It is truly unlike anything Jason Sudeikis has ever worked in his career. The show is receiving rave reviews at the moment and with reason, 'Ted Lasso' has so much heart and soul. It is funny, and yet serious, all at the same time.
For Jason, the road to getting the show kick-started was not a conventional one. As we'll reveal, it all started with a commercial after his time on 'SNL', and later, it would turn into something even bigger, thanks to a push by those closest in his life.
Given how unique the character is, fans are wondering if the actor is basing it off anyone in particular. As it turns out, he does have some sources of inspiration, which he uses bits and pieces of.
It All Started With A Commercial
Turn the clock back to 2013, and Jason Sudeikis was experiencing a huge shift in his career. He was set to leave SNL have a run of ten years and it was time to star in films, such as 'Horrible Bosses'. It was at that point, that the actor was approached by NBC Sports to shoot a commercial for soccer, which was coming to the network.
Alongside 'E', Jason recalls the experience, "They had like four or five ideas and one of them was an American coach coaching soccer in London, and they had modeled the idea off of a version of a coach character I had played a few times on SNL, which is more of a yelling, screaming, kind of Bobby Knight drill sergeant vibe," recalls Sudeikis. "And I was like, 'Eh, I've kind of done that,' and I just saw something a little bit different, and that is what ended up becoming Ted Lasso."
Once the commercial was done with, Jason and many others thought, there might be more to this. And soon enough, he was pushed to further explore the character.
Olivia Wilde Played A Huge Role In Kick-Starting The Show
Once the second video was complete, it became obvious that something could've been done with the character.
The big believer was none other than Jason's former partner, Olivia Wilde, who played a huge role in not only pushing Sudeikis towards the project but giving it the green light.
''So, one day in 2015, my [then] partner [Olivia Wilde] came up to me one day and said, 'You know, you should do Ted Lasso as a show,' and I said, 'I don’t know,' but then after marinating on it, I thought maybe this could happen."
"Olivia, even when we were just writing years ago without any buyers or even pitching it yet, gave it a big push," Hunt said.
Olivia was firm on her stance that it was time for Jason to go and shoot the show overseas, "Olivia was like, 'Jason, you are doing this show. You’re going to London, you’re going to make this with your friends, and that’s all there is to it.'"
For Jason, the major tipping point was how different the character was and not the classic, rough TV coach. This influenced his decision to look at the project even further, ''That eternal optimism and like 'aw-shucks' hopefulness really spoke to me in a way that I was like, 'Okay, there might be something more here.' Because it's a really fun character to play, a really fun character to write for, and a really fun prism to see the world through."
Looking at the first two seasons of the show, it is clear that the actor made the right decision, exploring the show.
Now fans are wondering, given his performance, if he's modeling it after anyone in particular. As it turns out, he is drawing a little inspiration from a certain coach.
Manager Jürgen Klopp Gave Some Inspiration
Now the show isn't based on anyone, in particular, however, the actor revealed that he does take inspiration from others. One of those people includes Premier League manager Jurgen Klopp. According to Jason's words with Sports Illustrated, he was inspired by a particular story.
"Man. When I heard about him taking his squad to go do karaoke, I was like, 'Hellooooo, story idea,'" Sudeikis told the publication.
Hilariously, the actor also revealed that the actor is the best version of himself, after a night of a few drinks, "Ted does see the best in people and he really is the best version of myself. He's like me after two beers on an empty stomach on a bright sunny day, just like, 'With all of us together, what can't we do?'"
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