Hannah Waddingham’s ‘Ted Lasso’ character helped her heal from past ‘controlling, verbally abusive relationship’

Jason Sudeikis has more or less become synonymous with his titular Ted Lasso character, but the line between fiction and reality is also a little blurry for Hannah Waddingham—in a less obvious but very powerful way.

"The greatest thing about this job is that it has allowed me great catharsis from a controlling, verbally abusive relationship that I'd had [in real life], that people looking at me wouldn't think that I'd experienced," Hannah Waddingham, who plays AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton, told Entertainment Weekly for its The Awardist podcast.

"So when it got to those scenes in the gala, when [Rupert] is saying, 'Very brave choice' with the dress, I've had that in the past," she continued. "And also the bit outside the gala when Ted comes to find her ... There's the bit about '[Rupert said], 'Eat this, wear that, and I listened,' that monologue that Jason was tweaking up until the last minute, informed me more than anything else about where I needed to take Rebecca."

Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head) is Rebecca's controlling ex-husband. When she takes over AFC Richmond, her intention behind hiring Ted (Sudeikis) is solely resentful. Ted Lasso is an unassuming American football coach with no knowledge of English football. For most of the first season, Rebecca is secretly setting Ted up for failure—and by extension, hoping to tank Rupert's beloved former team.

The scene Waddingham is referring to comes in the fourth episode when AFC Richmond holds their annual fundraising gala for underprivileged children. Rebecca is nervous about giving the speech because "Rupert was always very good at the public speaking part." Rupert crashes the party mid-speech to one-up her and, later, manipulatively insults her. Eventually, Ted finds Rebecca crying alone outside.

"I used to think his blunt honesty was noble, rather than what it really is, which is just the cruelest way of hiding his own insecurities," she tells Ted, and he hugs her. "He'd say, 'Wear this, eat that,' and I listened. But now I'm alone. I'm alone, Ted, just like he said I would be if I left. I don't want to be alone."

Waddingham has found empowerment through Rebecca in many other ways, too, as she discussed in Variety's new cover story alongside co-star Juno Temple: