Hannah Waddingham Relays Her Thanks to Ted Lasso Role That Changed Her Sick Daughter's Life for Better
by Jaskiran Kaur | Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:38:18 GMT
Image source: The Focus

Life had never been better for 'Ted Lasso' actress Hanna Waddingham before the Emmy winning series, and her emotional speech on the stage is a testament to that fact. 

The single mother had been battling for a better life alongside her daughter, who suffered from a 'horrific' illness. Landing the role of Rebecca Welton, the owner of the club where Ted Lasso coaches the football team, was a phenomenal moment in her life. 

Apart from boosting her career in the Hollywood world, the TV series brought her into the in-circle of the film city's Emmys winners. Hence, her life now stands forever changed, and she is accomplishing much more than ever before. The actress was previously known for her contribution to West End musical theatre and productions such as 'Spamalot.'

She took to the stage on the 73rd Sunday Primetime Emmys Award show in Los Angeles to receive her Emmys for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy series. The beautiful actress, 47, couldn't contain her joy and screamed in the surrealistic beauty of the moment. 

She cried tears of joy while thanking the series' lead, Jason Sudeikis, playing Ted Lasso, for making her a part of the fantastic opportunity. Waddingham exclaimed,  'Jason, you've changed my life with this... and more importantly, my baby girl's.' 

That one role in 'Ted Lasso,' an Apple TV+ series, was all she needed and 'asked the universe for' so she could provide a better life to her sickly daughter. Kitty, her five-year-old daughter, is often seen with Waddingham when she is out and about. 

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Waddingham had worked in series like 'Game of Thrones,' 'Our Kind of Love,' and 'Nobody Understands Me' prior to landing the huge role, but none was as satisfying as Ted Lasso. Apart from the mediocre earnings, Waddingham often had to travel far distances for shoots, something that didn't bode well with Hannah. Due to her daughter's sickly condition, Hannah always wanted to be near her daughter in case she needed her. 

Her daughter Kitty, 5, battles autoimmune disease, which is taking a toll on her kidneys. When talking about the hardships of the disease with Kate Thornton, she said, 'For anyone who knows what it's like, it's really horrific.' She said she commonly found herself unable to get home to her daughter on time in emergency conditions. 

One time while the actress was shooting in Belfast, her daughter came up with 'giraffe splats of brown' that were  'capillaries bursting over her little leggies.' She met her daughter the next day and promised herself never to be away from her. 

She contacted her managers and said: 'I am first and foremost a mum, and more importantly a single mum,' translating to that, she held the health of her daughter over shoots. She shared the story again on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and said that following this dreadful incident, she only 'asked the universe' for an opportunity that would not take her too far away from home. 

She had said, "I'm going to ask the universe for something, which is probably unreasonable but, I'm going to say, "Thank you for making my little girl better." She continued, "Can I thank you for what you've given me already, but can I just ask you for something that is close to home so I can do my main role, which is to be a mama. And also can I ask that it's something that really shows what I can do [as an actress]. And I hope that's not asking too much."'

The universe seemed to be quite giving that day, and just two months later, the actress landed the supporting role for Ted Lasso, which would eventually lead to her winning an Emmys. The dream role's shoot takes her only a half hour's ride away from her precious girl and, hence, she is always near enough to reach her on time. Ending her moving tale on the show, Waddingham advised to 'Ask the Universe!' 

Kitty, Waddingham's daughter, is the offspring of Gianluca Cugnetto, who may or may not be an active part of the growing girl's life. However, Waddingham refers to herself as a 'single mum' and is an immensely proud mama. 

Her Emmys acceptance speech was a fitting thanks to the Ted Lasso team, which she holds in high regard for her booming success. On the Sunday Night event stage, she had said,  'This single mum wouldn't be standing here without you,' talking of her team and family. 

Following the speech, Hanna also said, 'You know, I'm a single mama, and I hate being away from her. And I always say to her, I've taught her as a mantra ever since she was a little girl: 'What does mummy always do?' and she always says: 'Mummy always comes back.' The doting mother wishes to be an ever-persisting and solid figure in the life of her daughter. 

Apart from the struggle with her daughter's illness, Waddingham had also faced serious problems when she was trying to become pregnant. When she finally let the world of her pregnancy in 2015, which came after a long battle with infertility, Hanna had revealed, 'I don't mind saying it, I know plenty of women go through it, but they kept telling me that my fertility was so low and that it might not happen.'

Finally, becoming a parent was a beautiful surprise for Hannah and forever changed her life. 'It's incredible how it hits you suddenly. It's taken my breath away; I'm so pleased,' she said. 

Her urge to stay close to her daughter had Hannah looking for work nearby, which had eventually got her to the Ted Lasso role. A single episode of the series is said to churn her about $150,000. The sum is only set to increase with her increased popularity and the phenomenal win. 

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The West End musical theatre star paved the way for many after her and urged Hollywood casting members to cast people from the notorious school. She ended her speech with, 'One more thing... West End musical theatre performers need to be on screen more. Please give them a chance because we won't let you down.' 

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