Ted Lasso’s Aisling Sharkey On New Energies, Dream Collaborators & That Dizzying Call

Ted Lasso is back – and this time, with women at the helm. The fourth season finds Keeley (Juno Temple) and Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) launching a women’s football team, and bringing back beloved coach Ted (Jason Sudeikis) to nurture a new generation of players. Directed by the original team, the new season leans into the show’s trademark heart and optimism whilst grappling with the very real obstacles women’s sport is still subjected to.

Irish actress Aisling Sharkey stars as Niamh Harrigan, one half of the scrappy twin duo joining AFC Richmond’s women’s roster. Ahead of the new series, C&TH sat down with her to talk stepping into the world of Ted Lasso, on-set chemistry, and the roles – and mentors – that shaped her path.

Q&A: Aisling Sharkey On Ted Lasso Season 4

‘It feels like Ted Lasso has grown alongside the world we’re living in.’

How’s life going at the moment?

Hectic! It’s either a flood or a famine with this career and right now I’m absolutely run off my feet, but I’m buzzing every second of every day because none of it feels like work. Just can’t believe my life right now. I’m truly living the dream.

Can you give us an elevator pitch for Ted Lasso series 4?

Keeley convinces a reluctant Rebecca to start a women’s Greyhounds team, and together they persuade Ted to come back and coach. What follows is the classic Ted Lasso mix of heart, humour and optimism as they navigate the highs and lows of building a new team, whilst tackling the obstacles and biases that still stand in the way of women’s sport.

What do we have in store for series 4?

A slightly more mature Ted Lasso than we’ve seen before I think. It feels like the show has grown alongside the world we’re living in, so we’re not just going back and repeating what we’ve done before. It’s an exciting new chapter with fresh challenges, but it still has that familiar Ted Lasso heart, warmth and optimism that the world fell in love with.

What was it like to sign onto such a high-profile series?

Daunting, if I’m honest. Especially stepping into a world that audiences already love so much, with the original team being so cherished. We know those characters mean a lot to people, and as fans of the show ourselves, we miss them too. All we can ask is that audiences give us a chance. We’re not trying to replace or replicate what came before – we’re building on something completely new. New energies!

‘Something in my gut kept telling me there were other plans for me.’

Can you remember how it felt when you got the call?

Dizzying! This job changed my life, my family’s life. I don’t come from a family of performers, or money, so this has changed the game for us.

I still can’t really believe it – but at the same time, everything suddenly made sense. I was supposed to be going on tour with Mamma Mia! The Musical, but for some reason it never quite settled in my body. Even after my costume fitting.

I remember standing backstage on the final night of my summer show thinking, I’m really going to enjoy this because I’m not sure when I’ll next be on stage again. I don’t know where that feeling came from. I hadn’t heard anything from the Ted Lasso casting team for weeks, but something in my gut kept telling me there were other plans for me. Then the call came, and it all clicked into place.

Tell us about your character and what she has in store.

Niamh is 50 percent of the Harrigan twin dynasty – younger by 20 minutes, scrappy with a lot to prove.

What was the dynamic like on set?

Honestly, it was like being in a crèche. None of us spent any time alone in our dressing rooms – not once. We were constantly in and out of each other’s trailers, hanging out between takes, making each other laugh and generally causing chaos. It felt incredibly close-knit from day one, and that really comes across on screen I think. Especially my boy Rex Hayes, who plays my twin – that’s twin for real. I actually spent Father’s Day with his family in Cardiff this year. Very, very special group of people who have become some of my nearest and dearest.

‘The cast felt incredibly close-knit from day one.’ (Aisling, left, and Rex Hayes, right, in Ted Lasso season 4; Apple TV)

Any standout moments from rehearsals or filming?

We did a four-night shoot on a boat where we played a very intense, sleep-deprived game of The Traitors. By the end of it, we were all completely delirious. Tears were shed, alliances were tested, and I can honestly say no one was having any fun by the end of it – it got dark!

What about favourite filming locations?

Rex and I had a day of filming in ‘our house’, which happened to be this really lovely little flat near Battersea. The only problem was that it was far too nice for the twins, so the art department had to make it look much messier and more lived in.

By the end of it, people were just pulling random bits and bobs out of their pockets and scattering them around the place. In one scene, I’m picking up my keys from a table that’s sitting next to a rogue vitamin and a snail. It was absolute chaos, but it made us laugh every time we walked onto the set.

What are you most excited for viewers to see?

Definitely the football. Our trainers, Kas and Dan, whipped us into shape, and we had an absolute ball filming all of the football sequences – pun fully intended. Mercedes scores an absolute worldie, and because we did the vast majority of the football ourselves, I’m just as excited as everyone else to see how it all comes together on screen. Hopefully all that training paid off!

What is your favourite line in the series?

I never know how to react when a grown man beatboxes in front of me. Unfortunately I’ve been that solider.

‘Faye Marsay is the blueprint for me.’

What has been your favourite project to date?

