She’s shot to international recognition with her stellar portray of Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, going from bitter ex wife to confident club owner in just one season.
And although Hannah Waddingham may now be best known for her role in the Apple TV show, the actress has already starred in several big name productions such as Sex Education and Game Of Thrones.
The stunning actress, 46, originally started out in musical theatre landing parts in shows including Kiss Me Kate and Spamalot – which certainly came in useful when she performed memorable rendition of Let It Go at the AFC Richmond karaoke party.
Sizzling star: Hannah Waddingham may now be best known for her Ted Lasso role, but the actress has already starred in big name shows such as Sex Education and Game Of Thrones
Ahead of her Ted Lasso role, Hannah appeared in several hit West End productions and remained close to London so that she can always be close to her six-year-old daughter, whose name she has not publicly revealed.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, Hannah revealed that her past stage experience was one of the things Jason Sudeikis, who plays Ted, and his team were attracted to when ‘the little girl from Wandsworth Common’ auditioned.
And speaking about her daughter in March, Hannah explained that filming close to home is important to her after her little girl took ‘desperately ill’ when she was filming Krypton in Belfast ‘and I couldn’t get back to her’.
Fan favourite: The actress, 46, portrays Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, going from bitter ex wife to confident club owner in just one season (pictured with co-star Jason Sudeikis)
After that incident, she informed her agents in London and LA that ‘I cannot have a moment, ever again, where I can’t get back to my child. She’s my priority’.
She added during the interview that for a long time she thought she couldn’t have children, but then fell pregnant at 39, after going down the ‘Eastern herbal route’.
As for her other famous parts pre-Lasso, Hannah regularly appeared in Netflix hit Sex Education as Jackson Marchetti’s mother, often seen pushing him with his swimming career as its something they can bond over.
Additionally, she also starred in the fifth and sixth seasons of Game of Thrones as Septa Unella, alongside Jonathan Pryce and Natalie Dormer.
Stunning: The blonde beauty dazzled on the West End before landing TV roles (pictured at the WhatsOnStage Awards in 2019)
Speaking with Vulture in 2015, Hannah revealed that while filming as Speta she had her ‘a 10-week-old baby in tow when I was in Croatia’.
Proving she really can do it all, fans may also recognise Hannah from her time on TV show Benidorm as Tonya Dyke, who arrived at the infamous hotel alongside her pot-bellied hubby Clive and their children Tiger and Bianca.
In the first series of Ted Lasso, Hannah’s Rebecca- who gets club AFC Richmond in a divorce deal- is humiliated on a regular basis by her verbally abusive former husband Rupert, who enjoys parading his youthful girlfriend, also called Rebecca, in front of her and the tabloids.
Hannah’s first scene involved firing the existing manager of the club so she can make room for the arrival of Ted Lasso, who she’s hired in an act of sabotage against her ex beau’s beloved team.
On screen: The blonde beauty previously starred in the fifth and sixth seasons of Game of Thrones as Septa Unella, alongside Jonathan Pryce and Natalie Dormer
Another hit show: Hannah regularly appeared in Netflix’s Sex Education as Jackson Marchetti’s mother, often seen pushing him with his swimming career as its something they can bond over
Treading the boards: The mother-of-one looked sensational in a skin-tight catsuit for her role of The Lady of The Lake in musical Spamalot
However over the course of the episodes, viewers saw Rebecca go from actively trying to ruin the club and Ted’s chances to realising that she actually could enjoy her new role as owner if she gave it a chance.
Discussing her role, Hannah previously said: ‘Getting the Ted Lasso role ‘was like the universe going, ‘You’ve done your hard grafting, you’ve done your running around . . . here you go: you can have both.’ ‘
Speaking about her character with the Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye, Hannah explained Rebecca is ‘aware of her own sexuality, being feminine but being strong’.
But that strength, at least to start with, is largely an act — an ‘ice maiden facade of not a hair out of place; as though she is the boss b****, when actually she is lost’, she said.
