“I have to remind myself that I can think and hope. Ted Lasso is a little bit of a byproduct of thinking and hoping. It’s about as close as I think I’ve ever felt to George Bailey or Ebenezer Scrooge.”
-Jason Sudeikis, episode 471 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Jason Sudeikis became a household name during his decade-long run on Saturday Night Live. Then came his Emmy-winning turn in Ted Lasso.
On the heels of the beloved series’ Season 4 finale, we discuss this latest chapter (3:30), writing new characters (6:37), and what shaped Sudeikis’ sense of humor growing up in Kansas (9:50). Then, we talk about his years on the basketball court (12:30), lessons in show business from his uncle, George Wendt of Cheers (14:30), and how he arrived at SNL in the early 2000s (24:30).
In Act II, Sudeikis reflects on a piece of writing advice from Tina Fey (29:00), departing from the show in 2013 (45:00), and who he believes should succeed Lorne Michaels (49:00).
Finally, in Act III, we get into where Jason ends and Ted begins (1:02:24), how his personal life informed the show’s latest chapter (1:08:39), navigating public scrutiny (1:14:35), how the series helped him through difficult moments with his mental health (1:21:52), and what it meant to return to Studio 8H as an SNL host (1:30:27).
As always, our email: talkeasypod@gmail.com.
Watch this conversation on YouTube:
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Show-notes:
- Stream Ted Lasso on Apple TV.
- Watch Jason on Saturday Night Live.
- For more, our talks with Bill Hader and Seth Meyers.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Photographs by Emil Ravelo. Design by Derek Gabryszak and Will Tuddenham.
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