The Emmy-winning comedy takes its final bow on Wednesday.
We know we are, we're sure we are, we're ready for the Ted Lasso series finale!
The beloved soccer comedy, led by Jason Sudeikis as the titular coach, takes its final bow on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, as the third and reportedly final -- season concludes with an epic match for the Premier League title.
Ted Lasso's third season was a full-circle moment for some of its main character. Ted contemplated moving back home for the sake of his relationship with his son, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) ended up commiserating with her ex-husband's mistress-turned-wife when it turned out there was a new mistress in the picture. and Nate (Nick Mohammed) burned out fast at West Ham United after torching most of his bridges back to Richmond. Plus, major character development for Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), and Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), led to a totally new dynamic between the former love triangle.
For its first two seasons, Ted Lasso won eight Primetime Emmys, including two for Outstanding Comedy Series, two for Sudeikis (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series), two for Goldstein (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series) and one for Waddingham (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series).
The show has also won three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Writers Guild Awards, a Peabody Award, two Golden Globes and swept the Critics Choice Television Awards, going seven for seven. It was also included in the AFI Top 10 Programs of the Year two years in a row.
Ted Lasso stars Sudeikis as the titular American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team -- despite having no experience. But what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with optimism, underdog determination... and biscuits. Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Jeremy Swift, Phil Dunster and Sarah Niles round out the ensemble.
ET spoke with nearly every member of the AFC Richmond family at an Emmys FYC event for the show last fall, and of course, we had to ask about their reactions to all their Emmys love, how they celebrated, and of course, anything they could say about the third -- and final -- season. Read on to find out what they said!
Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Welton)
ET: Congratulations on your Emmy nomination! How does it feel?
Thank you very much. It's crazy, I feel a bit strange and tearful about it, even more so this time around. I genuinely can't believe I'm in that pack again... There are certainly strong performances in there, not least of which are my delicious girlfriends. I was particularly pleased for Sarah Niles to be included on that list, as she bloody well should be. I would like to get all us girls together and get absolutely hammered. That's my Emmy. Emmys night is gonna be messy!
So, no competition between you and your co-stars in the category?
Oh my god, that word does not even register in this whole family. People think that we're talking bollocks when we say that, but we're not. There just is no competition. I mean, we would all rather lie down and clap for the other one than for there to be any elbows out the way. Absolutely not.
We've heard the upcoming third season will be the last. What do we have to do to keep the show going?
Well, I had this conversation with Sudeikis recently, and I was like, "Dude what are you doing?" and he was just like, "You'll see." Trust me, if anyone else in the whole world is sad, I am 100% sadder to say goodbye to my girl, Welton. I'm not coping with it well.
Does that mean there have been some waterworks as you read through season 3?
Yeah, I'd say there's like a palpable little thing going on, where you feel like it's grains of beautiful sand.
Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent)
ET: Congratulations on your Emmy nomination! Is there any extra pressure this year to follow up last year's win?
Thank you very much. I didn't expect any of this so no, I still don't- I still find it surreal. I think when we did the first Emmys, it was so mad. It was f**king insane, and then it ended and you were like, "Well, that's it then" ... So then for this to happen again, you're just like- I don't know what you're meant to do.
You've said that the writers are crafting season 3 of Ted Lasso to be the show's last. What do fans have to do to get another season?
Yeah, when I said that last time, I got in big trouble so I'm never saying that again. *laughs* If this is the last season -- and who knows, 'cause anything can happen and it's entirely up to Jason. I just think, for him, it's always been that this is the end of this story. But there may be more! It's entirely in his hands -- I can't speak for the man... I think we would all love to do more and we love doing it, but if this is the end, this is the end, and if it's not, great.
Juno Temple (Keeley Jones)
ET: Congratulations on your second Emmy nomination for Ted Lasso -- do you feel like this is the year you're gonna take it home?
Oh, I don't care about taking it home. I'm so thrilled and honored to be nominated. If I'm being honest, I never thought that was gonna happen in my life, anyway, and to get to share it with the two other leading ladies of Lasso this year, that's pretty damn cool. So I don't care if I take it home or not, I wanna just be there to celebrate with everybody. I'm so proud of this team -- 20 nominations for the show!
Now, you guys are in the midst of shooting season 3 -- what's your mindset been like as you read these final scripts?