Multi-talented! Hannah proved she can master any role as she played Tonya Dyke in Benidorm
Remember them? She arrived at the infamous hotel alongside her pot-bellied hubby Clive and their children Tiger and Bianca
Co-stars: Hannah has become good pals with Juno Temple, who plays Keeley, during their work on Ted Lasso
Larking around: Her Instagram profile is littered with fun behind-the-scenes snaps from filming, including this picture of the cast donning Ted’s iconic moustache
Ted Lasso has become a massive hit around the world, leaving fans delighted with its touching comedy and upbeat outlook.
And with two months STILL to go until season two drops on Apple TV, dozens of fans have declared they ‘cannot wait’ to see more of the ‘beautiful’ show, adding that it’s just ‘the pick up’ the world needs after a ‘long’ year.
Jason Sudeikis, 45, leads the cast as the titular character Ted, who has been drafted into AFC Richmond from America, but ends up teaching the team much more about themselves than just new football skills.
Means business: Speaking about her character with the Daily Mail, Hannah explained Rebecca is ‘aware of her own sexuality, being feminine but being strong’ (pictured with Jason as Ted)
So long to go! It comes as Ted Lasso fans lamented having to wait two more months for the hotly-anticipated second series of the show to drop on AppleTV
He’s joined by Hannah Waddingham, who plays the club’s owner Rebecca Welton, as well as Juno Temple as Keeley and Jeremy Swift as Higgins.
Series 1 ended with AFC Richmond being relegated out of the Premier League and Rebecca vowing to keep Ted on as coach for another season despite the loss.
And it wasn’t all about the game. The show also detailed Ted’s decision to put his now ex-wife’s happiness before his own, Hannah starting to move on from her own ex-husband (after some sweet but sneaky help at darts from Ted) and a love triangle between Keeley, Roy Kent [Brett Goldstein] and Jamie Tartt [Phil Dunster].
The AFC Richmond team also underwent some serious bonding during Ted’s first season, with the cast proving they’ve held onto his cheeky attitude throughout season 2 filming when they were interviewed outside the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Time to be patient: Series two is set to see Hannah Waddingham, who plays the club’s owner Rebecca Welton, as well as Juno Temple as Keeley and Jeremy Swift as Higgins all return
When stopped by ITV’s Chris Skudder, who seemed oblivious to the actors’ roles, the boys all beamed smiles as they delightedly told him Dani Rojas [Cristo Fernandez] had come from Mexico to support ‘underdog of the Premier League’, Leicester.
Truly enjoying themselves, the six stars started jumping around and singing Dani’s catchy song – but stopped short of repeating his ‘football is life catchphrase’.
So it’s not surprising with all this drama, and delightfully fun positivity radiating from the cast, that fans are on the edge of their seat wanting to know what happens next in season two, which is set for release on July 23.
And for some fans, this date seems like a very way off, leaving them to despair that they can’t possibly wait that long for another fill of wholesome Ted Lasso goodness.
Surely speaking for many impatient Ted and AFC Richmond fans, one viewer took to Twitter to appeal to Jason personally as they penned: ‘Listen. My husband and I just binge watched Ted Lasso in a day.
‘Drop it NOW!’: Dozens of fans have been begging for the show to come out early, with some saying the uplifting series is the ‘pick me up’ the world needs right now
‘I cannot wait two months for the next season. Please can you just send it to us? I won’t tell anyone or give any spoilers. Thank you.’
And another super fan agreed, writing: ‘Ted Lasso is one of the best shows on TV. I’ve seen the entire season twice now and plan on watching it again before the second season. I need season 2 in my life!’
‘Ted Lasso is such a refreshing show. Uplifting, wholesome, nice and funny. Can’t wait for season 2’, added a third as they sang the production’s praises.
While someone else simply wrote: ‘Apple TV need to bring season 2 of Ted Lasso out… NOW!!!’
