Ted Lasso Creators Address Talk Show Host’s Claim Of Being Offered Important Season 3 Role

Summary

• Ted Lasso creators were surprised by Joy Behar’s claim that she turned down a role in the show.
• Behar mentioned it would be too hot during filming and that she didn’t feel the need to be in the show.
• The creators welcome Behar to join the show in future seasons.

The creators of Ted Lasso address a claim from a famous television host that she turned down an important season 3 role. In a season of television when Jason Sudeikis’ titular Ted often felt more like a supporting character, he comes into focus for “Mom City.” In the episode, Ted’s mother Dottie shows up for an unexpected visit and things turn confrontational. Dottie is played by veteran actor Becky Ann Backer, but long-time co-host of The View, Joy Behar, recently stated that she turned down an offer to play Lasso’s mom, feeling it would have been too hot during filming, and adding that she didn’t feel the need to be in the Apple TV+ show.

Ted Lasso co-creators Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt addressed Behar’s claim during the recent PEOPLE X IHG panel with the cast in Los Angeles. The duo, who created the sports comedy with Bill Lawrence, sounded genuinely surprised by the claim. Sudekis said: “I, no. Joy Behar from The View?” while Hunt, who also plays Coach Beard, was more direct: “Respectfully, it would be news to us. We just work there.” Sudeikis indicated that she would be welcome if Ted Lasso season 4 does happen, adding: “She’s welcome to sit at the table.”

Why A Character Actor Was Right To Play Ted Lasso’s Mom

Baker has had a long career in both film and television, working with Judd Apatow on Freaks and Geeks. She also worked with Sam Raimi, memorably dying gruesomely in A Simple Plan and having a small role in Spider-Man as Mrs. Stacy. She also played the mother of another memorable television protagonist, Lena Dunham’s Hannah Horvath on Girls, for which she received an Emmy nomination.

Although it’s not outwardly dysfunctional, Ted doesn’t have the best relationship with his mom. She visibly makes him uneasy and prone to silence, unlike his usual boisterous self. This isn’t surprising, given that Ted Lasso’s childhood leads to a memorable therapy scene. Ted ultimately confronts his mother, using strong language, and Baker is the perfect scene partner to play off Sudeikis in that moment.

Baker fits fairly seamlessly into the Ted Lasso cast, creating a fraught relationship that feels believable in just a single appearance. Behar, given The View‘s tendency to go for viral moments, might have been too detrimentally distracting for such a significant guest appearance. Whether an offer was officially extended to the veteran host or not, Baker was the right choice.

All episodes of Ted Lasso are on Apple TV+.

Source: People