Jason Sudeikis

Daniel Jason Sudeikis ( ; born September 18, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is best known for his tenure as a writer and cast member for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2003 to 2013, in addition to co-creating and starring as the titular role in the Apple TV sports comedy series Ted Lasso, which earned him two Golden Globe Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards.

In the 1990s, he began his career in improv comedy and performed with ComedySportz, iO Chicago (Improv Olympic), and The Second City. After joining Saturday Night Live, Sudeikis progressed his television career with recurring roles in the comedy series 30 Rock (2007–2010), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2010–2011), Eastbound and Down (2012), Portlandia (2011–2014), The Last Man on Earth (2015–2018), and Detroiters (2017–2018). He was also one of the leading cast members in adult animation series The Cleveland Show (2009–2013).

He had leading film roles in the comedies Hall Pass, Horrible Bosses (both 2011) and its sequel, Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), and We're the Millers (2013), as well as the acclaimed independent films Drinking Buddies (2013), Sleeping with Other People (2015), and Colossal (2016), and supporting roles in Going the Distance (2010), The Campaign (2012), Alexander Payne's Downsizing (2017) and Olivia Wilde's Booksmart (2019). He has also acted in voice roles for Epic (2013), The Angry Birds Movie (2016) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), Next Gen (2018), and Hitpig! (2024).

Early life and education Daniel Jason Sudeikis was born to Kathryn Sudeikis (née Wendt), a travel agent at Brennco and president of the American Society of Travel Agents, and Daniel Joseph Sudeikis. His father is of Irish and Lithuanian descent, while his mother has German and Irish ancestry. Through Kathryn, he is a nephew of actor George Wendt and a great-grandson of photographer Tom Howard.

Sudeikis was born with anosmia, leaving him with no sense of smell.

Sudeikis moved with his family to Overland Park within Johnson County, Kansas, which he has described as his hometown. He graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park and attended Fort Scott Community College on a basketball scholarship, but left before finishing.

Career

Career beginnings In the 1990s, Sudeikis began his career in improv comedy. He began performing at ComedySportz (now called Comedy City) in Kansas City, Missouri. He moved to Chicago, where he studied at the Annoyance Theatre in the North Side of Chicago and IO Theater (formerly known as ImprovOlympic) in the Near North Side and was one of the founding members of the long form team, J.T.S. Brown. He performed with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Sudeikis was later cast in The Second City Touring Company. In the early 2000s, he became a founding member of The Second City Las Vegas, where he performed at the Flamingo.

Saturday Night Live In 2003, while a regular performer at The Second City Las Vegas, Sudeikis was hired as a sketch writer for Saturday Night Live (SNL) after being recommended by his uncle George Wendt to Marci Klein. In May 2005, he became a featured player on the show, and was upgraded to repertory status at the beginning of the show's 32nd season on September 30, 2006. In 2015, 2016, and 2019 he made occasional appearances on the show. On October 23, 2021, Sudeikis made his hosting debut with musical guest Brandi Carlile.

