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Apple TV+ and its Ted Lasso team had much to celebrate after Sunday night’s Emmy Awards.
The streamer picked up four additional trophies — its first series prize ever for outstanding comedy, along with acting prizes for Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham — for a total of 11 Emmys in 2021 across five programs. But all eyes were on the players from AFC Richmond after the Los Angeles telecast as they headed to a private afterparty in the heart of West Hollywood that featured karaoke, the famous biscuits and even a birthday cake for Ted Lasso himself.
In lieu of an oversized bash, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the afterparty was designed as a strictly “friends and family”-style gathering for the cast and creative team. It was also convenient: The party went down on the terrace at Sunset Tower’s Tower Bar, a prime location for many as they were already staying on the property for Emmy weekend festivities. (Backstage at the Emmys, Sudeikis mentioned the post-show plans: “We’re lucky that we have a bunch of folks in from out of town, some foreigners, so they all had to stay at a hotel locally, and so we knew which hotel that was ahead of time and so a bunch of us got rooms there too.”)
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Sudeikis, still in his teal velvet Tom Ford tuxedo (that he picked up from the designer’s Beverly Hills shop only the day before the telecast), was treated to a surprise during the event when he was presented with a birthday cake. The entire party paused to sing, “Happy Birthday,” as he turned 46 just two days ago, on Sept. 18. “It was so special,” said a source.
Sudeikis did his fair share of singing, too. Karaoke proved to be a main attraction of the night with a slew of actors taking a turn in the spotlight to show off their skills. At one point, Sudeikis teamed with writer and performer Ashley Nicole Black for a well-received rendition of the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton classic from 1983, “Islands in the Stream.” He then paired with Brendan Hunt for a performance of “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Anymore)” by the Walker Brothers. Hunt, an actor and also co-creator of the show, traded the top hat and cane he showed off during the Emmys for an orange Adidas track jacket, striped pants and a T-shirt emblazoned with the face of Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez) and the slogan “Futbol is Life.” About those pants: An eagle-eyed Ted Lasso fan pointed out that the pants Hunt partied in were the same ones he wore in the recent ninth episode, “Beard After Hours,” as it followed his Coach Beard through a wild and all-night adventure in London after AFC Richmond’s devastating loss to Manchester City.
Back to the Emmy party. Actor Jeremy Swift, who plays Higgins, also turned in a karaoke performance. The music amped up the already celebratory vibe, complemented by the Emmy hardware, champagne, custom AFC Richmond pint glasses, and tray-passed hors d’oeuvres featuring Tower Bar classics. And, of course, Ted Lasso’s famous biscuits were also served up. Among the revelers were Bill Lawrence, Joe Kelly, Phoebe Walsh, Jamie Lee, Phil Dunster, Nick Mohammed, Juno Temple, Fernandez, Leann Bowen, Jeff Ingold, Zach Braff, Tina Pawlik, Bill Wrubel and dozens of others.
Dunster told THR on Friday night on the red carpet at the TV Academy’s Performer Nominees celebration that he was looking forward to having his Ted Lasso peers all in the same time zone for a bit so they could celebrate as a team. “It is a real family feel on the show and I know that every single show says that and fair enough, but [it’s true for us]. Being able to be together feels very special,” he explained. “Particularly after the year that we’ve had. It’s very difficult feeling separate but we all text each other all the time. Being together [here in L.A.], we plan on celebrating, sitting by the pool and drinking lots.”
Writer and producer Lee, who also attended Friday’s soiree in North Hollywood, confirmed the COVID-19 safe and intimate affair, adding that it was the perfect way to celebrate. “Small is better because we really are a family. What we’ve made only exists because everybody came together to create this beautiful thing, and so it’s really nice to just be with your people and celebrate that.”
The party delivered a moment for Apple TV+ executives to toast the company’s success as it became the first streamer to win a top series category within two years of debuting original programming. The night could also be looked at as a feather in the caps for Apple heads of worldwide video, Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht. The pair joined Apple in 2017 from Sony Pictures Television, where they had served as presidents since 2005. During their Sony run, they helped set up The Crown at Netflix, and that series dominated with 11 wins in total, including top prize as outstanding drama series.
Said Van Amburg: “While Ted Lasso taught us to believe that anything is possible, we are so genuinely moved that this has culminated in such a historic night for both Apple TV+ and the cast and crew of this special series.” Added Erlicht: “What Jason, Bill, Brendan, Joe, and the entire creative team and cast of Ted Lasso have accomplished within just one season speaks to the power of the intricately crafted storytelling that continues to inspire and uplift audiences all over the world.”
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