Juno Temple Wasn't Sure Jason Sudeikis Had The Right Actress For Ted Lasso

Before "Ted Lasso," Juno Temple was known for dramas. The actress who is now instantly recognizable as model-turned-businesswoman Keeley Jones cut her teeth with roles in movies like "The Other Boleyn Girl," playing Viscountess Jane Boleyn, and the Oscar winner "Atonement," where she took on the role of the victimized teen at the center of a reputation-ruining scandal. Turns in "Magic Mike" and "The Dark Knight Rises" put her on the map, but also didn't particularly scream "comedic actress." So when Temple got the script for "Ted Lasso," she was apparently a little confused.

"I read [the Ted Lasso script] and I thought it was genius," Temple told Marie Claire in a 2021 interview. "But I genuinely thought [Sudeikis] may have thought I was somebody else. Because I'm definitely not known for comedy stuff." Sudeikis, already a friend of Temple's, reportedly texted her asking if she'd like to read the pilot script for the show, which he co-created with "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence, "We're The Millers" writer and Coach Beard actor Brendan Hunt, and former "Saturday Night Live" writer Joe Kelly.

Temple describes being convinced Sudeikis had the wrong person. "So when he said in the text, 'After you read, give me a call,' I was like, Well, this is going to be the moment where I'm going to be like, 'Jason, it's Juno here,'" she recalls. But the actor and comedian meant what he said, and the script turned out to be something special. "It was so nuanced in such a beautiful, intricate way that also wasn't preachy," Temple recalls. "It didn't feel corny to me. It felt very human."

In an interview with Variety, Sudeikis recalls first meeting Temple at karaoke. "You can learn a lot about someone by the way they do karaoke," Sudeikis shared. "Juno's such a good actor, listener and spirit." According to the outlet, when Temple's name ended up on a list of potential actors to play Keeley, the choice "felt obvious." While Temple tells Marie Claire she found it "nerve-wracking" to take on the part without an audition, Sudeikis was confident. As he put it to Variety, "She's open and curious and messy in all the beautiful ways a human can be."

She's also incredibly funny as Keeley, a character whose model beauty and confidence don't go hand in hand with a stereotypical coldness or stupidity, but instead serve as just two parts of a fully realized, lovably personality. Her co-stars agree: during his acceptance speech at the Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards, Roy Kent actor Brett Goldstein said, "If you want to know the secret [of] how to win a Best Supporting Actor award, it is...make sure most of your scenes are with Juno Temple." He continued, "Juno Temple is such a good actor, I just have to sort of stand near her, and you think I'm good."

So far, Temple's performance has landed her two Emmy nominations, and the show's third season is set to be a big one for her — and for Keeley. When audiences last saw her, Keeley had just made a big career leap, saying yes to a deal that would allow her to open her own public relations firm. Her relationship with footballer-turned-coach Roy, though, was already straining thanks to the pair's super-busy schedules. We'll see what's next for Keeley when "Ted Lasso" returns to Apple TV+ on March 15, 2023.