How Ted Lasso built its Emmy-nominated ensemble
Theo Park scored her first Emmy nod for her work on the Apple TV+ comedy
Ted Lasso debuted only a year ago and has already become an awards magnet, with wins at the Golden Globes and SAG Awards for Jason Sudeikis’ portrayal of the show’s folksy and inspiring coach. The series received 20 Emmy nominations this year—a record for a rookie comedy—including nods for Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Jeremy Swift, Nick Mohammed, Brett Goldstein, and co-creator Brendan Hunt in the supporting actor/actress categories.
So, it’s no surprise to see Ted Lasso’s casting director Theo Park get her own first Emmy nomination for assembling the show’s clearly talented ensemble. Park initially wanted to become an actor but quickly realized she was more comfortable with finding the right performers for a role. Based in the U.K., Park has worked on TV shows like Master Of None and Amazon’s Lord Of The Rings series, limited series Vanity Fair, and films like The Spy Who Dumped Me. The A.V. Club spoke to Park about the fun process of getting Ted Lasso’s relatively up-and-coming cast together, her love for Nick Mohammed, and the project she wants to cast Sudeikis in next.
The A.V. Club: How did you got involved with casting for Ted Lasso?
Theo Park: I’m friends with Allison Jones, a fantastic casting director in Los Angeles. She knows Jason Sudeikis, who asked her opinion on whom to work with in London. She very kindly suggested me and he listened to her, so I was really lucky. Allison and I met through my sister, weirdly. and then we worked on a couple of projects. I’ve helped her out over the years here and there.
AVC: How does it feel to get the nomination for a critically acclaimed show like Ted Lasso, and to see the cast you put together also get the same Emmy love?
TP: I feel lucky to even work on the show and to be nominated for an award is just thrilling and beyond my wildest expectations. I never thought I’d be in this position. As for the cast, all I’d say is I’d have trouble picking who should win. I’m especially excited for the girls, Juno and Hannah, they are both brilliant.
AVC: Were there any roles you had specific challenges with casting?
TP: There were challenges all along the way. We already knew Jason and Brendan were going to play Ted and Coach Beard. It was an open slate after that. Both of them came over to London, which was great. We could spend some time face-to-face to talk about the remaining cast members. We started with the search for Rebecca.
AVC: Hannah Waddingham is a total revelation in this comedic role, but her biggest one is in a drama like Game Of Thrones. Even in Sex Education, her character is a bit more rigid. What was it about her audition and body of work that compelled you to cast her?