Phil Dunster’s Jaime Tartt has finally reached a level of mutual respect with former captain and now coach Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), and their latest adventures in Amsterdam bring the two closer together.
In the sixth episode of the Apple TV+ comedy, AFC Richmond venture to Amsterdam for an exhibition match. Though they lose, Coach Ted (Jason Sudeikis) gives his team a curfew-free night post-match. Roy makes Jamie stick around for training, and Jaime points out all the sights in Amsterdam as they run through the city — including that famous bench shot in “The Fault in Our Stars.”
“Jason and Brendan and Joe Kelly, the creators all lived in Amsterdam for a while so they’re all obsessed with Amsterdam, particularly Brendan is obsessed with the history and architecture and culture there,” Dunster told TheWrap.
Dunster credits the scripts for being able to lace up Tartt’s boots again with ease this season.
“It’s a lot more efficient. A lot of the work is done already by the writers, and we can just parachute in. he added. “You don’t need to put stuff on top of it. It’s all just there. It’s oven ready, pop it in there and it’s delicious cake.”
Dunster sat down Friday, April 14 with TheWrap to discuss what’s gotten into Jamie for episode 6 of season three, which marks the midway point of the potentially final season of Jason Sudeikis’ soccer series. Read on below:
In Episode 306, Jamie seems to have some pep in his step that maybe hasn’t been there before. Why do you think that is?
Phil Dunster: I suppose there is belief starting to grow in him a bit. There’s also a familiarity — when he’s in Amsterdam — of a time when things were straightforward. Things were simple in his life. I don’t think he would ever ever ever say this to Roy, but I think that he’s feeling respected, and he’s feeling like he’s being received by Roy in a different way, like a sort of paternal figure in his life. He’s got a bit of jazz in his ass … I was just trying to say pep in his step.”
He is training with Roy now, and Zava has left so what do you think that adds to his change in attitude?
Jamie has also changed dramatically this season. When we saw Zava turn up, we see Jamie react in a way that he would not have in season one. Jamie is saying, ‘Guys, we’re a team, let’s play as a team. Why do we care about this superstar who’s turned up?’ when he once was the superstar and he [only] cared about himself, so we see how much he’s learned there. And now Zava is gone. He wants to go back to — I think it’s in episode three, he says, ‘We can work as a team. We can instill all of the lessons that we’ve learned over the last couple of years.’ He’s now being coached by one of the best players in recent history, and he’s also in a place in his life where he can be open to listen to that. It’s a heady cocktail in the footballing sense.
We get another layer of Jamie peeled back when he and Roy bike through Amsterdam. Is it refreshing when you get to play that part of him?
It’s 100% the bit that’s closest to me. All of the bravado and coolness is so far away from me but the bits where he’s a bit mushy and emotional is probably far closer to me. It’s a hard thing in a comedy to find the balance of what’s too much. To be able to do that with [Brett Goldstein] always feels like you’re never too far off the mark.
If it is the final season, which like you said we don’t know. How will you feel leaving Jamie behind?
Jamie has had so many wonderful things to do. I would love to continue to nurture and play with that, but also, I am so grateful for having had that chance to work with these people. Which you know, as I say, I’m like, ‘that’s a cliche, and it’s and it feels boring,’ but like I really am. And to try on those hairstyles that I never got to have when I was 15 years old.
You were recently cast in season 2 of “Surface” on Apple TV+. Is there anything you can tell us about your role, when production starts and working with Hello Sunshine?
We start filming in May, throughout the summer. And my guy, he’s a lot posher than Jamie. So that’s fun. All actors, I think we want variety in what we do, and it’s a very different style of show, very different style of performance that we’ll have in it.
For those people that have seen ‘Surface’ they will know that the sort of essence of the show is it’s a thriller, it’s dark, but it’s also got moments of levity, it’s shot so beautifully. I’m really looking forward to bringing that show here, and to work with Gugu [Mbatha-Raw] is going to be incredible. I’ve already met Veronica [West] now a load of times and she’s just a brilliant leader. I’m actually about to get to a costume fitting. It’s my first time on set today.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The first six episodes of “Ted Lasso” are now streaming on Apple TV+.