Jason Sudeikis, ‘Ted Lasso’ cast visit White House, promote mental health care
Ted Lasso was at the White House on Monday to promote mental health care.
Comedian Jason Sudeikis, who plays the fictional soccer coach, and other cast members were meeting with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden to talk about how mental health contributes to overall well-being.
He encouraged people to make it a point to check in often with friends, family and co-workers to “ask how they’re doing, and listen, sincerely,”
Mental health is a topic of “Ted Lasso,” the Emmy-winning show on Apple TV+ just opened its third season.
“While it’s easier said than done, we also have to know that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help ourselves,” Sudeikis said. “That does take a lot, especially when it’s something that has such a negative stigma to it, such as mental health and it doesn’t need to be that way.
“And if you can ask for that help from a professional, fantastic,” he continued. “If it needs to be a loved one, equally as good, in a lot of ways.”
Sudeikis said there should be no stigma attached to reaching out for help because everyone knows someone who has needed a shoulder to lean on, or has been that person themselves.
“No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter who you voted for, we all probably, I assume, we all know someone who has, or have been that someone ourselves actually, that’s struggled, that’s felt isolated, that’s felt anxious, that has felt alone,” he said.
“It’s actually one of the many things, believe it or not, that we all have in common as human beings,” Sudeikis continued. “That means it’s something that we can all, you know, and should, talk about with one another when we’re feeling that way or when we recognize that in someone feeling that way.”
Joining Sudeikis at the daily briefing were cast members Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Toheeb Jimoh. The group was given a tour of the president’s private living quarters, a White House official said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.