Recurring characters

George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States. Joe Biden, 47th vice president of the United States and 46th president of the United States. Mitt Romney, 70th governor of Massachusetts and 2012 Republican Party nominee for president of the United States Male A-hole of the Two A-Holes with actress Kristen Wiig Ocean Billy, a parody of the 1980s singer Billy Ocean and his hit "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" One half of the Bon Jovi "opposite band" Jon Bovi, appearing on Weekend Update (with Will Forte) Gil, a news anchor who treats his field correspondent Michelle Dison's (Kristen Wiig) misfortunes as amusement One of the guys from the "Song Memories" sketches who is the first to tell strange stories about where he was when he first heard a song Ed Mahoney, a brash man who often makes a fool of himself in public Officer Sikorsky, a police officer who brings in convict Lorenzo McIntosh (Kenan Thompson) in an attempt to "scare straight" the three delinquent teens (Bill Hader, Bobby Moynihan, Andy Samberg, and occasionally the week's guest host) that he often arrests Vance on "What Up with That?", an overzealous background dancer often dressed in an Adidas tracksuit with a 1980s perm DJ Supersoak, spoof on DJ Clay Pete Twinkle, ESPN Classic host of obscure women's sports with dim-witted Greg Stink (Will Forte) as his co-host Jeff, a disgruntled film and theatre technician who starts unprovoked arguments with the star of the piece The Devil, who often comes on Weekend Update to point out religious and moral hypocrisy on Earth Jack Rizzoli, an anchor at WXPD News who always tells veteran reporter Herb Welch (Bill Hader) to do his job Tommy, a strip club emcee for Bongo's Clown Room Sensei Mark Hoffman, the faculty adviser and Japanese Studies teacher to Jonathan Cavanaugh-san and Rebecca Stern-Markowitz-san (Taran Killam and Vanessa Bayer, respectively), hosts of "J-Pop America Fun Time Now" Marshall T. Boudreaux, host of the courtroom reality show Maine Justice

Film, television and other work Early work

Sudeikis had a recurring role on the series 30 Rock (2007–2010), appearing in a total of 12 episodes. He played Floyd DeBarber, a love interest of Tina Fey's character Liz Lemon. Sudeikis last appeared in four episodes towards the end of the show's fourth season in 2010.

Sudeikis began his film career with supporting roles in Watching the Detectives (2007), The Ten (2007), Meet Bill (2007), What Happens in Vegas (2008) and The Rocker (2008). He did voice work for the videogame Grand Theft Auto IV (2008), playing the role of right-wing radio host Richard Bastion. In July 2008, he co-starred with Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio in the web series The Line on Crackle. He had supporting roles in the movies The Bounty Hunter (2010) and Going the Distance (2010). On August 16, 2010, Sudeikis co-hosted WWE Raw with Going the Distance co-stars Charlie Day and Justin Long at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Sudeikis was a voice actor on the animated-comedy series The Cleveland Show (2009–2013). He provided the voices for Holt Richter, Cleveland's wannabe hipster neighbor, and Terry Kimple, Cleveland's hard-partying high school buddy, who now works with Cleveland at the cable company. After being credited as a recurring guest in season one, Sudeikis was bumped up to a series regular beginning in season two.

Film breakthrough

In 2011, Sudeikis appeared in the Seth Gordon comedy Horrible Bosses. He had previously worked with co-star Charlie Day when he played the role of Schmitty on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and reprised the role on that show's seventh season finale. Sudeikis played his first lead film role in the Farrelly brothers comedy Hall Pass (2011).

Sudeikis hosted the 2011 MTV Movie Awards on June 5, 2011, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. He was the voice for a line of advertisements of Applebee's which began running in 2012. He made appearances in six episodes on the series Eastbound & Down (2012–2013). He starred as David Clark, a drug dealer, in We're the Millers (2013), alongside Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts and Will Poulter. He reprised his role of Kurt Buckman in Horrible Bosses 2 (2014).

2015–present Sudeikis starred as Jake in the romantic-comedy film Sleeping with Other People (2015). He starred alongside Rebecca Hall in the romantic-drama film Tumbledown (2015). He voices the character of Red in the animated-comedy film The Angry Birds Movie (2016), based on the video game series of the same name. He starred alongside Anne Hathaway in Colossal (2016). He starred in Masterminds (2016). He portrayed Larry Snyder in Race (2016), Henry in The Book of Love (2016), and Bradley in Mother's Day (2016).

From November to December 2016, Sudeikis played the lead role of John Keating in the Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway production of Dead Poets Society. In 2017, he executive produced the comedy series Detroiters, and appeared in two episodes.

Sudeikis starred in Kodachrome (2017), alongside Ed Harris and Elizabeth Olsen. He made appearances as Glenn in Permission (2017) and as Dave Johnson in Downsizing (2017). He starred as a side-role/reference in the Derren Brown shows Derren Brown: Secret and Derren Brown Underground, where he performed on a screen during the credits, and his name was used as a reference during the show in 2017 and 2018.

