Phil Dunster (‘Ted Lasso’): ‘We don’t mind if he’s still a bit of a dick’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“So long as we see him try to be better, we don’t mind if he’s still a bit of a dick,” admits Phil Dunster about playing Jamie Tartt on the third season of “Ted Lasso.” For our recent webchat he continues, “We all have that friend that’s you know is an arse but once you get to know him he’s your arse. Jamie’s acting less from a place of pride now, he’s sharing his narcissism with others in a way that feels more fun.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
The show tells the story of an optimistic American, Ted (Jason Sudeikis), coaching a struggling soccer team in the English Premiere League In the third season, the team have to defy the grim expectations. Dunster plays talented and confident footballer Jamie Tart. Over the course of the three seasons, Jamie has become more humble and team focused.
Reflecting on Jamie’s character arc, Dunster adds, “It feels non-linear. He is someone who is in possession of lessons as to how to be better. But his nature is to act from places of pride or supposed indifference to people. He’s not somebody who just suddenly does better. Hopefully as an audience member we either relate to that or think that’s’ believable.”
Perhaps the most endearing relationship on “Ted Lasso” this season has been between Jamie and Roy Kent, played by Brett Goldstein. Jamie has sought out his former foil to help train him into a better player. And Jamie returns the favor by teaching Roy to ride a bike. Dunster explains, “There is an honesty. They share a straightforward directness to communication. They don’t really need to like each other, but they get so much from each other. Roy has these expertise and Jamie has this ambition. That’s all that matters between the two of them. This is the first time we are seeing Jamie really enjoying being taught, and we see Jamie start to teach Roy a little bit.”
The actor says, “’Ted Lasso’ has been really cool for my sense of knowing how to tell a story from more than just being an actor. How that is imparted in the editing and the way they shot it. And there’s so much that happens before I turn up. From a creative perspective, you can have just as much involvement without being in front of the camera. So, I have pretenses to slightly less vanity perhaps.”
PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions