Brett Goldstein on the Magic of ‘Ted Lasso’

Brett Goldstein, the breakout star on Ted Lasso, laces up and lets the expletives fly so people can finally have something to smile about. Get to know the actor like never before in the Q&A below. But first, the basics.

• Go-to workout routine: I exercise every day for at least half an hour and I do Pilates.
• Favorite sporting moment: When Lucas Moura brought his baby onto the pitch after scoring a hat trick.
• Last vacation: Greece.
• Best advice: You’ll be dead soon, so you may as well do it.

Men’s Journal: Congrats on all the Emmy noms!

Brett Goldstein: It’s mental. Truthfully, none of us expected anyone to watch the show. It feels like it’s a prank and I keep waiting for people to go, “Only joking!”

Why do you think Ted Lasso is so endearing to viewers?

I’ve thought about that a lot and think the show’s success is a reaction to all the negative public discourse that’s been all over our screens, in the media, in the news that’s become so mean and unpleasant. People were proud of being horrible to each other and it was ugly and disturbing how normalized it had all become. So the success of Ted Lasso speaks to how starved we are to see people look out for each other, despite challenges in their own life. The show tapped into this need for decency.

Your character, Roy Kent, could use some work on his manners.…

Well, I love that character. We have a lot in common.

How did you go from being a writer on the show to being cast as Roy?

I really understood him, but I also knew that no one was thinking of me for the part. So I made a video of me doing five things as Roy and I emailed it to the producers, saying, “Look, if this is embarrassing or shit, you can just pretend you never got it. However, if you like it, I think I could play Roy.” And then they just couldn’t be bothered to keep looking, so I got the part.

How close is Roy to your own self?

The only difference is he’s a better footballer than I am and I’m probably a bit more emotionally articulate than him. And I have the gene that worries about what people will think of me if I’m rude, whereas Roy Kent doesn’t have that. But the level of anger is the same. I just hide it better.

When was the last time you got angry?

This morning. I’m angry all the time.

Is Jason Sudeikis as positive as his character, Ted Lasso?

I think the philosophies are the same, yeah. Ted’s a slightly more exaggerated version of the real Jason.

What’s it like working with Jason?

I’ve learned a lot from him, how every line, every scene and every joke matters. Nothing is an accident. Fans write essays about different scenes, so that tells us that all the hard work was worth it.

Have you taken Jason out for a proper session in London?

Yes, we have! It was tricky because of Covid but we’ve had some fun. He held his own!

Do you follow football?

Yes, I support Tottenham Hotspur, so I know the phrase, “It’s the hope that kills you.”

So what happened in the Euro final?

England played really well. We deserved it as much as anyone and penalties are a fucking nightmare.

You don’t think it was a mistake to have a 19-year-old (Bukayo Saka) take the most important shot for England in the past 60 years?

No. You have no idea and anyone at any age could have missed that penalty. The reality of that kind of pressure is something you can’t practice for. Well done to them all.

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