Playing Ted Lasso's Keeley Showed Juno Temple A Side Of Acting She'd Never Seen
All good things must come to an end, and it looks like that's going to be the case for "Ted Lasso" on Apple TV+ after the conclusion of its in-progress third season. But it's certainly better to let something end on its own terms rather than drag it out for far too long. Fans will still have something special to take away from the experience, as will star Juno Temple, who plays fan-favorite Keeley Jones on the show. Temple actually earned some real-life benefits from playing the part, including gaining some insight into her own career.
Speaking with Town & Country, Temple was asked about how the role of Keeley has actually impacted her life. In response, the actress explained that her time on the show provided some incredibly valuable insight into both her personal and professional lives:
"She's definitely taught me more about being kinder to myself. She's got such a light about her. I definitely hadn't done a lot of comedy work before this show — I wouldn't say that I play a comedy performance, so I don't really know what that means still. That's something I'm still learning. She brought a lot more lightness than maybe I realized I could get from work."
Temple also added, "I definitely feel innately I'm more dramatic, so that was something that I was really grateful for because she definitely brought a lot of light into my life in some dark-ish times."
Juno Temple gets to be less dramatic
To Temple's point about her career prior to "Ted Lasso," it certainly is true that she hadn't done too much comedy beforehand, save for a couple of episodes of "Drunk History." Dating back to some of her earliest work in the Oscar-winning "Atonement" in 2007, Temple has spent the bulk of her career in more serious projects. Be it in genre projects like "Killer Joe" or "Horns," to big superhero movies like "The Dark Knight Rises," comedy just hasn't entered into the equation all that much for her.
Be that as it may, Temple fit the role of Keeley like a glove and went on to become a true fan-favorite in a cast full of incredibly likable characters, led by Jason Sudeikis as the titular soccer coach. Heck, Keeley is such a beloved part of the show that it even looks like they might be teeing her up for a spin-off series. Given how much Temple has seemingly benefitted from being a part of the show, one imagines she would be all over the prospect of leading her own series, provided that opportunity does indeed come about.
"Ted Lasso" is streaming now on Apple TV+.