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TV

‘Ted Lasso’ alum Hannah Waddingham was told she’d ‘never work’ on TV: Your face ‘had a stroke’

By
Jack Hobbs
Published Jan. 17, 2024, 12:05 p.m. ET

Red card!

“Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham’s former teacher said she would never have a career on TV — due to her physical appearance.

“I had one drama teacher that said to the whole class: ‘Oh Hannah will never work on-screen because she looks like one side of her face has had a stroke,’ ” Waddingham, 49, told Michelle Visage on her BBC podcast “Rule Breakers.”

“I thought, ‘I will do. Come hell or high water, I will work on-screen,’ ” she told Visage, 55, who had asked Waddingham to name the biggest rule she had ever broken.

The British actress said the harsh words “gave me a complex for years.”

According to Waddingham, who won an Emmy award for her role as AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Welton in the Apple TV+ series in 2021, she used her teacher’s words as an inspiration in her acceptance speech.

“In my Emmys speech, I made a point — the one thing I said to myself [was] if this weird moment comes and I get this award, and I get my foot in this door, I’m going to rip it off its hinges for music theater people, or theater people, to follow,” Waddingham said.

“I had one drama teacher that said to the whole class: ‘Oh Hannah will never work on screen because she looks like one side of her face has had a stroke,'” Waddingham, 49, told Michelle Visage on her BBC podcast "Rule Breakers."
“I had one drama teacher that said to the whole class: ‘Oh Hannah will never work on-screen because she looks like one side of her face has had a stroke,’ ” Waddingham, 49, told Michelle Visage on her BBC podcast “Rule Breakers.” David Fisher/Shutterstock
"I thought, I will do. Come hell or high water, I will work on screen,” she told Visage, 55, who had asked Waddingham what was the biggest rule she had ever broken.
“I thought, ‘I will do. Come hell or high water, I will work on-screen,’ ” she told Visage, 55, who had asked Waddingham what was the biggest rule she had ever broken. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

According to the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” judge, her longtime friend did the right thing.

“You could go either one of two ways with that,” said Visage. “You could either break down and hate your life and be depressed, or you could rise up and do what you did and accept ‘Oh I actually, I’m gonna show you.’ “

“But that says more about that teacher saying that to a child with stars in their eyes,” Visage added.

According to Waddingham, who won an Emmy award for her role in the Apple TV+ series in 2021, she used her teacher's words as an influence in her acceptance speech.
According to Waddingham, who won an Emmy award for her role in the Apple TV+ series in 2021, she used her teacher’s words as an inspiration for her acceptance speech. Courtesy of Apple

“I would say that was my biggest rule break ever — to go, ‘You know what? I’m just going to see,’ ” Waddingham stated.

The “Hocus Pocus 2” star would go on to appear in London stage musicals including “Spamalot,” “Into the Woods” and “The Wizard of Oz,” and receive three Olivier Award nominations.

“I used to knacker myself senseless,” Waddingham went on. “I used to be doing a [theater] show at night, and I used to literally take anything to get myself on-screen.”

Waddingham (right) revealed that she put in a ton of work and effort in order to prove her wrong.
Waddingham (right) revealed that she put in a ton of work and effort in order to prove her teacher wrong. Colin Hutton/Apple TV via AP

“It got to the point where I realized I was only getting one scene in this, or one ep[isode] in that. And I went, ‘Do you know what? I think I’ve done enough . . . This isn’t cool anymore. Why should I be constantly feeding into someone else’s storyline?’ ” she said.

“So I said to my agents at the time, ‘I’m not doing it anymore . . . If it’s one scene, I’m not doing it anymore, and you shouldn’t be putting me up for it, because it’s insulting,’ ” Waddingham continued. “I’ve been a leading lady for 22 years. I’m not doing it anymore. I’d rather be in a world where I’m appreciated.’”

Waddingham “fully stepped back” from acting at one point, before landing the role of Septa Unella on “Game of Thrones,” which she played in seasons 5 and 6.

Waddingham has been keeping busy since “Ted Lasso” ended with Season 3 last year. Up next, she’s set to star in and executive produce a new eight-episode comedy Prime Video series from creator Tessa Coates alongside Octavia Spencer.