ILLINOIS – Emmy Award-winning TV series “Ted Lasso” recently wrapped up its third season. Through the ups and downs, fans learn that one key character is fictionally from Illinois.
In the 10th episode of Season 3, Coach Beard talks with journalist-turned-book writer Trent Crimm and reveals a unique connection to the Land of Lincoln.
Near the end of that episode, the conversation goes…
Trent: “So where are you from originally?”
Beard: “None of your business.”
Trent: “Yeah, yeah. It is a bit personal.”
The two then see assistant coach Roy Kent loosen up with a tie-dye shirt, to which Coach Beard smirks and also opens up.
Beard: After a brief pause, “I’m from Peoria.”
Peoria is located along the Illinois River in central Illinois. The city was founded in 1845 and is home to more than 110,000 people. Peoria is well known for its contemporary design and its agricultural impact to Illinois.
Perhaps Coach Beard’s answer could be open to interpretation as Peoria, Arizona, but his actor’s roots hint that he’s likely from Illinois.
Coach Beard is portrayed by Brendan Hunt, who was born and raised in the Chicagoland. Hunt is also the co-creator of the Apple TV+ series. Many years before the series, he graduated from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois and completed the theater program.
Hunt joined the Rich Eisen Show last year to explain how some of his memories from Illinois State University inspired the Ted Lasso series.
“The clearest analog is actually a guy I worked with at this student auditorium,” said Hunt. “There’s a guy named Matt Hartley. To this day, to all my travels around the world, and through all the halls of comedy, [he’s] the most deadpan person I’ve ever met. He was an assistant to a rotating cast of bosses. He just stood in the back, and he waited, and said his peace, and off he went.”
Sound familiar? Hunt plays a similar supporting role as Coach Beard on “Ted Lasso” as AFC Richmond’s assistant coach. While the series’ namesake character, Ted Lasso, is the head coach, he shares a special relationship with Coach Beard and oftentimes lets him lead in soccer strategy throughout all three seasons.
Also of note, Ted is played by Jason Sudeikis, who earned some of his earliest acting opportunities in Chicago. Sudeikis and Hunt have also worked together in comedy movies like “We’re The Millers” and “Horrible Bosses 2.” The camaraderie and Midwest connections of both coaches likely alludes to an Illinois connection.
The popular series progresses in a way that leave fans wondering whether the third season might be the last one for Ted Lasso. There’s no clear answer, but Hunt recently offered this insight on the Dan Patrick Show.
“We don’t know for sure right now,” said Hunt. “We’ve always seen this as a three-suite movement, and here we are. … We’re definitely ending this story that we’ve started out to tell, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end-end. We’re going to finish this up, and take a little break. After about a year and a half or so, we’ll come back together and see what’s up.”
If you’re looking to watch Ted Lasso, you can now watch all three seasons in full on Apple TV+.