Hannah Waddingham: ‘Ted Lasso’ Cast Has a ‘No Arsehole’ Policy
Didn't another movie director also have that policy? Am I misremembering?
CelebritiesMisc. Goss
Folks, flip your Days Since Don’t Worry Darling Drama signs back to zero. I come bearing a nugget of drama, a morsel of news, a bit of fun: In a profile with the Zoe Report, Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham dropped those magic words that made my gossip ears perk up: “a no arsehole policy.”
Waddingham—who won an Emmy for her role as AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton—has been nothing but effusive about her time on Ted Lasso. “I’m in a job that I will struggle to beat,” Waddingham told the Zoe Report. “When I say there’s not an arsehole in [the cast], that is true. It’s a very happy camp. They have a ‘no arseholes’ policy, apparently.”
You’re telling me that Jason Sudekis’ signature show has a “no asshole” policy??? Where did I hear of that before? Was it Shonda Rhimes, referring to Katherine Heigl? From the Hollywood Reporter (emphasis ours):
Although [Rhimes’] perfectionist tendencies coupled with Scandal’s breakneck story pace can wreak havoc on deadlines — “We’re always behind,” she admits — the operation runs smoothly and the cast is tight-knit. “There are no Heigls in this situation,” she says, choosing her words carefully. She adds later of her “no assholes” policy: “I don’t put up with bullshit or nasty people. I don’t have time for it.”
Olivia Wilde famously has a “zero assholes” rule on her sets. That’s why Harry Styles is pretending that his inability to hold an American accent in the metaverse is an Acting Choice, after they cast him over Shia LaBeouf. Waddingham may not have been explicitly trying to wade into the Don’t Worry Darling drama, but her choice of words sure is intriguing.
I personally think it’s great that Sudeikis was able to take this adage from his relationship with Wilde, which seems to have gone quite sour after he served her court papers while she was promoting Don’t Worry Darling on stage. It’s a great example of how we never really know what’s going on in other people’s love lives; but at least we can evaluate their hiring practices.