This Amazing ‘Ted Lasso’ Soccer Moment Actually Happened for Real
Most of the memorable scenes in Ted Lasso are heartwarming moments. The jokes, the actual soccer matches, it’s all there to serve the relationships between the characters. And yet, the Apple TV+ hit series puts a great amount of effort into making sure everything around the fantastic cast is lavishly filmed and believable. The athletic feats on display were notably kicked up a notch in Season 2, and the cast wasn’t shy about praising the visual effects work that went into the series. But one of the most amazing moments in the entire season actually happened for real.
Much of the ‘Ted Lasso’ cast has previous soccer experience
It takes a lot of coordination to shoot those soccer scenes in Ted Lasso. The show is, at its core, a workplace comedy that happens to involve sports. And yet, to get the look of professional athletes without fielding a real team takes considerable effort.
Season 2 was a big undertaking in this sense. The players were supposed to be better. There were more supporting characters with storylines in search of big moments. This charming comedy suddenly needed a lot of complex shots that were filmed more like action scenes.
The Wrap reports that casting athletic actors with extensive soccer experience was paramount. Moe Jeudy-Lamour, who plays goalie Thierry Zorreaux, has collegiate-level soccer experience. Cristo Fernández, who plays alternate ace player Dani Rojas, was a professional in lower-level Mexican divisions before he became an actor.
‘Ted Lasso’ relies on visual effects but one incredible feat happened for real
To get very specific scenes just right, these skilled Ted Lasso actors still need some extra help. Those big soccer crowds are filled out with digital extras. The ball is also sometimes added in post to make sure it goes exactly where it needs to. But it isn’t all fake, according to a cast interview for Variety posted to their YouTube channel.
“Phil [Dunster] in Season 2 scored that insane free kick from like, the halfway line, and it just went in and happened in real life,” Toheeb Jimoh recalled. “And we were screaming! Like that shot all of us like, running and like, mobbing him? None of us were acting.”
Phil is played by Jamie Tartt, who took “four or five” attempts at the improbable shot, thinking he’d have to give up. Then he switched up his approach to the kick and landed the shot. Interestingly, he is one of the actors with the least amount of soccer experience before joining the show.
‘Ted Lasso’ is on the path to ending on a strong note, but spin-offs could be in the future
Season 3 is set to be the end of “Ted Lasso.” While Apple would likely be happy to see their well-regarded, most popular show continue, they seem dedicated to a creator-friendly approach, according to Variety. Showrunner Bill Lawrence thinks this is the natural endpoint of the story, so it’s time to go out on a high note.
Luckily for fans — and Apple TV+ — the end of Ted Lasso probably isn’t definitive for this cast and crew. Jason Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence have said before that they won’t rule out spinoffs. They’ll take some time off, and if a good idea comes to them, we might see a new show built around a different character from the Ted Lasso world.