I’d have to say Heirs of the Night. I was still a tweenie bopper when I made it, and it completely changed the game for me. It was my first real taste of working on an international production, and it gave me so much confidence as an actor. Looking back, it feels like the project that really opened the door to everything that’s come since – both professionally and personally. It was like BH and AH in my life – before Heirs and after. I was filming abroad without my parents for a year in Croatia and Latvia at 14. I had all of my firsts on that set.

Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about?

I’ve just finished shooting a new film up in Belfast, and it’s about one of my biggest historical hyper fixations, so I honestly couldn’t be more excited. It’s one of those projects I’d have been desperate to watch even if I wasn’t in it, so the fact I actually got to be part of it feels very surreal. I can’t say too much just yet, but I’m really excited for people to see it.

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past?

I spent a day on set with the late Sam Neill while filming Jurassic World, and that was pretty special. I absolutely loved the first Jurassic Park and grew up watching those films, so getting to share the set with him felt like a real pinch-me moment. He was incredibly lovely, and it’s a memory I’ll always treasure.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

Probably Faye Marsay. Truly – and I know she’s going to hate that I said this – but the way she carries herself, as both an actor and a human, she’s the blueprint for me. Also, just an absolute geg!

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

Comedy, without a doubt. There’s such music to it, and it’s something I’m only just starting to really fall in love with. Being on set with some of the SNL comedy greats has completely sparked that interest in me. Watching how they work and the precision behind making something genuinely funny has inspired me to learn as much as I can about the craft.

Who is an actor, writer or director you’d love to work with?

I’d love to work with Paul Murray. His novel The Bee Sting is one of those books I completely devoured, and if it ever gets adapted for the screen, I would absolutely love to play Cass.

I’m also a huge fan of Yorgos Lanthimos. I love the worlds he creates, and Emma Stone is top two for me so that would be dreamy. If I could tick both of those off in one project, I wouldn’t complain!

Do you get to spend much time at home?

It’s hard to define exactly what I call home these days. I’ve lived in London for the last four years, and my family home is in the process of being sold, so ‘home’ feels less like a place and more like the people I love. For me, that’s my mam and my partner. I’m really looking forward to spending a few weeks in Belfast with them, switching off and just pottering about together. It’ll feel like having a proper summer holiday again.

Do you live in the town or the country?

I live in East London, so definitely more town than country. It has all the perks of city life, but without the constant hustle and bustle of the centre. It feels like a nice balance – you’ve got loads going on, but you can still find pockets of calm.

‘I want my home to feel like Santa’s grotto.’

Which do you prefer?

I have this romantic fantasy of living off the land in a little commune with all my mates, raising naked babies and growing our own vegetables. But then I also love the buzz of people. I’ll never be someone who settles in one place forever – I like the idea of home changing with different chapters of my life. That being said, Belfast is my favourite city in the world and I will be raising my kids there.

What’s your interior design style?

Maximalism, all the way. I want my home to feel like Santa’s grotto – full of colour, character and little treasures from past lives. The more eclectic, cosy and lived-in, the better.

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives?

I don’t, haha! I think anyone who works freelance – especially in a creative industry – can probably relate to that.

I’m definitely still figuring it out, but I’ve learnt that making time for the people I love, switching my phone off every now and then, and properly resting between jobs is just as important as the work itself. You have to inhale to exhale.

How can we all live a little bit better?

I think it starts with looking after your hardware. Are you sleeping, eating and moving your body in the way it deserves? If the answer is no, start there before trying to radically change everything else.

I think a lot of our mental wellbeing is connected to our physical wellbeing. When we look after our bodies, we create a much stronger foundation for everything else.

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

I’ve been doing a lot more writing in my free time now that I feel like I’ve got my inspiration back, which has been really exciting. I’m also hoping to get to lots of festivals, do some travelling, and complete my yoga teacher training in Thailand before exploring Vietnam whilst I’m out there. It feels like a really nice balance of being creative, learning something new and making the most of having some time to explore.

‘When we look after our bodies, we create a much stronger foundation for everything else.’

What Aisling Is Loving Right Now

I’m currently watching… Breaking Bad – I think it’s finally time!

What I’m reading… Strange Buildings by Uketsu – woah.

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… The second episode of Breaking Bad. This is actually the third time I’ve tried to get into it. I’ve watched the pilot a few times but never quite felt hooked enough to keep going. Something about it has always felt a little flat to me, but I’m determined to push through this time because I know how iconic it is.

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… Animals by Blindboy, one of my favourite writers and podcasters, which will be on at the Abbey Theatre this September as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. He’s truly one of the most important people in my life and we’ve never even met – but his way with words is next to nothing, so I’m looking forward to seeing how his work plays out on a stage.

Favourite film of all time… The Incredibles

Favourite song of all time… ‘Karate’ by Tenacious D

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Sarah Lavender ASMR

My ultimate cultural recommendation… Brazilian garlic sauce. At first it was daunting – they have it just out on all the tables over there and unfortunately it’s a bit of an ominous creamy white looking substance – but it has rocked my world.

Cultural guilty pleasure… Unfortunately I have put blackcurrant in that pint of Guinness.

Aisling Sharkey stars in Ted Lasso, with new episodes landing weekly on Wednesdays on Apple TV.

Photographer: Nathan Magee – Papertrees