Since its premiere in 2020, Ted Lasso has seemingly taken the television world by storm with its unique blend of feel-good comedy and talented cast. It is helmed by Jason Sudeikis (who plays the titular character).
Ted Lasso cast members Kola Bokinni, Jeremy Swift, Sam Richardson, Hannah Waddingham, James Lance, Cristo Fernández, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Toheeb Jimoh, Sarah Niles, and Phil Dunster attend the Los Angeles FYC Special Screening of Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” at The Maybourne Beverly Hills on July 18, 2022, in Beverly Hills, California (Credit: Faye’s Vision / Cover Images)
With three seasons released thus far, Ted Lasso is clearly doing something right. The show has even managed to clean up in the awards department, with the first season boasting 20 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, a record for a new comedy series.
At the 2020 and 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards, the show won the Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, beating out popular comedy shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hacks, and Barry. The show has also been recognized at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Critics’ Choice Television Awards, demonstrating its widespread acclaim and popularity.
Jeremy Swift, Moe Jeudy-Lamour, Hannah Waddingham, Jason Sudeikis, Juno Temple, Cristo Fernández, Brendan Hunt, and Brett Goldstein attend Apple’s “Ted Lasso” Season 2 Premiere at Pacific Design Center on July 15, 2021, in West Hollywood, California (Credit: Faye’s Vision / Cover Images)
In this article, we’ll examine the talented cast that makes it all happen and rank them by height. Let’s get into it!
Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) – The Peak Performer
The show’s protagonist, Jason Sudeikis, clocks in at 6ft and ¼ in. The actor, who’s primarily known for his comedic roles, was born in 1975 in the city of Fairfax, Virginia.
Hannah Waddingham and Jason Sudeikis share the blue carpet with their much shorter Ted Lasso co-star Juno Temple (Credit: Abby Grant / Cover Images)
At a young age, his family eventually relocated to Kansas, where Sudeikis pursued his ambitions to become a basketball player, enrolling at the Fort Scott Community College on a basketball scholarship. This was short-lived, as Sudeikis dropped out of school before completing his studies.
He started acting in comedy improv groups in Chicago before getting his big break by being hired to join the cast of Saturday Night Live, where he starred from 2005 to 2013.
He experienced his breakthrough into Hollywood cinema with popular roles in comedy films like Horrible Bosses (2011), where he starred alongside Jason Bateman and Charlie Day.
Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent and Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso in the American sports comedy-drama television series Ted Lasso (Credit: Apple+)
Since 2020, he’s played the role of Ted Lasso, the lovable American football coach thrust into a fish-out-of-water situation when he’s tasked with coaching an English football club called AFC Richmond.
Sudeikis co-developed the television show, so the casting process was certainly different than if he had to audition for the role!
Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) – Standing Strong
One of the only other Americans to be cast in the show, Brendan Hunt, hails from Chicago, Illinois, where he was born in 1972.
Hunt and Sudeikis are long-time collaborators. They both were members of the Boom Chicago comedy troupe from the late 1990s to the mid-00s.
Ted Lasso co-creator Brendan Hunt is married to actress Shannon Nelson, who has appeared in Drop Dead Gorgeous and Alice And The Monster (Credit: Abby Grant / Cover Images)
Hunt plays Coach Beard, Coach Lasso’s assistant coach, and long-time friend. The role is not too far off from reality, as Hunt is a long-time friend of Sudeikis and collaborated on creating the show!
Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Welton) – Majestically Tall
With a show featuring the premise of an American being hired to coach an English team, you’re bound to have some English actors enter the fold as well. Hannah Waddingham was born in London, England, in 1974.
She was always enamored with the theatre, as her mother was an opera singer, and joined the English National Opera when Hannah was a child.
Hannah Waddingham in a pink tulle Dolce and Gabbana gown before the 2022 Emmy Awards held on September 12 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, where she won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Credit: Michael Simon / Startraksphoto / Cover Images)
Waddingham pursued acting and became well known for her performance as the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot, a musical-comedy written by members of the legendary British comedy troupe Monty Python.