At this point, in season 3, we're so invested in our characters, right? They almost become a new appendage, they become your friend, they become somebody so important to you, and so just getting to read what their next step is, each episode is something that's exciting. And then you get to go shoot it and you get to, like, live it and you get to breathe it. I'm excited to be walking around in Keeley's shoes again, 'cause they're really good. *laughs*
So, what's in store for Keeley and Roy? Are they gonna get their happy ever after?
I can't spoil anything... Sometimes you gotta believe in things and see what happens. *laughs*
Phil Dunster (Jamie Tartt)
ET: Congrats on another Emmy nomination for the Ted Lasso family -- it never gets old, does it?
No way, man, at this point it's like an attendance award, you know what I mean? *laughs* No, I mean, in a weird, mental way that should not be the case, but we are very, very fortunate and lucky. I mean, look it's a cliche to say, but we're just happy to be doing it and we're now filming our third season and it's a joy. I sort of pretend I'm a professional football player and I'm getting payed to play football.
You're not ready for it to end after season 3, are you?
No, keep it coming. No, it's joyful, I mean, we've been shooting a lot of season 3 throughout this year, and it's like family...As long as the people are writing it and they still have me doing that, I'll be there. If they keep writing it, then I'll be there.
Speaking of the writing, how would you describe the scripts in this upcoming third season?
Better. It just gets better. And the reason is, I think, because everyone's been learning the lessons in season 1, they've been enacting those lessons in season 2 and then we're seeing where that's taking them in season 3. [The characters] are becoming the best versions of themselves, generally. And the reason I think season 3 is even better is because the things that made the characters who they are, specifically who they are, the downfalls still creep in now and then, and they come to scuff up people a couple of times.
That being said, what's in store for Jamie this next season? We saw him on a reality show. Where does he go from here?
That's a great question. Maybe he takes up boxing or, like, maybe he brings out, like, a shoe company. He continues to learn his lessons, and we see him tested with some of those same things and with new tools. He gets himself in sticky situations here and there, the only way that Jamie can.
Toheeb Jimoh (Sam Obisanya)
ET: Congrats on your first Emmy nomination! How did it feel when you found out?
Yeah, it was such a dope feeling when I found out -- it's crazy. I really didn't expect it, so I wasn't like, watching the nominations. I was watching Incredibles with my brother and then my agent called me and was like, "You just got nominated for an Emmy!" and I was like, "Shut the hell up!" *laughs*
We know Team Ted Lasso likes to party. How are you guys celebrating all of these amazing Emmy nods?
We were actually supposed to go on a big boys holiday to Ibiza, but then we ended up coming here instead, which I think is a good thing, because I don't know if we all would've made it back. *laughs* So I'm glad we're here instead.
What can you tell us about what's ahead for Sam in season 3?
I think there's a lot of resolution in season 3. It's along the same lines of the journey we've had for Sam in the first two seasons, where he's maturing, he's growing into himself and he's starting to stand on his own two feet -- as a football player, but also outside of football. We'll get to see a bit more of his relationship with his dad and also his relationship with Ted and the team and so there'll be like a lot of resolution. I'm trying not to give anything away so I don't get sued by Apple. *laughs*
And how about his relationship with Rebecca?
I can say nothing. *laughs* I'm not trying to get sued, that's my thing.
So, how do we keep things going? Is there a possibility of a season 4?
I'm rooting for 4, I hope we carry on, but I think you guys gotta sweet talk Jason or any of the the brain trusts upstairs... I think all of us feel incredibly fortunate to get to do this show, 'cause we have incredible writers.
So, with season 3 being written as the final season, has it been emotional reading those scripts and filming the scenes?
Yeah, especially now that we're getting to the final stages of season 3, we're all kinda like this could be the last time we put this jersey on, this could be the last time I play this character, this could be the last time we're in this locker room.
There's a nostalgia to it, I think there's, like, an added element of importance, and we're all just trying to cherish it while we're in the moment. I think shooting those final scenes is gonna be very heavy, very, very heavy, yeah.
Who's gonna need the box of tissues on the last day?
Oh me, definitely me. I'm gonna be sobbing like a child. I think I'll definitely cry. Hannah's definitely gonna cry. I wouldn't even be surprised if you saw Kola crying... It definitely will be hard to say goodbye, but we don't know -- it could carry on, hopefully it does, but if it doesn't then I think there will be something really nice about just doing three and leaving it at that.
Kola Bokinni (Isaac McAdoo)
ET: Congrats on another Emmy nomination for the show! It never gets old, does it?
Yeah, you have to humble yourself a few times but yeah, it's great.
