Original-Cin Q&A: Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham on Her Apple TV+ Special & Treading the Boards with her Co-Stars
Hannah Waddingham – the artist formerly known as team owner Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso - shows off her formidable talents in the new Apple TV+ holiday special, Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas.
The blonde beauty sings, dances and reunites with her beloved Ted Lasso cast mates (plus a few other surprises) for this feel-good variety special.
Our Bonnie Laufer spoke with Hannah Waddingham about the special and about reuniting with her friends.
Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas starts streaming on November 22nd on Apple TV+
Hannah Waddingham gets her close-up with her own, old-fashioned Christmas special.
ORIGINAL-CIN: Hannah, not going to lie. I had a smile on my face from beginning to end watching this gorgeous holiday special. You are clearly in your element. Is there anything you cannot do?
HANNAH WADDINGHAM: Oh, plenty. I can’t cook dinner for more than four people.
ORIGINAL-CIN: Oh, so when you invite me over and there's three of us, we’re good to go?
WADDINGHAM: Yes, You’ll be totally fine! ( laughs)
O-C: But seriously, this holiday special gave me the feels of an old fashioned variety show. The music, the dancing, the guest stars.
And you, being on that stage at the London Coliseum. I almost broke into tears when you introduced your parents and your daughter sitting there watching you. How did you keep your emotions in check?
WADDINGHAM: I nearly didn't. There's a moment when you just see me catch myself because the wheels could have really come off at that point.
Talking about my mum and her history with that place, talking about my daughter. It was a bit of a moment and I actually kept saying to myself, “We can cut!” But I managed to keep a lid on it and I'm so pleased with how it's turned out.
O-C: I’m sure they were beaming with pride. Plus, what a treat for us Ted Lasso fans. I’ve got to say that one of my favorite episodes of the whole series was the Christmas episode. So now we're getting a lot more from the guys. And can I just say two words here? Phil Dunster! Wow!!
WADDINGHAM: Right? Isn't he just a total dreamboat? I mean, physically, vocally, just gorgeous.
What made it even more lovely is that he’s very unassuming. He plays it up and is silly with it, but I could sense that he was nervous and wanting to do well. And that's such a charming thing about him.
I also loved that we managed to get him and two of my oldest dearest friends in the world, Scott Baker and Patrick Davey together for that segment. Our voices blended so well and It's very rare to have a quartet work so well. All of our voices blend so beautifully.
I'm really thrilled that at that point in the show it is clearly about friendship. It's not about who's famous or who's not famous. It's just four friends hanging out like it could be round your piano in a house.
O-C: I’m glad you mentioned the friendship aspect, because that was the feeling I got watching this. It's clear to me you all really do truly love each other.
Some people think it's B.S. that when people do a TV series together they outwardly present themselves as friends. With Ted Lasso, it’s 100 percent clear that you are all dear friends and would do just about anything for each other. Can you talk a little bit about that because it doesn't happen that often.
WADDINGHAM: No, I'd say it's hugely rare. We are all so far in each other's pockets and that's it for life, for sure.
I think we're all realizing now, as we move off onto other things and we've spent time apart, that we are like a drug to each other. All of us. It's very weird.
When we see each other it's palpable how hard we squeeze each other. We just love each other's bones. Pretty much the whole cast was totally down with being a part of this special. Coming to London in the boiling hot sunshine on the 27th of May and making this Christmas special was a testament to how much we all love each other.
O-C: So many great moments with the Ted Lasso, gang but I have to tell you I was a little jealous of you getting into a hot tub with Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso’s Roy Kent).
WADDINGHAM: Yeah. Yeah, it was awful. It was just awful and really traumatic. (Laughs) Being with Brett and also getting to sing with Leslie Odom Jr. and trying not to look like I'd won a competition, it was all so surreal.
O-C Recently a clip went viral where you joined forces with Jason Sudeikis to support his annual Thundergong! charity show. You sang Shallow (the Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga number from A Star Is Born) as a duet. Have you thought about doing a Broadway musical together?
WADDINGHAM: Oh my God. I think we would drive each other mental. (Laughs) We loved that, and it was almost a bit of an accident that we ended up singing that song because the song we were meant to sing didn’t work out, and everyone thinks it was like a planned thing.
The song we were meant to sing was too low for me, too high for him. The day before I said to the musical supervisor that I was a bit concerned. So I said, he knows Shallow, I know Shallow and that's how that came about.