The Ladies From Ted Lasso Are Gorgeous In Real Life

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There have been many friendships among the cast of "Ted Lasso" behind the scenes, a lot of them between the female stars. From series regulars to recurring guest stars, the women of the beloved Apple+ series are all so stunning both on and off screen that you'll have no problem figuring out where you've seen them before. Some of the actors are seasoned vets, some are on-the-rise comediennes, and some are only just getting started in their entertainment careers. But the one throughline they all have is their love for "Lasso" and its cast of nuanced characters. And now that the highly anticipated fourth season of the show will reportedly revolve around the title character coaching a women's football league, the girl power will be higher than ever before! "I've been in a lot of rooms where you have to be the voice of every woman everywhere or you're just not heard," star Hannah Waddingham once said in conversation with the Television Academy. "This is such a different energy and vibe."

Hannah Waddingham stood out to audiences from the get-go as Rebecca Welton on "Ted Lasso," the tall, powerful owner of the AFC Richmond football club. In real life, Waddingham's talents have proven how much she is really worth, as she can sing, dance, and truly embody the title of a triple threat. The West End star has been a proud proponent of uniqueness and embracing one's talent, even though she has had her fair share of naysayers in her past. After finding worldwide success with"Ted Lasso," the star claims many producers who formerly turned her down emerged wanting to collaborate. "I am happy to say to them: 'Just look somewhere else. I'm human. I remember. Bog off,'" she clapped back on "Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist."

Before she made a splash on the Apple+ series, Waddingham was perhaps most well known as Septa Unella, the looming figure who audibly shames Cersei Lannister during her downfall in "Game of Thrones." But her experience on "Ted Lasso" was an anomaly thanks to the support of her co-star and series co-creator Jason Sudeikis. The actor shared that her height didn't play into her character for once, and that Sudeikis instead focused on what she brought to the role as herself. "That is a completely unique situation to find yourself in where the man is so generous that they want to raise you up and celebrate everything that you are..." she shared on "The View."

Part of the untold truth of "Ted Lasso" star Juno Temple is that her natural hair is full of luscious curls. As for taking care of those curls, the starlet likes to channel her model-turned-PR-pro character Keeley Jones and let them run wild. But it wasn't always so carefree for the actor, who is real-life besties with fellow "Ted Lasso" star Hannah Waddingham. Growing up, her parents, including her film director father, Julien Temple, were afraid that their daughter would be constantly berated for her slim frame and smaller curves. In classic Temple style, she learned to navigate those difficulties by framing every audition in a different way. "I think as an actor you have to embrace the fact that it's not about looking good; it's about zipping yourself into somebody else's skin," she explained in an interview with The Guardian in 2016.

As for her body? The "Vinyl" star is body positive, including the nudity that often comes up in her projects. She takes scripts and all that they entail very seriously, down to the clothes she wears (or doesn't wear). But that doesn't mean that she agrees with every nude scene that's written in. "I think if it's necessary, it's necessary," she told the publication. "There are moments where it's distracting and not needed, and I've fought my corner and said no, you don't need to see my t*** right then."

As the lovably brusque barkeep Mae on "Ted Lasso," actor Annette Badland endeared herself to the hearts of millions with her short white haircut and take-no-nonsense attitude. She's been in numerous beloved series, including "Doctor Who" and "Outlander," but the fandom frenzy that grew with "Ted Lasso" is something that took things to a new level for the seasoned performer. She even teamed up with Airbnb to promote stays at a replica of Ted's apartment near the Crown & Anchor pub that her character runs. "It's such a compliment ... the amount of people who were milling around and watching us and saying hi and asking for a selfie," she shared with People. "It just grew and grew exponentially. It's terrific, just a wonderful camaraderie."

Though she has tended to be typecast in roles designed for older women, Badland maintains that times are changing and creatives are starting to pay attention to how they cast women of a certain age. "I think [roles] are becoming more specific [and] actors are voicing it ... because the people writing for television are aging, too," she explained to Look Fabulous Forever, a makeup brand specifically designed for older women that she serves as an ambassador for. As for her thoughts on the timing of this change? "I think it is altering but not fast enough."

Actor Sarah Niles became a fan favorite as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone on "Ted Lasso" and has since gone on to star in major blockbusters like "F1" and "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." While inhabiting these many roles and bringing depth to large franchises, Niles grounds her work in the foundation she built growing up as a child of an immigrant family. "Sometimes, when you're playing these parts, you're going to have to fill up so much of the role that isn't even considered, especially as a Black woman," she shared with Essence.

In her role as Dr. Sharon, which earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2022, she recognizes the impact that her portrayal has on women around the world. She champions representation of all types, particularly when the characters she portrays represent women coming into their own power and showing confidence. Even her role on the Apple+ series became a beacon of that mentality, as well as something that taught her how to embrace her own power and gifts rather than apologizing for them. "So often, both as women and as Brits, we self-deprecate and apologise," she detailed to The Guardian. "We think that if you downplay your qualities, people will be more attracted to you. That's not the case and no way to live."

