WASHINGTON (AP) — A “Ted Lasso”-like scene played out at Monday’s White House news conference when actor Jason Sudeikis, who plays the show’s namesake football coach, answered a question from the fictional sports critic. Trent Crimm.
The light-hearted exchange came as several cast members appeared at the daily press briefing to discuss mental health, a popular topic on the hit AppleTV+ show.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter where you live, it doesn’t matter who you voted for,” Sudeikis said, everyone knows someone or has been that person who “has struggled, felt isolated, anxious, alone. And it’s actually one of the many things that, believe it or not, we all have in common as human beings.»
«The big thing on the show is to talk to your neighbor, your coworker, your friends, your family, and ask them how they’re doing and listen,» said the Emmy Award-winning comedian and actor. «We also need to know that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help ourselves and that takes a lot, especially when it’s something that has such a negative stigma, like mental health, and it doesn’t need to be that way.»
Sudeikis was joined on the podium by Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent; Hannah Waddingham, who plays Rebecca Welton; Toheeb Jimoh, who plays Sam Obisanya; and Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard. The third season of the show recently premiered on AppleTV+.
The cast members were scheduled to meet with the President and First Lady Jill Biden after their appearance in the briefing room.
After Sudeikis finished his comments on mental health, he called a «familiar face» among the White House press corps.
«Trent Crimm, fake journalist,» said James Lance, the actor who plays Crimm on the show. «How do you feel about Kansas City being one of the named host cities for the 2026 World Cup?»
«Here I was, waiting for a softball,» Sudeikis joked. «You know what? I’m very excited. To tell you the truth, Kansas City is going to be one of these teams. I mean, I love this city. What I’m really worried about is once we get all these people from all over the world.» world to come to Kansas City and see our city eat our food, meet our people, you’re going to have, you know, a lot of people who want to move.»
As the cast filed out of the room, a royal reporter asked Sudeikis if he could reprise his impersonation of President Joe Biden, which he played on NBC’s «Saturday Night Live.»
«They have the real one here now,» he said. «I need false teeth and, you know, injected with a lot more cheekiness to pull it off.»