Hannah Waddingham, the British actor known for her role as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, recently discussed her career trajectory, personal values, and upcoming projects in an interview. The actor, who was born and raised in London, gained widespread recognition during the pandemic when Ted Lasso achieved global success, earning her an Emmy award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series in 2021. At the time, she was 47 years old and entering what many would consider her Hollywood era after years of work in theatre and television.
Waddingham has since appeared in major feature films including Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning alongside Tom Cruise and The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. She is currently promoting Ted Lasso’s return for a fourth season, which will center on a women’s football team. The actor also stars in the new Amazon Prime Video series Ride or Die, a comedy-drama caper in which she plays Judith, an undercover assassin and forensic accountant. She performed 75-80% of her own stunts for the role, which required her to spend five months in Prague with her 11-year-old daughter during filming.
During the interview, Waddingham addressed public perceptions of her career and personality. She expressed concern about being reduced to stereotypes, noting that while she has worked extensively in theatre and musical productions, there is more complexity to her professional identity. She reflected on an incident at the 2024 Olivier Awards when a photographer asked her to “show leg,” which she responded to by calling out the request as something that would not be made to a male attendee. Waddingham clarified that the photographer was someone she had respected for 20 years and that they subsequently reconciled after she expressed her concerns.
The actor emphasized the importance of good manners and using her platform to encourage respect for women. She grew up in a creative household, with her father working as a marketing director and special constable in the river police, and her mother serving as a professional opera singer with the English National Opera. Waddingham’s mother passed away two Christmases prior to this interview, and the actor has become more open about discussing her legacy and influence on her career. Waddingham has remained based in south-west London throughout her career and continues to prioritize family commitments alongside her work, describing her late success as rewarding after more than 25 years in the industry.