'Ted Lasso' Actresses On Inequality in Women's Soccer: "It's Patriarchy, Baby"

By placing a women's team at the center of its fourth season, Ted Lasso began to address inequalities that go far beyond the playing field. And, for some of the actresses in Lady Greyhounds, the players' need to constantly prove their worth finds parallels in the audiovisual industry itself.

In interviews with Omelete, Aisling Sharkey, Rex Hayes, Tanya Reynolds, Abbie Hern, Shannon Hayes, and Jude Mack discussed the similarities between the difficulties faced by women in both environments.

Sharkey, who plays Niamh, recalled a common situation in her profession.

“It’s like walking into an audition room and finding a panel made up entirely of men. That’s happened to me many times,” he said. “Perhaps less so among actors, but creators, directors, producers, and screenwriters are often men. That can be intimidating and make it seem like something unattainable.”

The actress also offered self-criticism on how this lack of representation can influence women who want to create their own projects. “Many times I don’t take action because I’m waiting for it to be perfect. Then I look at a friend of mine who never studied film in his life saying, ‘I think I’m going to make a short film,’ and he goes and makes that bad short film. But at least he’s doing it. And I think: now I’m also part of the problem because I’m holding back.”

Abbie Hern, who plays Gemma, also acknowledged the connection between the two worlds: “I think we are very underestimated. And that’s very present in women’s football, especially because the men’s game is so beloved,” she said. “Sometimes being underestimated can be a good motivation. If you can use that as fuel and prove your worth, like the players do, it can be incredible.”

Tanya Reynolds sees this pressure directly reflected in Alice Chilton, her character, who begins the season as the interim coach of Richmond before Ted's arrival. “I think this is an example of why Alice is so prickly, especially at the beginning. She feels she needs to prove her worth, particularly with these two guys who came in to take over,” she explained. “She feels she’s in a male-dominated space, even though she has every right to be there. But she feels she needs to prove that she should be.”

For Shannon Hayes, the discussion takes on yet another layer. “Being a woman, being a Black woman, there’s a lot of intersectionality. I think there’s a natural feeling, maybe even without me realizing it, of needing to prove something or of being the only person like you in a given space.”

The actress, however, emphasizes that she doesn't want that to define the characters in the series: “It’s important that we don’t just do that. I don’t want that to be the focus. I hope that all these characters are complete individuals and that it doesn’t seem like we’re just trying to make a point.”

Jude Mack, who plays Boots, considers the issue even broader than football and entertainment: “This cuts across all industries: women are less recognized, receive less pay, and are considered inferior to their male colleagues,” she stated. “It’s a global thing. It’s patriarchy, baby.”

According to Mack, this is precisely why the discussion presented by Ted Lasso can be understood even by those who don't follow football. "I think anyone watching can understand and identify with it, because it's something universal. Football or our industry are good examples, but I think it's a universal experience."

Showing the behind-the-scenes world of women's soccer, the fourth season of Ted Lasso is available on Apple TV.