Phil Dunster Reveals Why He Was Spotted on ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 4 Set
What To Know
- On Today, Phil Dunster addressed rumors about whether or not he will be on Ted Lasso Season 4.
- Dunster explained that he was on set because his wife, Eleanor Heydon, served as a director on the Apple TV show’s upcoming season.
- Dunster neither confirmed nor denied whether Jamie Tartt will return to Ted Lasso, but expressed he would love to reprise the role.
One original Ted Lasso cast member is clarifying rumors about their potential return for Season 4.
When Season 4 of the hit Apple TV show was announced last March, it was confirmed that Jason Sudeikis, Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Jeremy Swift would be reprising their roles. At the time, Deadline reported that Phil Dunster was not expected to return as football star Jamie Tartt due to a scheduling conflict with another show. However, the outlet noted that Dunster could return “in some limited capacity.”
Dunster fueled rumors of Jamie’s Ted Lasso return after he was spotted walking around the show’s Richmond set in September 2025. While the actor has not confirmed whether or not he will be in Ted Lasso Season 4, he offered an explanation for his on-set appearance on the third hour of Today‘s Thursday, March 5, episode.
“My wife [Eleanor Heydon] directed on this season, which I’m incredibly excited about,” he told Today‘s Al Roker, also confirming that he and his girlfriend tied the knot. “And so, I got to be a party to what was going on. I got sneak peeks.”
“You were Lasso-adjacent,” Roker noted, to which Dunster agreed, stating, “Exactly. Yes, exactly. Lasso-adjacent.”
Apple TV+
When asked whether his character will appear in Season 4, Dunster neither confirmed nor denied whether Season 3 marked the last time fans will see Jamie onscreen. “I don’t know, man. I don’t know. You’d have to ask Jason,” he stated.
As for whether he would want to return? “Oh, absolutely. I love that show,” Dunster said. “I love being a part of it, and I love that it’s in the world. I think it’s a great thing to have in the world. I’m such a fan of it.”
Dunster played the arrogant athlete-turned-lovable teammate Jamie on the first three seasons of Ted Lasso and earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series in 2023.
Dunster appeared on the third hour of Today alongside his costars from the new Apple TV series Rooster. On the show, Dunster plays, as Roker put it, “somebody that you want to hate but you can’t,” similar to Jamie in the earlier seasons of Ted Lasso. “How do you do that, ‘cause that’s a real balance,” the host asked.
Dunster stated that Rooster creators Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses were “very, very good” at making “complex” characters. He added, “I don’t really know why I keep getting cast as these really punchable people. It’s quite concerning.”
Rooster star Steve Carell praised Dunster’s performance, stating, “I watched a bunch of the episodes with my wife, Nancy. And at the end of them, regarding Phil’s character, she said, ‘Oh, I hate him, but I love him so much.’”
Ted Lasso, Season 4, Premiere, Summer 2026, Apple TV
Rooster, Series Premiere, Sunday, March 8, 10/9c, HBO and HBO Max
Third Hour of Today, Weekdays, 9a/8c, NBC
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