If you watch Ted Lasso, and I’m pretty sure a lot of you do, you know who Roy Kent is – not a real person, but a great character, as all the characters are on the show. So here’s Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent, last night in London, with Lou Sanders attending press night for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella on the West End. 

 

The cast of Ted Lasso covers the new issue of The Wrap:

Emmys voting begins today and runs until August 30 so this is fitting since Ted Lasso received 20 nominations, breaking the record for a comedy series in its first season. Brett was one of those nominations, for Outstanding Supporting Actor Comedy, and in his statement was pure Roy Kent: 

 

Have you ever listened to Brett’s podcast, Films To Be Buried With? I only just found out about it – the premise is that he invites a guest to be on with him and the guest is asked to imagine they're dead and talk about the movies that mean the most to them or tell the story of their lives. The last episode featured Barry Jenkins and I’ve dipped into a few minutes and, well, I know this isn’t news because that’s what acting is but Brett is not Roy, he doesn’t even sound like Roy. Roy’s voice is deeper. And that doesn’t mean that one voice is better than the other but Roy’s voice is part of the comedy of Roy. He’s hilarious, especially when he’s pissy, which is always, and those scenes with him doing his new job this season are amazing. That crusty ass face of his, the perma scowl. And his dry sense of humour. God I love this show. And I needed it this week.

It’s been a tough week, and I had a rough Tuesday. So it worked out perfect that we’d waited to watch the latest episode which happened to be the Ted Lasso Christmas episode. Sure, Christmas in August isn’t exactly seasonal timing but the only timing that mattered to me personally is that I needed some of that energy, the Ted Lasso energy, to remind me that things don’t have to be f-cksh-t, and that we can find magic in community, in reaching out to people, in building connections. I cried so much – and I don’t think I was alone. Twitter is telling me that a lot of people were crying. 

 

Ashley Nicole Black says that the inspiration behind part of the episode came from real life: 

And even though this is a Christmas special in the summer, the pandemic and production delays had nothing to do with it. As explained in the LA Times recently (via Screenrant), Apple ordered two more episodes of season two which gave the writers an opportunity to include a Christmas episode which they always knew and intended would air in August. As a tribute to the holiday season of 2020 that wasn’t all that ideal for many if not most people. This is the Ted Lasso way. I f-cking needed it. 

 

So think of what they pulled off. A Christmas episode in August that has become what many – and me too – consider to be an instant classic. And an episode that’s more than just surface cheer and earnestness: 

Can’t wait to watch it again in December.