Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond had a rough season. With the arrival and departure of superstar newcomer Zava, the “wonder boy” Nate Shelley leaving them at West Ham, a series of humiliating losses and the coaches not really knowing what to do, it seems the team can’t seem to catch a break.
But if there’s one person who really manages to hold the roster, the coaching team, the manager, and essentially the entire Richmond operation together, it’s head of football operations Leslie Higgins, played by Jeremy Swift. And he did it without even realizing it.
Higgins is the glue that unwittingly holds Richmond together. It doesn’t make a big statement, and the character is definitely not one to be lauded for. As Swift told The Daily Beast’s Obsessed Over Zoom, he’s an “accidental Yoda.”
“I think most of the time he doesn’t know he has this kind of innate mentorship, some kind of talent, until I’m asked. And then what he presents seems to surprise himself as much as anyone else. So he’s not like Yoda, maybe just an accidental Yoda,” she says with a laugh, “he’s going through her somehow. It’s a channel.”
“According to me [it’s] Only in part is it seen as his job to dust things off and freshen up the team’s approach and come up with ideas to move them forward. So yes, that’s the glue,” she adds.
Jeremy Swift and Hannah Waddingham.
Colin Hutton
Onscreen, Higgins is someone everyone on the show trusts. Trying not to stray a step from Rebecca’s (Hannah Waddingham) line, he started out as this nervous, docile sidekick, and as the seasons wore on he grew into a thriving man in the environment he knew best: Richmond. Football club.
He never seems to want to be the center of attention – and he isn’t given much space on the show – but he does make an impact when he’s in the limelight. In the latest episode, “We’ll Never Have Paris,” Swift’s Higgins is featured in only one scene, but that scene is enough to leave its mark.
Ted (Jason Sudeikis) calls the Diamond Dogs, the nickname he gives to the Richmond employees who have become his personal confidants, to discuss how he worries about his ex-wife being proposed in Paris. Get out before you go crazy,” which is obviously advice we should all follow.
This is actually a line that goes back to Sudeikis. Saturday night live days and something Sudeikis actually said to Swift while filming the second season.
“This little phrase actually came out of something, I think Jason [experienced] when it’s on SNL. At the start of Season 2, I was one of the first people to get the COVID vaccine, as I was relatively older than everyone else. And it turned out very quickly. I was suddenly put on a stage that clashed with me that day. [the scheduling of] IT. I went to him and explained the situation to him. That’s what he said: Learn before you go crazy.”
Swift, you will be happy to know if there is a vaccine that day. And managed to shoot the scene as planned.
Higgins is extremely adaptable as a character. And always considers the best interests of the team. Organized a big Christmas dinner for the players on the team who couldn’t return to their families; Helping everyone on the team, especially Ted, to solve their problems, therapist Dr. brought Sharon; and the team’s clubhouse attendant took Will to the jazz bar in Amsterdam.
And what do you know, Higgins is actually a very cool guy. The biggest proof of this was the episode “Sunflowers”, where we saw Higgins lead his own jazz band. Swift, who released a brand new album in April, is also a musician. Although she didn’t contribute much during filming, she insisted on a wardrobe neglect.
Jeremy Swift, Hannah Waddingham and Juno Temple.
Colin Hutton
“It was a very personal episode for Brendan. [Hunt, who wrote the episode, and plays Coach Beard on the show]. The only thing I was impressed with was that Brendan asked me to wear a jazz-style hat. And I look like the late Benny Hill in all the hats! So I got into some kind of little trailer and there were about 46 hats in it. And I tried some and decided I didn’t want to wear any of them,” she says with a laugh.
“Brendan was a little nervous about it. But he [agreed] Finally. I wanted to look a little cooler, so I did it,” he adds.
Higgins’ transition from being Rebecca’s docile sidekick to becoming a self-sufficient character is a result of the “domino effect of forgiveness,” according to Swift. Ted forgives Rebecca for trying to bring down the club in Season 11, which inevitably leads to Rebecca forgiving Higgins and dragging her into this toxic plan she’s developed.
Another thing that really shows Higgins’ growth is that in the past, Ted never brought up his recent incompetence as a coach with Rebecca. But he’s doing it this season because in the end he will always do what’s in the team’s best interest.
Charlie Hiscock and Jeremy Swift.
Colin Hutton
“You know, he has to tell some troubling truths. That’s what happens in sports. That’s brutal. If a manager isn’t working, it’s a bit like politics, it’s usually a bit of a pain. Something like Julius Caesar. That kind of thing happens. So it’s worth addressing. ” says.
While talking to Swift, I was able to see some similarities between the character and the actor, the most obvious being his love of music – So Love and David Bowie were some of Swift’s favourites. But while Higgins may be in charge of football operations, Ted Lasso, in real life, Swift isn’t really an athlete. Frankly, I had to ask.
“This is really terrible,” she chuckles, “I often agree with Nick Mohammed. [Nate Shelley] and James Lance [Trent Crimm]——and we are not sporty at all.”
“I understand the pressure [of sports], because I’m a total music freak. I follow groups and I know all about them. I know almost perverse details about my favorite bands. But I’ve never been into football. I didn’t have a sporty family; my mom and dad were music teachers and they were into the arts and that sort of thing,” she explains.
But if he struggled, he would side with Middlesborough and then Liverpool “because I love Liverpool and the Liverpudlians”.
As for what we can expect from Higgins as we race towards the season finale, Swift says Higgins will continue to do what he does best; which is to knock your team down and support them as best you can.
“I can’t really give spoilers, but I think he’s a very stable character, really don’t worry. He is a messenger and is there to cheer other people up. And those who still find their way in the world – their lives swinging back and forth – are other people, younger characters. So I would say there are no big surprises, but he continues to support the club and remains that father figure/incidental mentor.”
Or as Yoda said, you must be patient, my young Padawan.
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