Hannah Waddingham Addresses Wicked Rumors, Ted Lasso Return, and New Series Ride or Die

The Story

Hannah Waddingham, known for her role as Rebecca Welton on “Ted Lasso,” denied rumors that she tested for the role of Madame Morrible in the film adaptation of “Wicked.” She said she talked to Cynthia Erivo about the role but discovered Michelle Yeoh already had it. Waddingham credited critics for boosting her early career after a musical closed early, leading Andrew Lloyd Webber to cast her in “The Beautiful Game.” She dropped out of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts to join an improv dinner show at London’s Café Royal. Waddingham confirmed she suspected “Ted Lasso” would return after Season 3, calling its ending a cliffhanger, and said Season 4 involved last-minute script changes by co-creator Jason Sudeikis. She stars opposite Octavia Spencer in the upcoming Prime Video series “Ride or Die,” which premieres July 15, and said she did almost 80% of her own stunts. Waddingham stated she would never allow her performances to be manipulated by artificial intelligence.

Key Facts

• Waddingham denied testing for the Madame Morrible role in “Wicked,” saying she talked to Cynthia Erivo but Michelle Yeoh had already been cast.
• Her early career took off after a critic singled out her performance in a musical that closed early; Andrew Lloyd Webber then cast her in “The Beautiful Game.”
• She dropped out of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts after two years to join an improv dinner show in London’s Café Royal.
• Waddingham said she suspected “Ted Lasso” would return because Season 3 ended on a cliffhanger, and described working with Jason Sudeikis as involving last-minute changes.
• She stars in “Ride or Die,” an eight-episode comedy series on Prime Video premiering July 15, alongside Octavia Spencer.
• Waddingham said she did almost 80% of her own stunts for the series.
• She stated she would never allow her performances to be manipulated by AI: “No actor should allow that to happen. End of story.”
• She said she guards her privacy fiercely and wants the focus to be on her work, not personal opinions.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

• Which specific musical film role Waddingham is holding out for; she said she is keeping it secret.
• What the “million things” are that she is juggling alongside “Ted Lasso,” aside from being a single parent to an 11-year-old daughter.

Misconceptions

The article addresses the misconception that Waddingham tested for the role of Madame Morrible in “Wicked.” She explicitly denied it, stating: “No, I didn’t! This is the funniest thing. We can put this to bed once and for all.”

Key Figures

• Hannah Waddingham
• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Ben Elton
• Cynthia Erivo
• Michelle Yeoh
• Jason Sudeikis
• Brett Goldstein
• Octavia Spencer
• Tessa Coates
• Tom Cruise
• Elaine Page (mentioned in a quote)
• Glenn Close (mentioned in a quote)

Sources: Variety