She continued to work within the theatre before transitioning to television roles in shows like Game of Thrones and Not Going Out.
Juno Temple as Keeley Jones and Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso (Credit: Apple+)
During the show’s development, she was cast as Rebecca Welton, the owner of AFC Richmond.
Describing her casting process, Waddingham stated: “I just thought there was no chance at all that I was going to get this and previous to that… my little girl had been very ill when she was younger, and I went out into my garden, and I thought, I’m going to ask the universe for something, which is probably unreasonable.” It looks like it wasn’t so unreasonable, after all!
Juno Temple (Keeley Jones) – Petite Powerhouse
Hannah Waddingham towers over her much shorter co-star, Juno Temple, who is just 5 ft 2 inches (157 cm) tall. The two Ted Lasso actresses have become best friends despite their 15-year age difference.
“She and I have gone more and more insular about our relationship because if you talk about it too much, it can never do justice to what she and I have found together as human beings,” Waddingham told THR. Juno Temple portrays publicist Keeley Jones, who works for team owner Rebecca Welton.
Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple have become best friends in real life (Credit: Faye’s Vision / Cover Images)
“It’s not fake. It’s real,” Temple said about their friendship. “I love her so much, and what we have is a safe place. It’s so important to put out into the world that girlfriends are the most important people in your life. Ultimately, they keep the world spinning.”
In the portrayal of Keeley, Juno Temple combines physical enhancements with her unique charm to elevate the character beyond superficial appearances. Standing just over 5 feet tall, Temple uses a high ponytail and high heels to add height, while an architectural push-up bra and multiple falsies achieve a glamour model look.
Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) – Almost 6ft of Grit
Born in London, England, in 1980, Goldstein experienced an interesting upbringing when he was forcibly relocated to Marbella, Spain, to work in a strip club that his father spontaneously purchased.
This experience fuelled Goldstein’s early comedy work, and he built his first stand-up show around the experience.
Brett Goldstein and his much shorter co-star Juno Temple play a couple on Ted Lasso (Credit: Abby Grant / Cover Images)
Goldstein was cast as the stoic veteran footballer Roy Kent in a somewhat unorthodox way. He was initially hired as a writer for the television show, eventually allowing him to be cast in the role.
Talk about a fortunate turn of events! So far, Goldstein has received two Primetime Emmy Awards for his role as Kent.
Nick Mohammed (Nathan Shelley) – The Compact Contender
Nich Mohammed hails from the English city of Leeds, where he was born in 1980. Born to immigrant parents, Mohammed followed musical pursuits and played violin in the university orchestra at St Aidan’s College.
Nick Mohammed (R) and his taller wife Becka attend the Royal Television Society Programme Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel on March 29, 2022, in London, England (Credit: Matt Crossick / Empics / PA Images / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
He eventually found success in comedy and became a mainstay at the BBC for his roles in shows such as Reggie Perrin, The King is Dead, and Sorry, I’ve Got No Head, and for his recurring role of Mr. Swallow.
Mohammed was cast as Nate, initially Lasso’s friend, before aligning himself with West Ham United F.C., a rival football club.
Jeremy Swift (Leslie Higgins) – Humor at a Height
Jeremy Swift is an English actor from Stockton-on-Tees, a market town in Durham. He received his big breakthrough in comedy in the 2000s when he appeared in high-profile films such as Roman Polanski’s Oliver Twist (2005), where he played the role of Mr. Bumble.
Other significant roles for Mr. Swift include the role of Shaun Greenhalgh in The Antiques’ Rogue Show for BBC2 and the role of Septimus Spratt in the long-running British show Downton Abbey.
