Hannah Waddingham

Hannah Waddingham, born on July 28, 1974, is a British actress and television presenter best known for her role as Rebecca Welton in the comedy series "Ted Lasso" from 2020 to 2023. Her portrayal earned her several accolades, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021 and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021 and 2022.


In addition to her television success, Waddingham has an extensive background in theater, having appeared in numerous West End shows such as "Spamalot," the 2010 revival of "Into the Woods" at Regent's Park, and "The Wizard of Oz," where she played the role of the Wicked Witch of the West. Her performances on stage have garnered her three Olivier Award nominations.


Waddingham's film credits include a role as an ensemble member in the 2012 film adaptation of "Les Misérables." She also joined the cast of the fifth season of the HBO series "Game of Thrones" in 2015, portraying the character Septa Unella. Additionally, she co-starred in the 2018 British psychological thriller "Winter Ridge," directed by Dom Lenoir, and had a supporting role in the series "Sex Education" from 2019 to 2023.
In 2023, Waddingham co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, showcasing her versatility as both an actress and a presenter.


Hannah Waddingham was born in Wandsworth, London. Her mother, Melodie Kelly, was an opera singer, and both of her maternal grandparents were also opera singers. When Waddingham was eight years old, her mother joined the English National Opera, exposing her to the world of theater from a young age.


Waddingham is a graduate of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. Known for her exceptional vocal abilities, she possesses a four-octave vocal range. She began her career in dinner theater, where she performed in the interactive comedy "Joni and Gina's Wedding."


Hannah Waddingham has had a prolific stage career, appearing on both London's West End and New York's Broadway. She made her West End debut in "Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens" at The Queens Theatre in 1998. Subsequently, she starred in "Lautrec" by Charles Aznavour in March 2000 and originated the role of Christine Warner in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton's "The Beautiful Game" at the Cambridge Theatre from September 2000.


Waddingham's stage credits also include portraying Starbird in "Space Family Robinson" in 2002 and portraying Satan in "Tonight's the Night: The Rod Stewart Musical" at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 2003. However, she is perhaps best known for her portrayal of the Lady of the Lake in "Spamalot," both in the London production and on Broadway, earning her an Olivier Award nomination.


She received outstanding reviews for her performance as Desirée Armfeldt in Trevor Nunn's revival of "A Little Night Music" and received another Olivier Award nomination for her role in 2010. Additionally, Waddingham originated the role of The Wicked Witch of the West in the West End production of "The Wizard of Oz" in 2011, winning the whatsonstage.com Theatergoers Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.


In 2012, she starred in Chichester Festival Theatre's revival of "Kiss Me, Kate," which transferred to the Old Vic Theatre in London's South Bank later that year.
Outside of theater, Waddingham has also made appearances on television and in films. She hosted the Fantasy, Myths, and Legends Prom as part of the 2023 BBC Proms but withdrew from the event in solidarity with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.


Hannah Waddingham's versatility extends beyond the stage, as she has made notable appearances on both television and film.
In 2011, she appeared in an episode of the BBC sitcom "Not Going Out," playing the role of Jane, an actress in an adult film. She also had a small role in the 2012 film adaptation of "Les Misérables."


Her portrayal of the "Shame Nun," Septa Unella, in seasons 5 and 6 of "Game of Thrones" garnered attention, with Waddingham filming her scenes shortly after the birth of her daughter. She also had a recurring role in the Netflix series "Sex Education" as Jackson's mother, Sophia Marchetti.


From 2020 to 2023, Waddingham gained widespread acclaim for her role as Rebecca Welton, the owner of AFC Richmond, in the Apple TV+ series "Ted Lasso." She showcased her singing talent in several episodes of the show and received numerous awards for her performance, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award.
Waddingham also appeared as Mother Witch in "Hocus Pocus 2," Disney's sequel to the beloved film "Hocus Pocus," released on Disney+ in September 2022. Additionally, she portrayed Lady Bellaston in the ITV drama series "Tom Jones," based on Henry Fielding's novel.


In March 2023, Waddingham was announced as part of the cast for the untitled eighth "Mission: Impossible" film. Later in May 2023, she co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, showcasing her versatility as a television presenter alongside Alesha Dixon and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, with Graham Norton joining them for the final.


In 2000, she played the role of Christine in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton musical "The Beautiful Game" in London's West End. Following this, she released a single of the song "Our Kind of Love" from the production in October 2000. The single achieved moderate success, peaking at No. 41 on the UK charts.


Waddingham continued to showcase her vocal abilities, singing the role of Starbird on the soundtrack recording of "Space Family Robinson," released by Pop! Records in May 2002. This coincided with her performance in the stage production of the same name at London's Pleasance Theatre.


On 22 November 2023, Waddingham's debut album, a live album titled "Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas," was released. Recorded at the show of the same name for Apple TV, the album features Waddingham's renditions of Christmas classics. It debuted and peaked at numbers 51 and 43 on the UK Albums Downloads and Soundtrack Albums charts, respectively.

References

1.  Schneider, Michael (18 January 2021). "'Ozark,' 'The Crown' and Netflix Lead 26th Annual Critics' Choice Awards TV Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
2. ^ "British actress cast as Septa Unella". Watchers on the Wall. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
3. Girimonte, Melissa (11 November 2021). "Hannah Waddingham: Things Fans Might Not Know About The Ted Lasso Star". Looper. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
4. a b Hallemann, Caroline (23 July 2021). "Hannah Waddingham on the Gift of Ted Lasso". Town & Country. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
5. a b "Space Family Robinson". London Theatre. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
6. a b Bletchly, Rachael (8 January 2014). "I'd never been groped in my life - and then I joined the cast of Benidorm". Mirror. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
7. a b c Kirkland, Justin (23 July 2021). "A Few Glasses of Airplane Champagne With Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham". Esquire. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
8. ^ "Productions: Lautrec". thisistheatre.com. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
9. ^ "Productions: The Beautiful Game". thisistheatre.com. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
10. ^ "Productions: Tonight's The Night". thisistheatre.com. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
11. ^ Bassett, Kate (7 December 2008). "A Little Night Music, Menier Chocolate Factory, London". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
12. ^ "Olivier awards nominations". The Guardian. London. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
13. ^ "Into the Woods wins Best Musical Revival". Olivier Awards. Archived 12 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
14. ^ Raven, Paul (11 February 2011). "Second Chance To See Into The Woods". Westendtheatre.com.