sitcom: his radiant charm and ability to comfort anyone makes him all but irresistible. Sudeikis’ portrayal is relatable because the show makes it a point to underscore his many faults, particularly his surface-level optimism and encouragement.
1 Fell Short: Anthony Head’s Rupert Mannion Is Nothing More Than A Minor Annoyance
Anthony Head is arguably best known as Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers’ Watcher, which was a role that eventually transformed him into the Slayer’s father figure. Since Buffy, Head has dabbled in TV, music, radio, as well as documentary & audiobook narration.
Ted Lasso‘s Rupert Mannion brims with villainous promise, given that he continues to place vindictive roadblocks to hinder his ex-wife’s rising career. That said, Mannion needs to be a lot more involved in the story before he can become anything more than a minor annoyance.
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