While most of the original cast are confirmed to be returning, Phil Dunster still won’t share whether he’ll be back for Ted Lasso season 4.
Despite being a critical and viewership sensation for Apple TV, the Jason Sudeikis comedy’s future was in doubt for the longest time, with progress being made quietly in the years following the season 3 finale as Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift all signed contracts to reprise their roles. Ted Lasso season 4 was later greenlit in March 2025, with Sudeikis, Juno Temple and Brendan Hunt all further confirmed to be back, and the plot set to see the titular character coaching a female futbol team.
Now, in an interview with ScreenRant‘s Liam Crowley for his new HBO Max comedy Rooster, Phil Dunster was asked about his potential return in Ted Lasso season 4. When asked about being spotted on set for the next chapter of the Apple TV comedy, the Emmy-nominated star confirmed he was on set, though in a visiting capacity as his wife Ellie Heydonis part of the directorial team for the new season, and as such was “visiting her while she was working.”
Dunster was subsequently asked about the set photos showing him donning blonde hair more akin to that of Jamie’s hairstyle in season 3 than his natural black hair, to which he stated he did to “really throw [my wife] off” when turning up to the Ted Lasso season 4 set. He further joked that he was “auditioning for Ken after they’d filmed Barbie,” humorously hoping for a role in the potential sequel to Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s film.
Across the first three seasons, Dunster was one of the central figures in the show’s cast, with Jamie Tartt’s journey from the egotistical superstar to a compassionate, team-driven figure being a fan-favorite of the series. As with most of the other characters, Jamie got a largely conclusive ending to his arc in Ted Lasso season 3’s ending, having finally reconnected with his father, while his career future remained unclear.
Dunster’s appearance on the Ted Lasso season 4 set came just two months into production on the show’s next set of episodes, with a video showing a bleach-blonde appearance from the Emmy nominee in the Richmond area. Some believed this to have been in contradiction to previous reports that Dunster’s schedule with another series was the reason for his not returning as Jamie for the Apple TV comedy, with said other show believed to be Rooster, also hailing from co-creator Bill Lawrence.
Interestingly, Dunster also isn’t the only original cast member yet to be confirmed for an appearance in Ted Lasso season 4. Thus far, Nick Mohammed has remained mum about returning as Nate for season 4, despite season 3 ending with him returning as a coach and assistant kitman to Richmond. Additionally, all of the original Richmond roster, ranging from Toheeb Jimoh’s Sam to Cristo Fernández’s Dani and Billy Harris’ Colin, among others, and Sarah Niles’ Dr. Sharon all remain unconfirmed for any season 4 appearances.
Jamie Tartt is one of the best characters to come out of Ted Lasso with a fantastic arc, and that’s exactly why he shouldn’t return for season 4.
While the Emmy nominee continues to downplay the chances of his return, that doesn’t necessarily mean the door is entirely closed for Dunster to return as Jamie for Ted Lasso season 4. He, Lawrence, Sudeikis, Hunt and Joe Kelly may have found a way to pull off his scheduling for a cameo appearance at the least, which could be a setup for a bigger role in a future season, or a quick sight gag of Jamie promoting a new product, thus resulting in the wild new hairstyle.
Ted Lasso season 4 is set to premiere on Apple TV in August.
- Release Date
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August 14, 2020
- Showrunner
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Bill Lawrence
