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Photo by Jackson Bews of the YellowBelly photography studio. Courtesy of Theo Park.
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Theo Park Pulls Back the Curtain on Casting ‘Ted Lasso’


August 25, 2023

If you’ve ever wondered what went into casting a hit series whose first two seasons garnered back-to-back Emmy wins for Outstanding Comedy Series, you’ve come to the right place. Coming off of its third season — for which it received 21 Emmy nods, including Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series — we virtually sat down with the person behind the Ted Lasso cast.

Theo Park’s credits run deep, ranging from star-studded action comedies such as The Spy Who Dumped Me to long-awaited prequel series like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. But when we spoke with the casting director, Ted Lasso was the headliner of our chat as Park pulled back the curtain on casting the Emmy-winning Apple TV+ series that’s poised to repeat its comedy gold.

When we last caught up with the casting director, she shared that the actors who play Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and Ted (Jason Sudeikis) were the only ones to do a chemistry read before the series started filming. With this interview, Park gave us additional insights into casting the show’s first season, including one actor who didn’t audition and was “bang on” for their role. The casting director also commented on how the original cast performed exceptionally well together throughout the show. “They’ve really solidified their [character’s] relationships across the seasons,” she noted. Waddingham and Juno Temple were amongst those Park referenced as examples, as well as Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster. “Everyone has just really worked beautifully together, and it’s just been marvelous to watch,” she expressed.

The casting director also shared some insights into the tall order that came with casting a season three character based on a real Swedish soccer star. “I was like, ‘We’re never going to find him,’” she recalled. “I thought it was a really impossible task.” You’ll have to watch the interview to find out how landing the right person for the Zlatan Ibrahimović-esque character came to be, including the actor’s serendipitous move to London — where the show films — right before his Ted Lasso audition.

Before the interview wrapped, we asked Park what casting a series like Ted Lasso meant to her. She described the show as “life-changing in more ways than one” and shared that she’s a true fan of the show, calling it “just my cup of tea.” Park also acknowledged all those who have been a part of making Ted Lasso. “They’re just an amazing bunch of people, and it’s made with love,” she concluded. “I certainly have loved every moment of it.”

You can catch all the insights Park gave us about casting Ted Lasso in our on-camera installment of Pulls Back the Curtain.

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This video interview has been edited and condensed.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in July and has been updated to reflect Park’s 2023 Emmy nomination.

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