Sudeikis starred in the thriller Driven. Sudeikis voices the character of Justin Pin in the animated action comedy film Next Gen. He played Red again in the 2019 animated-comedy The Angry Birds Movie 2. In 2019, he appeared on the Star Wars series The Mandalorian as a Speeder Bike trooper.

Sudeikis had portrayed Ted Lasso, a hapless American football coach brought to England to coach AFC Richmond as part of two promotional videos for NBC Sports in 2013 and 2014. In late 2019, Sudeikis co-wrote and starred in Ted Lasso about an American football coach who is hired to coach a fictional English football club, AFC Richmond. The series was released in August 2020 on Apple TV to a positive reception. It has earned him a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. At the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, he was nominated for and won Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. In 2021, he appeared on the Time 100 and Bloomberg's 50 Most Influential list. In 2023, Sudeikis said in an interview with The Guardian that the personality of the original main character was revised to be kinder because of the culture surrounding Donald Trump's presidency. After Ted Lasso was initially planned to end after its third season, a fourth season was announced by Sudeikis in March 2025.

On July 19, 2026, Sudeikis made an appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show. He introduced Justin Bieber while playing his character Ted Lasso.

Charity work Sudeikis played on basketball teams at the 2011 and 2016 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

He and other Kansas City celebrities have hosted the Big Slick for many years. The event raises money for the Cancer Center at Children's Mercy Hospital. As of 2023, the event had raised more than $21 million for the cause.

Sudeikis hosted the benefit concert Thundergong! at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City on November 3, 2018, for the charity foundation Steps of Faith which helps provide prosthetic legs and arms.

Personal life In June 2004, Sudeikis married American screenwriter Kay Cannon after five years together. The two were on The Second City Las Vegas cast together. They separated in 2008 and divorced in February 2010.

Sudeikis dated actress January Jones in 2010; People reported in January 2011 that they had split. He was in a relationship with American actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde from 2011 to 2020, and became engaged in January 2013, but they did not marry. They have a son, born in April 2014, and a daughter, born in October 2016. After their breakup, Wilde was publicly served with court documents regarding child custody while she was on stage presenting her film Don't Worry Darling at CinemaCon 2022. Additionally, Sudeikis and Wilde were both sued by their former nanny for wrongful termination.

Sudeikis is a WNBA fan and New York Liberty season ticket holder, as well as a Brooklyn Nets fan as he lives near the arena where both teams play. He is a supporter of Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark. He has attended many of her college and professional games, even canceling a scheduled speaking appearance to attend a game.

Acting credits

Film Year Title Role Notes 2007 The Ten Tony Contiella Watching the Detectives Jonathan Meet Bill Jim Whittman 2008 The Rocker David Marshall Semi-Pro Nacho Fan Cameo What Happens in Vegas Mason 2010 The Bounty Hunter Stewart Going the Distance Box Saunders 2011 Hall Pass Fred Searing A Good Old Fashioned Orgy Eric Keppler Horrible Bosses Kurt Buckman 2012 The Campaign Mitch Wilson 2013 Movie 43 Fake Batman Drinking Buddies Gene Dentler Epic Professor Bomba Voice We're the Millers David Clark / David Miller 2014 Horrible Bosses 2 Kurt Buckman 2015 Sleeping with Other People Jake Harper Tumbledown Andrew McCabe 2016 Race Larry Snyder Mother's Day Bradley Barton The Angry Birds Movie Red Voice The Angry Birds Movie 2 Red Voice 2023 Fool's Paradise Lex Tanner 2024 Hitpig! Hitpig Voice 2026 Red Voice

