‘The Crown’ Alum Joining ‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3

A former star on The Crown is heading over to Ted Lasso. According to Deadline, Jodi Balfour, who has appeared on both The Crown and For All Mankind, is joining Season 3 of Ted Lasso. She will portray Jack, who is described as a “charming venture capitalist.”

Balfour is set to have a major recurring role in Season 3 of the Apple+ show. This marks the first major addition to the cast in advance of next season, which is eyeing a release in the near future. While it has been reported that Balfour is playing a venture capitalist, few other details have been released regarding her role on the show. Prior to joining Ted Lasso, Balfour starred as Ellen in Apple+’s For All Mankind and as Jackie Kennedy on The Crown. 

Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis as the titular character. It also stars Bill Lawrence, Juno Temple, Nick Mohammed, Hannah Waddingham, and Jeremy Swift. The series was renewed for Season 3 in late 2020. While it seems like everything is on track to move forward with the next season, it was reported in February that the production would likely be delayed. Brendan Hunt, the series co-creator who also stars as Coach Beard, told TV Line that when it comes to filming, they’re “definitely starting later this year than in Season 2, that’s for sure.” 

“So I would be surprised if our delivery dates were the same,” Hunt continued. “That’s above my pay grade, I don’t know for sure, but I do have a vague understanding of the limits of this dimension we call time, and I would say it seems pretty unlikely that we would [premiere] as early this year.” On top of it being unclear when Season 3 will premiere, it’s also unclear whether it will be the last for the show. Back in June 2021, Sudeikis told Entertainment Weekly that Ted Lasso was always meant to have a three-season arc.

“The story that’s being told—that three-season arc—is one that I see, know, and understood,” he said. “I’m glad that they are willing to pay for those three seasons. As far as what happens after that, who knows? I don’t know.” Even though three seasons was the original plan, the show’s popularity might propel it to have a lengthy future.