For all intents and purposes, Juno Temple’s Ted Lasso chapter came to a close following the show’s season 3 finale. She said goodbye to Keeley Jones and moved on to other projects, such as the animated buddy adventure Swapped and dystopian sci-fi comedy Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Then Jason Sudeikis turned back the page—he wasn’t quite done with the game-changing feel-good comedy.
When Ted Lasso arrives on Apple TV on August 5, don’t expect to see the men of AFC Richmond. Instead, the series will focus on the Lady Greyhounds, the football club’s new against-all-odds female team—a notable pivot given increased interest in women’s sports and the lead-up to next year’s Women’s World Cup. The season will introduce some fantastic fresh faces, including Tanya Reynolds and Faye Marsay, and fan favorites like Keeley, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), and Coach Lasso (Sudeikis) are all coming back.
“I was really nervous,” Temple says candidly of reopening the Ted Lasso chapter. “I was like, ‘What if I can’t do it anymore?'” It had been almost two years since she stepped into Keeley’s eight-inch stiletto heels. Nerves were to be expected.
Coming from a place of intense care rather than fear, those thoughts were quickly brushed away when Temple met up with costume designer Jacky Levy for a five-hour fitting. Suddenly, all the joy of Keeley Jones came rushing back to the actress. “We were all reminded of how much fun it is to create Keeley from the toes up to the top of her hat,” Temple says. “She’s like a weird surrealist yet classic painter with the way she presents herself in the wild, and that’s something that I really love about her.”
Temple hints at an unbelievable number of looks this season, including one standout moment consisting of a bubblegum-pink Alexander McQueen blazer that Levy sourced the night before at Selfridges and a special pair of pajamas featured later in the season that were designed by a friend. It’s not surprising to learn Elle Woods has been and continues to be a huge inspiration for Keeley as a similarly career-focused woman who embraces her favorite color as pink.
Piecing together Keeley’s “bonkers” wardrobe was a fresh reminder to Temple of how once-in-a-lifetime special the character is. “I don’t know if I will ever have an opportunity to inhabit someone like that again,” she says. What fun it is to embody someone who doesn’t say no to anything, whether it’s wearing an animal-print suit or launching their own PR film. We could all learn a little from Keeley’s determination and eternal optimism. While Temple and Keeley share a love of the color pink and being part of a team, Temple admits to wishing she could take more of Keeley’s attitude into her regular life. If she’s taught the actress anything, it’s to believe in herself in ways that she doesn’t always.
Temple’s on- and off-screen friendship with Waddingham, who plays AFC Richmond owner Rebecca, was just another perk of returning to the show. A beloved dynamic duo, Rebecca and Keeley showcase a beautiful portrayal of female friendship and how two women can lift each other up. “I love everything about her,” Temple says of Waddingham. “Sometimes, I wish I was genuinely taller so I could make better eye contact with her because those eyes are very beautiful.” Temple goes on to affectionately describe Waddingham as a nurturing mother figure and a force to work with, adding, “Being in front of that and having that around you and so alive is something that will forever be inspiring for me.”
As for Keeley and Roy’s “will-they, won’t-they” dynamic this season, Temple is keeping mum on any details for fear of slipping up and revealing too much. Instead, she leaves me only with this: “I’m excited for people to see where it goes and what happens, and I hope people enjoy it as much as we did.”
At a time when joy on our screens is a welcome distraction from the crazy world around us, the return of Ted Lasso feels fitting. What makes the show so great—genuine optimism, writing that delivers both wit and deeply emotional moments, and an underdog story—is all there. “People that I’ve spoken to so far say that it feels kind of like a throwback going back to season 1,” Temple says. “I’m not sure we could get a better compliment.”
Stream season 4 of Ted Lasso on Apple TV starting August 5.
Photographer: Tiffany Brodman
Stylist: Raquel Paiva
Hairstylist: Chris Naselli
Makeup Artist: Gita Bass