How is the Ted Lasso team celebrating all these nominations? I heard there was supposed to be a boys trip to Spain?
Oh, you heard about that? Ibiza, to be precise -- the Balearic Islands. I was supposed to be there now, my close mate, Billy Harris, who plays Colin, he's there with Charlie Hiscock, who plays [Will Kitman], they're all there -- we had the villa set up and everything, but then, you know, we had to come to Hollywood.... I'm here with my mates and my brother, Toheeb, right now, everything's amazing.
In addition to the show nomination, some of your co-stars are nominated in the same categories -- any friendly competitions happening there?
Well, it's like family. You know, you always want your family to win, so its like one -- gonna see my brothers winning, my sisters winning, it makes me happy, so it's a no-brainer.
What can you tease for us heading into season 3?
I have a different haircut. *laughs* I had a lot longer hair last season, so this one was much more manageable.
Cristo Fernandez (Dani Rojas)
ET: Congratulations on more Emmy nominations for the Ted Lasso fam! How does it feel?
Very, very happy, very excited to be a part of the Ted Lasso ride. *laughs*
We're all so excited for the third season, what can you tell us?
I'm just very happy to be shooting the third season. I think if already season 1, season 2 were amazing, I honestly think season 3 is gonna be even better. I just hope the fans are also very excited for it, and yeah, let's see what everyone thinks at the end of this year.
Jeremy Swift (Leslie Higgins)
ET: Congratulations on more nominations for the Ted Lasso family -- it never gets old, does it?
No, it doesn't, it's just amazing.... I mean, I didn't quite know what the Emmys was until last year, because, you know, it's the thing [in America], it's not really international. And then when I got here, I realized what a big thing it seems to be.
We can't wait to see more in season 3 -- but is there a possibility of continuing on to season 4?
I think you'd have go into Jason Sudeikis' head and change it up... just start whispering in his sleep, 'Fourth season, come on.' Only he knows.
No, I respect his [decision], you know, if that's the way it goes, I have huge respect for that. There's a purity about just, 'This is what I wanted to do and that's it.'
Sarah Niles (Dr. Sharon Fieldstone)
ET: Congrats on your Emmy nomination! What was your reaction when you head the news?
I have, to tell you -- I had COVID. It caught up with me. The whole filming of Ted Lasso, I was like, please don't let me get COVID, please don't let me pass it on, and then I got it and I was in my bed and I got the text that said "You've been nominated," I was like, "What?!"
Now that you're out of isolation, how are you gonna celebrate?
More champagne bubbles. I'm just happy to be here -- the sun is shining, it's good weather and I love L.A.
You're nominated in the same category with Hannah and Juno. Any friendly competition going on there?
I don't know if it's a competition, I just think everyone's happy -- we're just all rooting for each other. It's crazy that we're all there together, rooting for one another. Juno's giving me a big hug last night, Hannah was the one -- she video called me the night I found out. She was like, "How are you?" I'm like, "I'm sick in my bed, but I'm so excited!"
As you've been reading the scripts for season 3, what has your reaction been so far? What are the feels?
I just know that the audience loves this show. It's so exciting to be on a project like that, and to know there's so much love around and support around. So that's just exciting. I just took it one step at a time.
James Lance (Trent Crimm, The Independent)
ET: Congrats on your first Emmy nomination for Ted Lasso!
Yeah, that's lovely, thank you.
You guys have been busy working on season 3. What can you tease for the fans?
If I got one word... magical. It's gonna be magical. Yeah, it's gonna be more of the same and then some, in my opinion.
Sam Richardson (Edwin Akufo)
ET: Congrats on your first Emmy nomination! What was your reaction to getting nominated?
Thank you very much. I just ,like, looked at my phone a lot and I was like, "Oh cool." No. *laughs* I screamed a lot, I think that's what you're supposed to do. The flood of texts that come on your phone was something I wasn't prepared for... I called my dad, I told my dad I was nominated and he was very excited about it. So that was really, really nice. And then I called my buddy, Tim Robinson, who also got nominated for I Think You Should Leave, so that was really the early calls.
You and co-star James Lance are nominated in the same category. Any friendly competition going on there?
I think it's supposed to be, like, a show of strength? That's what I heard it was supposed to be, like, a challenge course and then the fastest and the strongest. That's what I heard. But I'm prepared, I've been training for it.
Ted Lasso season 3 premieres Wednesday, March 15. Want to catch up before the new season? Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on AppleTV. (We may receive an affiliate commission if you subscribe to a service through our links.)
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