Yahoo News Hannah Waddingham On The ‘Ted Lasso’ Episode That “Rocked” Her — Contenders TV: The Nominees
The Ted Lasso episode “No Weddings and a Funeral” is nominated for Outstanding Writing and Directing Emmys specifically this season. It takes place at the funeral of Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) father and offers Emmy nominee Waddingham a bravura vehicle.
Waddingham described the monumental episode during a panel for the Apple TV+ series at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees awards-season event, beginning with Dame Harriet Walter playing her mother.
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“Even though I had been in this show for a year and set up who Rebecca was and was quite comfortable in that, it rocked me to have her come in because I think so highly of her,” Waddingham said. “She and I had just a tunnel through to each other.”
Waddingham also considered the funeral episode monumental because it revealed why Rebecca has difficulties in relationships with men: It stems from her father. “All that toxic relationship we have going on there, she’s carried of course into every relationship she’s had with men, including the relationship she has with Ted Lasso, including the one she has with Nate,” Waddingham said. “I felt the weight of bringing that to the camera in one episode and I wanted to get it right.”
Waddingham expresses Rebecca’s most vulnerable moment in song. “No part of Rebecca feels like she’s singing,” Waddingham said. “It’s just falling out of her face.”
Jane Becker wrote and M.J. Delaney directed “No Weddings and a Funeral.” Becker also related to Rebecca’s family struggles, but credits series star and executive producer Jason Sudeikis for the moment in which the show intercuts Ted (Sudeikis) and Rebecca both discussing their parents. “That’s all Jason 100% since the beginning,” Becker said. “He kept calling it this DNA strand scene where their own story would connect at this one moment.”
Delaney found herself triggered by a newborn baby in the scene. “I had a 3-month-old child and every time that baby cried, I would have to take my cans [headphones] off because I’d start lactating at the monitor,” she said.
Check back Monday for the panel video.
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