Ted Lasso's Jamie Tartt Was A Completely Different Character Until Phil Dunster Auditioned

There are a lot of reasons why "Ted Lasso" became an overnight sensation on Apple TV when the first season premiered back in the summer of 2020. First and foremost, the world was in the fiercest throes of a devastating global pandemic, and a feel-good, optimistic comedy series that everyone could watch at home was the ideal emotional antidote. But the right tone at the right time wouldn't have been enough on its own. Like all of the most famous TV comedies, "Ted Lasso" gained a loyal following because of its strong characters and the chemistry of its ensemble, from co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis to supporting players like Brett Goldstein, Hannah Waddingham, and Juno Temple.

And of course, you can't discuss the characters of "Ted Lasso" without mentioning the king of bravado himself, Jamie Tartt, played with enormous ego and deft vulnerability by Phil Dunster. Jamie is such a core piece of the show, and his arc from detestable narcissist to supportive team player is such a big part of the story, that it might be surprising to hear the character as he appears on the series wasn't part of the original plan at all.

In his 2024 book about the creation of the series, "Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso," author Jeremy Egner revealed that the original plan was for the character of Dani Rojas, played by Cristo Fernández on the show, to be the star of A.F.C. Richmond from the start. However, a fantastic audition from Dunster altered those plans, putting Jamie at the center of the pitch at the start of the show and positioning Dani as the humble, team-oriented threat to his egotistical reign.

Jamie Tartt wouldn't be Jamie Tartt without that signature Mancunian twang, which is something that Phil Dunster brought to the character while auditioning. According to Egner's book, Dunster, who's originally from Northampton, tried out the accent after being prompted to put a different English sound to his tryout for the show.

"I remember talking afterward to Bill [Lawrence] and Jason [Sudeikis], like 'That was so bang on,'" series pilot director Tom Marshall recalled in an interview for "Believe." From there, everything fell into place. "There's a whole music scene from Manchester, the Manchester scene, that is basically about being cocky and being from Manchester," Marshall continued. "So, you know, Jamie Tartt with that accent completely aligned for me."

The character of Dani Rojas was shifted into a different shape, which itself played perfectly to Fernández's strengths as a performer. The dynamic between the two star players is one of the highlights of the show, especially in the first season, so splitting the roles up was clearly the right call.

Many assumed that "Ted Lasso" had run its course after the end of Season 3 brought satisfying conclusions to all of the main arcs, but the series is in fact coming back for Season 4, which is currently in production. That new arc will see Sudeikis, Waddingham, Goldstein, Temple all returning alongside Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) and Jeremy Swift (Higgins), with the main story centering around the Richmond women's team.

As you might expect from that premise, there will be less reason for the A.F.C. Richmond players to feature heavily in the new season, and it's been reported that Phil Dunster won't be back as a full cast member. However, the possibility has been left open for him to return in a guest-starring capacity. That makes sense, as the main story will center on a new cast of female characters. Newcomers for "Ted Lasso" Season 4 include "Sex Education" alum Tanya Reynolds and "Andor" veteran Faye Marsay.

Whether or not we've seen the last of Jamie Tartt remains to be seen, but regardless, the first three seasons of the show wouldn't have been the same without the decision to totally change up the roster and bring in Dunster. "The connections that make you understand that somebody is right for a role are kind of interesting," Jeremy Egner said in a recent interview with CinemaBlend. "That was just sort of a good example of that."