Ted Lasso stars and co-creators Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt addressed Joy Behar‘s recent claim that she declined a role on the hit Apple TV+ show.
During a recent episode of The View podcast Behind the Table, Behar claimed that she once declined the opportunity to play the titular character’s mother on the show because it required that she film in London during “a heat wave.”
“Listen, I’m a writer, I write my own stuff, I don’t care about other people’s stuff. I don’t need to be in everything,” she said on the podcast. Behar later added, “If they were doing it in the spring I would’ve done it maybe, or in the fall, but not in the middle of the heat wave.” She also denied that Ted Lasso was “the hottest show on TV at the time.”
Sudeikis and Hunt appeared surprised by the rumor when they were asked about it during a recent panel discussion.
“I, no. Joy Behar from The View?” Sudeikis replied, per People.
Hunt had a similar reaction. “Respectfully, it would be news to us,” he said. “We just work there.”
But Sudeikis didn’t entirely shut the idea of having Behar join the Lasso-verse down. “She’s welcome to sit at the table,” he added.
The role of Lasso’s mother instead went to actress Becky Ann Baker, who earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in the Season 3 episode “Mom City.”
“Well, good for her. Bravo,” Behar commented when The View executive producer Brian Teta let her know about Baker’s Emmy nod.
Teta noted, however, that the character did share some similarities to Behar, who maintained that she has “no regrets” for turning down the role.
“She did a great job with it but I couldn’t help but notice there were Joy Behar-esque aspects to the character … I think that would’ve worked,” he said.
Ted Lasso is streaming in full on Apple TV+.
