I’d be willing to bet that the first character that comes to many people’s minds when I say Hannah Waddingham is Rebecca Welton from Ted Lasso. However, before she landed a lead role in one of Apple TV+’s best shows, she was best known for her small but impactful role in Game of Thrones cast as Septa Unella. Now, the two worlds are colliding as the actress explained how the fantasy series’ creators helped her land the gig as AFC Richmond’s owner.
When Waddingham was in the process of auditioning to join the Ted Lasso cast, her old bosses gave her a helping hand. While she was only in Game of Thrones for eight episodes, the “shame nun,” as she called her character, is hard to forget, and she was part of a major moment in the show’s history. So, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who co-created the fantasy series, vouched for her when she was in talks for the Apple TV + comedy. She explained to Today:
It was almost like them allowing me in made everyone else prick up a bit.
The actress went on to reveal the subject line of the email GOT’s creator sent, and how they wanted her to have fun, play, and really dive into the world of comedy. She said:
I got David Benioff and Dan Weiss to write an email to the powers that be. The subject was, 'What are we even discussing here?' It was such a beautiful, quiet, genuine endorsement of, 'Let the girl play.'
In hindsight, it's as clear as day that the point they made was great. It feels like there’s no one else who could have played Rebecca, and Waddingham got to showcase her range as a performer beautifully on the show. Even Ted Lasso himself, Jason Sudeikis, knew she was the one immediately, as Waddingham recalled what he said to her:
I saw Rebecca first. And then I had to get to know Hannah.
So, let’s all say thank you to Benioff and Weiss for casting her in the first place and helping “everyone else prick up a bit” and notice Waddingham.
However, her time on Game of Thrones was no picnic, as she explained that it was a very intense show to film. So, intense that she ended up with “chronic claustrophobia” because of it. While obviously working in conditions like that was hard, Waddingham speaks highly of her time on GOT, and her bosses clearly loved her too.
Now, even more people adore Waddingham and know just how insanely talented she is because of Ted Lasso, and guess what? She might be coming back. Word on the street is Ted Lasso could come back for a fourth season with the Rebecca actress and her OG co-stars Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift allegedly in talks to star. Along with that, rumors are going around that Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Juno Temple could also return to their roles as Ted, Coach Beard and Keeley.
So, we may see Hannah Waddingham back in this career-defining role again! However, while we wait to see if she returns as Rebecca, I’ll be streaming Ted Lasso with an Apple TV+ subscription and sitting in awe of the talents the Game of Thrones creators made sure her next bosses knew about.
