Hannah Waddingham on Fame, Sexism, and Returning to Ted Lasso at 51

Hannah Waddingham, now 51, reflects on her unexpected late-career fame following her role as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso. The actor, who spent 25 years in musical theatre and small TV roles, won an Emmy in 2021 for outstanding supporting actress. She discusses the return of Ted Lasso for a fourth season, now centered on a women's football team, and her new series Ride or Die with Octavia Spencer, where she performs 75-80% of her own stunts as an undercover assassin. Waddingham also addresses public perceptions of her as 'camp,' calling it reductive, and recounts calling out a paparazzo at the 2024 Olivier Awards for asking her to 'show leg.' She emphasizes the importance of good manners and standing up for herself, inspired by her late mother, opera singer Melodie Kelly. Waddingham continues to balance work with single motherhood, taking her 11-year-old daughter to sets in Prague and carrying a cardboard clutch made by her child to the SAG Awards. She remains proud of her theatre roots and plans to return to stage when her daughter is ready.