Brett Goldstein Compares ‘Ted Lasso’ to ‘The Simpsons’ After Influx of New Characters
One of the many keys to the massive success of “Ted Lasso” is undeniably Brett Goldstein, whose portrayal of lovable curmudgeon Roy Kent is the perfect foil to Jason Sudeikis’ endlessly positive head coach. Goldstein is also a major creative force behind the scenes, serving as a writer and co-producer on the show. That means he’s uniquely qualified to talk about a moment many fans are dreading: the show’s ending, which the stars say will likely come in Season 3. In a new interview with The Playlist, Goldstein opened up about the way the show is working towards its finale and the way he collaborates with Jason Sudeikis to craft the story.
“It’s hard to say because I forget how these things happen,” Goldstein said. “As in, because it’s such a long and gradual process, I think what kind of happens is Jason has almost flags in the sand of the journey. I know this happens, I know this happens, I know this happens. So let’s say there are three things in a season for each character or whatever, and then it becomes, ‘How do we get to this point and that point and this point?’ So, the sort of points I think are fixed, but I didn’t know all the points going in. At the beginning of the season, it’s quite complicated because I don’t have a simple answer. There was a general three-arc structure in terms of I always knew what the ending was from the beginning, but things are different. It’s a fucking tapestry.”
He also spoke about the way the cast as grown over the years, as Ted’s world has gradually become filled with an eclectic cast of supporting characters who support him at just about every turn. He said that the writers didn’t always plan to have such a large cast, but are grateful to have had so many characters emerge from the woodwork. Goldstein thinks the comedic depth that the supporting cast adds makes “Ted Lasso” comparable to “The Simpsons.”
“And also, the show’s like Springfield, there are so many characters in it now,” he said. “And so many characters that I’m sure weren’t thought of on day one, that was a guest star that we put in a thing but then they turned out to be brilliant so now they’re in it more. Do you know what I mean? There are many, many detours that this thing takes that have grown and been enriched by the cast and whatever. But the big, big, the big arcs are these big arcs, as they’ve always been.”