And it’s little wonder why viewers can’t wait to get more of upbeat Ted in their lives, with the show’s creator Bill Lawrence even admitting it was like ‘therapy’ to work on.
Ted returns: Jason Sudeikis leads the cast as Ted, who has been drafted into AFC Richmond from America, but teaches the team and much more than just new football skills
Award winner: The series has already seen huge success at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Awards
Ted’s favourites: A recent trailer for the show revealed Ted’s beloved Believe sign he has hanging above the locker room door has stayed as well as the biscuits Ted makes for Rebecca
What a treat: And it’s little wonder why viewers can’t wait to get more of upbeat Ted, with the show’s creator Bill Lawrence even admitting it was like ‘therapy’ to work on (actress Juno Temple is seen as Keeley)
Frustrated: The new football season isn’t going so great though at the start of series 2, with the announcer revealing that they’ve had ‘eight straight ties’ as the team is getting frustrated, meaning Ted will have lots of chances for pep talks and life lessons
Speaking with Deadline, he explained how being part of the series during the ‘dark’ times that recent months have brought in the world has been a blessing.
Appearing alongside Juno Temple, who plays Keeley, he said: ‘It’s been therapeutic to work on… it’s lovely to work on this in such a dark time.’
Bill also admitted that Ted’s character would be quite confronting to meet in real life but that he’d have to question his own judgements about the happy man.
He continued: ‘If I met Ted Lasso in real life, I’d think it’d be about a week and then this guy would reveal to be a jerk like everybody else.. and a week later if he’s still kind and empathetic then you have to look at yourself.’
‘The best on TV’: Other viewers declared that Ted Lasso is the best thing they’ve ever seen
Bill also reflected on the origins of the beloved Ted Lasso character and how it was a little tricky selling the idea of a TV show with the character.
Ted Lasso was created after Jason did some improv comedy in Amsterdam and the character was then used in promos by NBC Sports to promote the Premier League.
Jason starred in several clips for NBC as the bombastic manager, always maintaining the idea that Ted would make a good TV show one day, reports Deadline.
Bill explained how this already established character made things harder when they were pitching the show idea as people thought they already knew Ted.
He said: ‘Apple were the only ones that bought this show, and what made it tough was you can watch those old videos of Ted Lasso, but he’s not a guy that’s going to scream and be a rube.
More please! When Rebecca asks, ‘What would you say to a cocktail, Coach Lasso?’ in the trailer, Ted responds in true Ted fashion: ‘The same thing I’d say to Diane Sawyer if she ever asked me out on a date, ‘Yes please”
Belief: Ted is also seen addressing the team, saying, ‘it doesn’t matter what our record is, it’s all about believing that everything is gonna work out in the end, exactly as it’s supposed to’
Keeley and Roy: There is also a shot of Keeley with Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and his adorable niece, Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield), as it seems they are continuing to see each other after expressing their feelings for one another last season
‘It’s going to be kind of a quieter show in some ways, and maybe a more emotionally sophisticated show, and also, it’s going to be less slapstick-y and more about forgiveness and empathy and optimism and stuff’.
It comes after Ted Lasso released a new trailer for Season 2.
The trailer begins with a shot of American Ted stepping onto the pitch to feel the grass.
We also see a shot of his beloved Believe sign he has hanging above the locker room door, which Ted touches before every game, a shot of the biscuits Ted makes for team owner Rebecca and a shot of Ted addressing the whole team, along with seemingly this season’s tagline: ‘Kindness makes a comeback.’
Ted is seen entering Rebecca’s office, as Keeley (Juno Temple) and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) are both quite happy to see him.
When Rebecca asks, ‘What would you say to a cocktail, Coach Lasso?’ Ted responds in true Ted fashion: ‘The same thing I’d say to Diane Sawyer if she ever asked me out on a date, ‘Yes please.”
Metaphor: Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) adds that his statement is, ‘a beautiful metaphor for life’s journeys’ while former kit-man turned assistant coach Nate (Nick Mohammad) adds, ‘the team is just a little unlucky, that’s all’
Sharon: Higgins suggests that the team brings in a sports psychologist, which they do with Sharon (Sarah Niles), who, unlike Rebecca, doesn’t have a sweet tooth
At the end of last season, AFC Richmond was relegated out of the Premier League, as Rebecca vowed to keep him on as coach as Ted proclaimed they’d, ‘win the whole f***ing thing.’
This new season isn’t going so great though, with the announcer revealing that they’ve had ‘eight straight ties’ as the team is getting frustrated.
When a reporter asks how long until he hits the ‘panic button,’ Ted responds, ‘There are two buttons I never want to hit, panic and snooze,’ which brings a smile from another reporter, Trent Crimm (James Lance).
Ted is also seen addressing the team, saying, ‘it doesn’t matter what our record is, it’s all about believing that everything is gonna work out in the end, exactly as it’s supposed to.’
There is also a shot of Keeley with Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and his adorable niece, Phoebe (Elodie Blomfield), as it seems they are continuing to see each other after expressing their feelings for one another last season.
Ted adds, ‘Isn’t the idea of never give up one of those things we talk about in sports, something that should apply to people too?’
No sugar: When Ted tries to bring her some of the biscuits he used to win over Rebecca, Sharon calmly adds, ‘I don’t eat sugar’
Santa Monica: ‘Really? I never heard of somebody who doesn’t eat sugar. Only heard about ’em, they all live in this godless place called Santa Monica,’ Ted adds
Girl chat: Ted also has some ‘girl chat’ with Rebecca, as she confides in him that she’s seeing someone named John, as Ted immediately asks if it’s John Stamos
Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) adds that his statement is, ‘a beautiful metaphor for life’s journeys’ while former kit-man turned assistant coach Nate (Nick Mohammad) adds, ‘the team is just a little unlucky, that’s all.’
Higgins suggests that the team brings in a sports psychologist, which they do with Sharon (Sarah Niles), who, unlike Rebecca, doesn’t have a sweet tooth.
When Ted tries to bring her some of the biscuits he used to win over Rebecca, Sharon calmly adds, ‘I don’t eat sugar.’
‘Really? I never heard of somebody who doesn’t eat sugar. Only heard about ’em, they all live in this godless place called Santa Monica,’ Ted adds.
Ted also has some ‘girl chat’ with Rebecca, as she confides in him that she’s seeing someone named John, as Ted immediately asks if it’s John Stamos.
Lawnmower: The trailer winds down with a series of shots set to Queen’s iconic We Will Rock You, as Roy and Keeley watch Ted ride on the back of a riding lawnmower, which Roy jokes he’s doing, because he’s, ‘homesick,’ and it’s, ‘probably the closest thing he can find to a Dodge Ram’
The trailer winds down with a series of shots set to Queen’s iconic We Will Rock You, as Roy and Keeley watch Ted ride on the back of a riding lawnmower, which Roy jokes he’s doing, because he’s, ‘homesick,’ and it’s, ‘probably the closest thing he can find to a Dodge Ram.’
The final shot shows Ted reacting to Nate’s suggestion that the team is, ‘unlucky,’ stating, ‘Back home, if a team was playing poorly, we don’t call them unlucky. What do we call them, Coach?’ while turning to Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), who responds, ‘New York Jets.’
As well as earning fans around the globe, Ted Lasso has garnered dozens of award including at the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Awards.
Ted Lasso, created by Sudeikis, Hunt, Bill Lawrence and Joe Kelly, returns to Apple TV Plus for Season 2 on July 23.
Jets: The final shot shows Ted reacting to Nate’s suggestion that the team is, ‘unlucky,’ stating, ‘Back home, if a team was playing poorly, we don’t call them unlucky. What do we call them, Coach?’ while turning to Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), who responds, ‘New York Jets’