[et_pb_section][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text]Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief 

Mvk5945@psu.edu

On Monday, Feb. 13, Penn State Behrend will continue its regular Speaker Series with special guest Brendan Hunt, otherwise best known for his role as Coach Beard in the popular Apple TV series “Ted Lasso,” which has won a total of eleven Emmys. Hunt will be speaking in McGarvey Commons at 7:30 p.m. and the event will be free and open to the public. 

While Hunt’s role as Coach Beard is fresh and likely the first thing that comes to mind, the actor and comedian had an established career and had appeared in several other popular TV series prior. Hunt is a co-creator and writer of “Ted Lasso” in addition to his acting role in the series, and has also appeared in “Community,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “How I met your mother.”

Hunt received two separate Emmy Awards for his work on “Ted Lasso” as well. In 2021 he received an Emmy as a Producer for Outstanding Comedy Series, and he again received the same award in 2022 as an Executive Producer on the show.

Hunt also recently appeared on, and dominated, “Celebrity Jeopardy,” while representing Soccer Without Borders. Coach Beard faced off against Cari Champion, who is a lead anchor on SportsCenter, and B.J. Novak, who is best known for his role as Ryan on “The Office.” 

The game, which Beard won with a total of $38,000 was the last quarter-final game, securing his spot in the final round for later this year. 

Hunt also took time while on “Celebrity Jeopardy” to show off his unique socks to fans. The host, Mayim Bialik, took time to ask the Actor to reveal his “Yellow Submarine” themed socks. 

As far as his role in Ted Lasso itself, Coach Beard is instrumental in the show, and arguably the reason you fall in love with the show’s lead character, Ted Lasso, a man of unmatched positivity and overwhelming optimism despite his circumstances. When the show begins, the only other character who truly understands Ted Lasso is the quiet Coach Beard. 

He is an ideal contract to Lasso, his solemn but understanding right-hand man and best friend. Additionally, unlike Coach Lasso who had never taught anything other than American football, Coach Beard has a deep understanding of how soccer is played, something they desperately needed on their team. 

Before Ted Lasso, and essential in its development, Hunt developed the 2013 NBC Sports Premier League advertising campaign, which is where the premise of the show spun off from. 

In an interview with Daily Beast Hunt, he was asked about how they could have planned for the creation of Ted Lasso to be so well-timed with a world in need of a show centered around kindness, and what made people fall in love with it. 

“We really couldn’t foresee the world it’d be releasing into,” Hunt replied. “We knew the world was toxic long before 2020 really, really decided to kick things up. But the reaction to it, that’s something that is in a separate petri dish of this giant lab called…life..” 

“Ted Lasso” overall is a show full of earnest feelings, intermixed with clever humor and a persistently upbeat attitude. The witty humor of the show is a unique stylistic choice, considering it is difficult to create humor in a character who you are constantly trying to have to appear as genuine and humble as possible. 

Overall, Hunt’s work on the show was incredible and evidence of a skill he possesses but has lacked to utilize in recent years. While Hunt has appeared in numerous sitcoms throughout his career, until the release of “Ted Lasso” he had not found a long-term role for which he could be known. 

When asked in an interview if the outright positivity of Ted Lasso had rubbed off on himself, he laughed, stating, “I might be in a better mood because now I have a job. You know, I do not have the CV of a man who has been working really regularly. So, this is great. I’m in a great mood now.” 

The humor of the response aside, Brendan Hunt went from a name you would not recognize to a household favorite among “Ted Lasso” fans. To learn more about him and hear his insight on the show, attend the Speaker Series on Monday, Feb. 13, in McGarvey Commons at 7:30 p.m.

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