Speaking of the 'Maleficent' actress' casting as Keeley Jones, the AppleTV comedy's co-creator praises her for 'being open and curious and messy in all the beautiful ways a human can be.'
- Jul 16, 2021
AceShowbiz - Jason Sudeikis cast Juno Temple in "Ted Lasso" after meeting her at a karaoke bar.
Juno previously worked with his former fiancee, Olivia Wilde, on the short-lived series "Vinyl" and when it came to casting influencer Keeley Jones in the AppleTV comedy, Jason recalled a fun night out he and Olivia had shared with the actress.
"There was something specific about this character that wasn't about hitting a joke; it was about a vibe," he tells Variety. "You can learn a lot about someone by the way they do karaoke."
"Juno's such a good actor, listener and spirit. She's open and curious and messy in all the beautiful ways a human can be."
The actress was thrilled to learn Sudeikis had her in mind for the role, adding, "I was truly quite overwhelmed that he thought of me for it. That speaks volumes to me, that he believed that I could play a character that people would think was just one thing and then would really surprise you. I think that is one of the greatest things that I've experienced in my career thus far."
And Brett Goldstein, who plays Juno's onscreen soccer star love interest and also helps write episodes of "Ted Lasso", knew very quickly that the "Maleficent" actress was the perfect choice.
"I knew she was f**king amazing," he gushes. "I hadn't seen her in a funny thing. I just knew her for really intense performances in serious, dark dramas... and I remember thinking, 'F**k, I'm going to have to raise my game.' "