Mary Roscoe and Jeremy Swift, who have been married since 1992, attend as BAFTA celebrate “Downton Abbey” at Richmond Theatre on August 11, 2015, in Richmond, England (Credit: David Jensen / PA Images / Startraks)
Swift plays the role of Leslie Higgins in the show and won a Primetime Emmy Award for the performance as well!
In the show, Higgins acts as the assistant to Rebecca Welton, and his in-show wife, Julie Higgins, is played by his real-life wife, Mary Roscoe!
Toheeb Jimoh (Sam Obisanya) – Rising High
Toheeb Jimoh plays Sam Obisanya in Ted Lasso. Sam is a young, talented footballer from Nigeria who joins AFC Richmond. He is known for his kind heart, infectious optimism, and strong moral compass, and his character is often considered the “heart” of the show.
Born on April 15, 1997, in Lambeth, London, England, Toheeb Jimoh is a British actor of Yoruba Nigerian descent. He gained recognition for his roles in Wes Anderson’s film The French Dispatch (2021) and the sci-fi drama The Feed (2019).
Jimoh, whose birth name is Toheeb Gbolabo O. Jimoh, was raised in the vibrant neighborhood of Brixton, London, contributing to his dynamic and engaging acting style.
Toheeb Jimoh portrays Sam Obisanya, a key player for AFC Richmond (Credit: Apple TV+)
“Working with Toheeb is like what it must have been like working with George Clooney on ER,” his co-star Brett Goldstein said in an interview. “It’s like, you’re doing a good job, but you’re not George Clooney. This guy’s going to be Batman.”
In an interview with The Guardian, Toheeb Jimoh reflected on how the show served as a “Trojan horse” to explore deeper human truths and characters under the guise of lighthearted comedy. He highlighted the perfect timing of its release during the pandemic, describing it as “universe magic dust sprinkled over it.”
At the 2023 EE Bafta Film Awards nominations in London, Toheeb Jimoh appeared noticeably taller than Hayley Atwell, who stands at 5ft 6 inches (167.6 cm) (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
Jimoh’s character, Sam, evolves from a reserved newcomer to a pivotal team player, forming a poignant relationship with the team’s owner, Rebecca. Off-screen, Jimoh remains grounded despite rising fame, attributing his real-life humility and positive outlook to the ethos of “Ted Lasso” and his close-knit family.
Phil Dunster (Jamie Tartt) – Agile Attitude
Phil Dunster plays Jamie Tartt in Ted Lasso. Jamie is a talented but initially arrogant footballer who undergoes significant character development throughout the series. His redemption is gradually revealed through his struggles, particularly his strained relationship with his father.
Born on March 31, 1992, Philip James Dunster is of English ethnicity and from Northampton, though he speaks with a Manchester accent in the series.
Phil Dunster and his girlfriend, filmmaker Eleanor “Ellie” Heydon, attend Apple TV +’s Primetime Emmy Party at Mother Wolf on January 15, 2024, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
“Manchester is a very rich cultural hub,” he told People in an interview. “Obviously, you’ve got the Gallagher brothers, [the band] Oasis, there, you’ve got Manchester United, which has players who have grown up there, like Gary Neville and Phil Neville, and they’ve got a very distinctive [accent]. It’s quite nasally when they talk. It’s like [everything] goes through the nose,” he explained.
“For me, it’s just as much about attitude. The accent, it’s an inner-city accent. It has to be quick. It’s very different to mine,” he added.
“My girlfriend’s mom is born and raised in Manchester, and so I was worried that their family is going to be disowning me, but they were part of sort of my cultural references,” he joked about his girlfriend’s family, filmmaker Eleanor Hayden. “I’ve put them in the boat with me.”
Conclusion
While the numerous Emmy awards garnered by “Ted Lasso” and its talented cast are a testament to the show’s quality, there is more to this series that makes it universally appealing.
Its upbeat, happy-go-lucky comedy offers a refreshing dose of positivity everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re drawn to its critical acclaim or need a feel-good watch, “Ted Lasso” is a delightful choice that will likely lift your spirits.