Television Year Title Role Notes 1997 Alien Avengers II Chester Television film 2003–2013 Saturday Night Live Various 174 episodes; also writer 2007 Wainy Days Handsome David Episode: "Plugged" 2007–2010 30 Rock Floyd DeBarber 12 episodes 2008 Childrens Hospital Dr. Robert "Bobby" Fiscus 2 episodes 2008–2012 Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday Various 6 episodes 2009–2013 The Cleveland Show Holt Ritcher, Terry Kimple (voices) Main role 2010, 2011 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Peter "Schmitty" Schmidt 2 episodes 2011, 2014 Portlandia Aliki, Kim 2011 2011 MTV Movie Awards Himself (host) Television special 2012–2013 Eastbound & Down Shane Gerald, Cole Gerald 6 episodes 2013 Robot Chicken Badtz-Maru, Farmer Smurf (voices) Episode: "Papercut to Aorta" 2014 Garfunkel and Oates Writer only; episode: "Third Member" 2015–2018 The Last Man on Earth Mike Miller Recurring role 2016 Great Minds with Dan Harmon Thomas Edison Episode: "Thomas Edison" 2016–2017 Son of Zorn Zorn (voice) Main role 2017, 2018 Detroiters Carter Grant 2 episodes; also executive producer 2018 Sideswiped Dr. David Bennett Episode: "Matching Up" 2019 Double Dare Himself 2 episodes SpongeBob SquarePants Episode: "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout" Ask the StoryBots Roger the Plumber Episode: "What Happens When You Flush the Toilet?" The Mandalorian Biker Scout Trooper #1 Episode: "Chapter 8: Redemption" 2020 Tournament of Laughs Himself Host At Home with Amy Sedaris Himself Episode: "Travel" Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Himself (voice) Episode: "Lost Soles of Jungle River!" 2020–present Ted Lasso Ted Lasso Also co-creator, writer and executive producer 2021–2024 Hit Monkey Bryce Fowler (né McHenry) (voice) Main role 2021 Saturday Night Live Himself (host) Episode: "Jason Sudeikis/Brandi Carlile" 2026 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show Ted Lasso Guest appearance

Theatre Year Title Role Venues 2016 Dead Poets Society John Keating Classic Stage Company

Video games

Music videos Year Title Artist 2013 "Hopeless Wanderer" Mumford & Sons 2021 "Love Dies Young" Foo Fighters

Awards and nominations Organizations Year Category Work Result Ref. Critics' Choice Television Awards 2021 Best Actor in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (season one) 2022 Best Actor in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (season two) Golden Globe Awards 2021 Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Ted Lasso (season one) 2022 Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Ted Lasso (season two) 2024 Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Ted Lasso (season three) Golden Raspberry Awards 2014 Worst Screen Combo (shared with the entire cast) Movie 43 HCA TV Awards 2021 Best Actor in a Streaming Series, Comedy Ted Lasso (season one) MTV Movie & TV Awards 2014 Best Comedic Performance We're the Millers 2015 #WTF Moment (with Charlie Day) Horrible Bosses 2 2021 Best Comedic Performance Ted Lasso Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2017 Most Wanted Pet The Angry Birds Movie People's Choice Awards 2014 Favorite Movie Duo (with Jennifer Aniston) We're the Millers Primetime Emmy Awards 2021 Outstanding Comedy Series Ted Lasso (season one) Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (episode: "Pilot") Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (episode: "Pilot") Ted Lasso (episode: "Make Rebecca Great Again") 2022 Outstanding Comedy Series Ted Lasso (season two) Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (episode: "No Weddings and a Funeral") 2023 Outstanding Comedy Series Ted Lasso (season three) Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (episode: "So Long, Farewell") Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (episode: "So Long, Farewell") Satellite Awards 2021 Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series Ted Lasso Screen Actors Guild Awards 2021 Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (season one) Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2022 Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (season two) Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2023 Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso (season three) Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series Teen Choice Awards 2014 Choice Hissy Fit We're the Millers 2016 Choice Movie: Hissy Fit The Angry Birds Movie Writers Guild of America Awards 2021 Television: Comedy SeriesTed Lasso (season one) Television: New Series Television: Episodic Comedy Ted Lasso (episode: "Pilot")