mr. Sudeikis goes to Washington

Jason Sudeikis and his Ted Lasso co-stars believe in the importance of mental health awareness. 

The stars of Apple’s hit soccer comedy visited the White House on Monday to discuss the importance of taking care of one’s mental health. The actors were set to meet with President Biden and first lady Jill Biden, and they joined White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in the briefing room. 

At the podium, Sudeikis said it was an “honor” to speak with the Bidens “about the importance of mental health,” which he noted is a theme of the show. In the second season of Ted Lasso, Sudeikis’ title character, a soccer coach, experiences panic attacks and begins seeing a psychologist. 

“While it’s easier said than done, we have to know that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help ourselves, and that does take a lot, especially when it’s something that has such a negative stigma to it, such as mental health,” Sudeikis said. “And it doesn’t need to be that way.”

Sudeikis encouraged Americans to “check in with your neighbor, your co-workers, your friends, your family, and ask how they’re doing, and listen sincerely,” adding that even though “a lot of folks don’t always agree” in Washington, “we should all do our best to help take care of each other.” 

Sudeikis was joined in the briefing room by Ted Lasso stars Toheeb Jimoh, Brett Goldstein, Hannah Waddingham, and Brendan Hunt — and before wrapping up, he took a question from actor James Lance, who plays journalist Trent Crimm on the show. On his way out, Sudeikis also joked he wouldn’t be performing his Biden impression from Saturday Night Live because “they’ve got the real one here.” 

Ahead of the meeting with the Ted Lasso cast, Biden’s official Twitter account shared a photo of the “believe” sign from the show hanging outside the Oval Office.