She may not have ended up playing Keeley Jones on "Ted Lasso," but actor and writer Keeley Hazell certainly inspired the eponymous character on the Apple+ series. The young star became known for her raunchy reputation, appearing across U.K. tabloids for years in the mid-2000s, a la Paris Hilton in the U.S. But when "Ted Lasso" co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis approached her with an opportunity to create something good from her press-frenzied persona, she jumped at the chance. "He was like, 'I see you. The way you are in real life and how you're presented in the media are two very separate things,'" she wrote in her collection of essays "Everyone's Seen My T***: Stories and Reflections from an Unlikely Feminist" (per USA Today).

While she didn't end up playing the character named after her, which she described as the "SNL version" of herself, she did play Bex, the title character's love interest, and also served as a writer. But the show, opportunities and all, did bring about some complicated feelings for the starlet that she reflected on in her essay collection. "When it's something that is integral to me and has my name, I don't want it to be used in any sort of way unless it's authentic," she wrote. "... I only imagine how wonderful it would've been to play that Keeley who breezes through life never stigmatized by her past."

Andrea Anders, aka Ted's ex-wife Michelle, is no stranger to starring in a well-loved television series. The comedienne was once a regular on cult classic shows like the "Friends" spinoff "Joey" and "Better Off Ted" (no relation to Lasso). The blonde bombshell has been hitting the Hollywood scene for a minute after getting her start, thanks to her brother, director Sean Anders. After packing up and moving to New York City, she found herself auditioning for both drama and comedy shows — even though one tended to be more rewarding than the other. "I think comedy comes easily to me," she admitted to Casting Networks. "Like, when I get a script to audition for it, sometimes I can see something and think, 'Oh, no one's gonna know to do this.' That's fun for me."

As for how she landed her role on "Ted Lasso"? Star and co-creator Jason Sudeikis recalled her from an audition years prior that she didn't land. Anders had done a chemistry read with the star for the film "Hall Pass," and while it went well, she didn't land the role. Years later, Sudeikis remembered her and hired her to play his then-wife in a recurring role. "It was nice to think that something so long ago that felt like something had failed — it was nice to be remembered," she shared with Fox News.

Actor Katy Wix may play hard-edged PR pro Barbara in "Ted Lasso," but in real life, she showed a softer side in her autobiography "Delicacy," in which she revealed several devastating events that shaped her life. She shared memories of eating disorders, a nearly fatal car crash, and multiple loved ones' deaths that impacted her. Specifically, she lost her best friend and both of her parents within a two-year period, sending her into a spiral that she ended up reliving as she wrote. "In some ways it prolonged everything I was going through because I had to stay in it for much longer," she told The Sunday Post. Despite the ongoing grief, she also credits the exercise as a way of coping with those memories long-term. "When you are trying to articulate something that's happened to you, you do end up with a better understanding of it all and come out the other side of it with more perspective and wisdom," she continued.

When it comes to her life as a performer, she followed in the footsteps of her late parents, who both attended drama school but ended up pursuing day jobs and raising a family. Though she spent years bouncing between fields like fashion, library science, and poetry, it eventually boiled down to pursuing creativity as a whole. "It was a strange path to get here, but I would have been satisfied in any creative job — as long as I'm making something, I'm happy," she shared.

Actor Ellie Taylor brought a spark to "Ted Lasso" as Rebecca's best friend, the aptly-nicknamed Sassy. The multi-talented performer is well known as an actor, comedienne, and television host, but her recurring role on the Apple+ series endeared her to a new audience. But she almost didn't make it to her audition for the show — albeit for an entirely self-driven reason: She felt too lazy to cross London on multiple trains and buses to get to the audition room. Luckily, she decided to attend, and the rest was history. "Can you imagine if I didn't bother going because I didn't want to get a bus?" she said cheekily on "The Chris Moyles Show" on Radio X.

Despite filming several memorable moments on the series, Taylor claims she didn't read any further in the script beyond her scenes and had to watch the show to find out what happened! She also wasn't sure if she had done her best with her role and relied on both the work itself and some of her friends to help her realize that she was part of something great. "I didn't really know what to make of it," she admitted in the interview. "I couldn't work out the tone of it when I was filming it ... I wasn't sure I had done a really good job ... and then people watched it and were like 'It's quite good, actually!'"

As Simi, a chef and friend of Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh), Precious Mustapha turned heads both on and off the screen. Her quick wit in the series translates to her vibrant personality in real life. The "Fate: The Winx Saga" star also has big aspirations beyond acting, listing directing and producing as avenues she eventually wants to pursue. Her other big goal will take her across the pond, but she's definitely ready to pounce at the opportunity. "I've always been obsessed with the idea of being in a Western film!" she gushed in an interview with Anna Vitality. "That's probably my dream!"

Diversity and representation are also very important to the London-based star. As someone who counts the likes of Regina King and Issa Rae as entertainers that she looks up to, she has spoken often about her hope to continue the path that they set forth through her work. "I'm looking up to [King], and I think, 'Oh, yeah, I can do that one day,'" she told Bustle in 2021. "I feel like we're getting there in the industry, but it's just happening so slowly. It's important to feel like you're being represented, to be seen and to be represented on screen."