Phil Dunster had an ace of a day on July 12. Not only did he score his first Emmy nomination — a best supporting actor nod for his work as cocky-turned-compassionate footballer Jamie Tartt on Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso — but the 31-year-old also toasted his good fortune by watching Grand Slam action at the All England Club.
“I’m looking over the courts now,” Dunster says as he surveys the scene during the men’s and women’s quarterfinal matches at Wimbledon as his brain volleys back and forth in an attempt to process the news on the eve of the SAG-AFTRA strike, which was called two days after this chat. “It’s an amazing day — and also quite a confusing day in the land of all things acting and the industry.”
The third season of Ted Lasso tracked Tartt’s journey from selfish, self-centered star of the team to a locker room leader unafraid of showing vulnerability and genuine emotion (not to mention a surprise bromance of sorts with Brett Goldstein’s Roy Kent). Amid reports that an Emmy nomination might be in the cards for Dunster, he says he did his best to tune out the chatter.
“It’s a special thing to be a part of a show that has seen so much love through the three seasons. I know it’s a cliché, but I’m just happy to be involved with the people who make it. It’s an incredible honor,” he explains. “I try to focus on just doing the job and telling the best story.”
In doing so, Dunster said he looked to his colleagues for inspiration, particularly star, co-creator, executive producer and Emmy champ Jason Sudeikis. “With Jason, this show lives in his bones and he knows what the arcs of the characters are and how to pace them,” says Dunster. “I may have the idea in my head before we start a scene, but then you rely on your scene partners, like Brett, someone I had a lot of scenes with this season. Or [Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple], who are incredible. I just try to play whatever is in the scene and not overthink it, or play it like it’s going to be one of the most impactful moments. You’ve got to be conscious of the pacing.”
Dunster admits there were times when maybe he “put my foot on the gas a bit too hard.” That’s when feedback from his peers played a big part in trying to hit the right notes. Asked for his favorite scene of the season, Dunster pointed to one featuring Goldstein. “The bike scene with Brett in Amsterdam was a really lovely, fun, silly scene,” he says, referencing episode six, which finds the pair on a late night excursion thanks to a coach’s mandate of a curfew-free night in the city. “We were sort of trusted to mess about and improv, and that became a really lovely thing.”
The series scored 21 overall Emmy nominations for its third (and possibly final) season, with Dunster recognized alongside fellow castmates Sudeikis, Goldstein, Waddingham and Temple, plus guest stars Harriet Walter, Sarah Niles, Becky Ann Baker and Sam Richardson. With his front-row view of the race these past couple of seasons, Dunster says, he’s learned one very important lesson. “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid,” he says with a laugh. “And make sure you see your friends that you had before.”
Though he’s got a friend in stylist Warren Alfie Baker, who has been dressing him for red carpets and events during the show’s standout run, Dunster says it’s still too early to say what his ensemble will be come Emmy night (now set for Jan. 15). “Hopefully I’ll be wearing some clothes,” he suggests, nodding to Tartt’s cheeky nude scene this season. “Warren is a genius, so I’ll do whatever he says.”
But with Wimbledon, he offers a much more definitive prediction: “I think Carlos Alcaraz will win it all. He’s just so powerful.” He was right.
This story first appeared in the Aug. 16 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
