In this bite-size interview, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the delightful actor and ‘Ted Lasso’ star, Phil Dunster, fresh off an Emmy nomination and Critics Choice nomination for his role as the egotistical, hotshot pro footballer Jamie Tart. During our conversation, Phil reflects on the unique experience of Ted Lasso, which unfolded as a ‘slower burn’, as he describes, during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to booking his fan-favorite role on Ted Lasso, Phil attended the British Old Vic Theatre School in England and soon earned roles in theater and independent films before landing recurring roles in television, including the action thriller Strike Back, Sky Atlantic’s Save Me, and the science fiction series Humans, as well as roles in major studio films Murder on the Orient Express and The Good Liar.
During our chat, Phil admitted he wasn’t entirely sure how or when he knew he wanted to be an actor, sharing that theatre took a large part in that realization. “I would go and see plays quite a lot and thought, ‘wow, that’s incredible what they’re doing, that we’re all [sitting] here, marveling at this world that’s been created, that we all know isn’t real, but we believe that it is.’ And me being a big show off, was like ‘that looks like something I’d want to do.’” he laughed.
In regards to the impact of Ted Lasso around the world, serving as a positive, charming and funny escape for people during the early days of the pandemic, Phil mentioned the Hulu series Normal People, which released in April 2020, just a few months before Ted Lasso premiered, noting “I remember thinking at the time, ‘that’s just a weird life they’re living’,” he said of the series’ stars Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones. “The show they’re a part of is a moment. It’s really powerful and has really connected with a lot of people. They’re doing these interviews and taking part in that ‘moment’, but are totally isolated. I certainly wasn’t as front and center as those two were, but I think that seeing that and having that relative response for Ted, it all happened in a bubble.”
He went on to share that Ted Lasso happening in that same sort of bubble took off some of the pressure he may have felt with other projects. “It helped thinking, ‘what other people think about it has got nothing to do with me’, and that’s something that I tried to remember when it comes to the perception of my own performance. I can only do what I can with the work I bring to a part. How people receive it isn’t up to me at all. I think that alleviates some of the pressure to be brilliant every time.”
Watch our full conversation above, and you can see Phil Dunster in Ted Lasso, streaming all 3 seasons on Apple TV+
