The Japan Times - Returning to 'Ted Lasso' after break 'effortless': Hannah Waddingham

"It felt completely and utterly... effortless. Just ridiculously effortless," Hannah Waddingham told AFP at a press event alongside costars Jeremy Swift and Juno Temple ahead of Season 4's premiere on Wednesday.

"I think we've always felt like a family from day one on this," added Waddingham, the award-winning British actress who plays Rebecca Welton, the ruthless president of the fictional professional English soccer club AFC Richmond.

Swift, who portrays team executive Leslie Higgins, chimed in that the cast "hit the ground running" when filming resumed.

The new season of "Ted Lasso," which stars Jason Sudeikis in the title role, shifts the action to the optimistic American coach's (and Sudeikis's own) native Kansas, where he has been invited to helm a second-division women's team.

The trip allowed the actors to better understand Sudeikis's inspiration when he co-created the show, one of Apple TV's most successful series, said Temple, who plays the charismatic model-turned-publicist Keeley Jones.

"It felt like a really, really special way to come back again, to be slightly out of our comfort zone," said the English actress. "That was great."

It was vital to "have this kind of beautiful vacation together in a place that's both very important to Ted and very important to Jason," Temple said, describing it as "such a fun experience for all three of us."

- Showcasing women's sports -

"Ted Lasso" debuted on Apple TV in 2020 and became the platform's flagship series.

In a teaser for its highly anticipated return, Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt appeared in character as Lasso and his assistant Coach Beard during the halftime show of last month's World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

In the skit, Sudeikis acted as if he were sending pop superstar Justin Bieber into the match as a substitute.

The location shift in the new season has allowed the series to bring back familiar faces including Sudeikis, Waddingham, Temple, Swift, Hunt and Brett Goldstein, who plays AFC Richmond captain Roy Kent.

But it also offers the bandwidth to introduce new characters, bringing fresh tension and comedic drama.

The focus will be on the up-and-coming team, the challenges it faces, and the roster of players jockeying for influence and pitch time.

Faye Marsay, who steps into the cleats of the sharp-tongued center back Lizzie, said she felt it was appropriate to use the hit series as a "platform to shine light on the problems in women's sport and the things that we need to do better."

The show is not "shoving anything down anyone's throat," she said, but it is exposing challenges for women athletes including motherhood and equal treatment.

"I think we do it in a kind of subtle and graceful way."

Apple TV will release weekly episodes of "Ted Lasso" until the season finale premieres on October 7.

H.Hayashi--JT