Amidst all the comedic antics in Ted Lasso, the English football-focused series depicts a budding romance between veteran athlete Roy Kent and the club's branding and social media expert Keeley Jones. Portrayed by Brett Goldstein and Juno Temple, respectively, the two characters took their flirtatious dynamic to a new level by the end of Season 1 -- deciding to start a serious romantic relationship. As the two characters face professional and personal changes moving into Season 2, the duo is ready to take their relationship to the next level.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Temple and Goldstein discussed the joys of working together -- especially after being separated due to the COVID-19 pandemic -- and relishing the opportunity to develop their characters further in the hit Apple TV+ original series.
You guys get to build upon the chemistry that you established in Season 1. How was it developing that rapport as scene partners going into Season 2?
Juno Temple: I thoroughly enjoyed it, I had a blast! I very much love having an on-camera relationship with Mister Goldstein.
Brett Goldstein: It's a real, real treat. I'll tell you something that I was thinking about and I don't know if you remember this, Juno. Between Season 1 and 2, there was a pandemic. She was in America and I was here and we hadn't seen each other for a long time -- ten months, maybe a year -- before Season 2. Whatever it is between us, and I don't like to analyze it because I don't want to ruin it, but it always feels special when we work together. We had our first scene together where we're getting ice cream with Phoebe and it was our first time acting together and we hadn't seen each other in a year. We had been in lockdown and there were less and less people around and we were doing this thing and it was a bit overwhelming.
Before we did our first take, Juno grabbed my hand and said, "Hey." We locked eyes, and we locked in and we were like, "Okay." We were back in. I don't know if you remember.
Temple: Very much so, absolutely I do! It is such a joy for us because we very much talk about what we want for these characters in each scene and how we want this relationship to be. We're not shy about really diving in there together. I think that's why we're very invested. It's such a joy to play this relationship together because, in an alternate universe, we're practically living through them.
With the cast and crew being so receptive to changes and suggestions, what were some things you wanted to develop for your characters in Season 2 that might not have necessarily been there in Season 1?
Temple: I don't know if there was stuff in Season 1 that was lacking, it's just that in Season 2, I get to explore it more. That's a delight... A new job on the horizon, further with a new, brilliant friendship with an inspirational, powerful dream of a woman in Rebecca -- played by Hannah Waddingham -- and then to develop a romance with Roy and Keeley? It's a gift to have a character going through all these journeys that we get to continue the thread of.
Goldstein: I agree with everything Juno says. I think everyone in this cast really loves playing their characters. We're all just so fucking happy!
How do you maintain making Roy a bit rough without veering into Jason Statham-esque levels of self-parody?
Goldstein: I was thinking about this and I do have the answer. Have you seen Avengers: Endgame? The secret of the Incredible Hulk is the same secret for me as Roy -- I'm always angry! It's not hard to do, the hard part is normal life suppressing it all. That's the truth of it.
Starring Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brendan Hunt, Brett Goldstein, Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Jeremy Swift and Juno Temple, Season 2 of Ted Lasso premieres July 23 on Apple TV+, with subsequent episodes debuting weekly.