Led Tasso, Ted's Mean Alter Ego, Is The Most 'SNL' Ted Lasso Has Ever Gotten

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Led Tasso, Ted's Mean Alter Ego, Is The Most 'SNL' Ted Lasso Has Ever Gotten

The third episode of Ted Lasso Season 2, "Do The Right-est Thing" has Ted like you've never seen him before. But while no one has seen Ted as mean as Led Tasso, you've certainly seen Jason Sudeikis like that. Ted Lasso's Led Tasso alter ego is something straight out of Saturday Night Live. By comparing Led to his SNL days, I in no way mean to diminish Golden Globe-winner Sudeikis's performance as Ted. But hey, Ted Lasso did start out as a character for NBC Sports commercials, so Sudeikis can find inspiration anywhere when it comes to his beloved coach.

To get the team to unite and stop hating on Jamie Tartt, Ted turns into "Led Tasso" to motivate the team with meanness. How mean does he get? Uh, not that mean, unless you think being called a Tim Burton tree is a true low blow. But the team is still unnerved by this persona change.

Although he's played this kind of blowhard character plenty of times before on SNL, Sudeikis told TV Insider that playing Led was "pretty cathartic." (In an interview with GQ, Sudeikis noted that Ted is more personal to him than all those "a-holes" he's played.) I have some theories that the character Ted Lasso may be partially inspired by Sudeikis SNL characters like Vance, the background dancer of What Up With That? (infectious high energy and tracksuit? check and check); Central Cougars head coach Larry Stevens (he delivered a pretty wild press conference); or even DJ Tom of Bongo's Clown Room (aviators, mustache, and a dash of unwarranted optimism). But when it comes specifically to Ted's alter ego, here are the SNL characters that may have influenced Led Tasso.

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