As we bid a bittersweet farewell to the conclusion of season 3 of the beloved “Ted Lasso” (and ponder the future of the series), let us all find solace in exploring what we know about Jewish actor Brett Goldstein.
Born on July 17, 1980, in Sutton, London, Goldstein is a two-time Emmy award-winning actor, comedian and writer, best known for playing Roy Kent.
The British actor was born to a middle-class Jewish family, and had his bar mitzvah at the famous Wimbledon Synagogue.
Growing up, his dad instilled in him a love for Tottenham Hotspur, “which inspired Ted Lasso’s motto about it being the hope that kills you,” according to The Times.
“My dad and me, all we talk about is football. I do realize, for whatever our issues are and whatever repressions there may be, talking about football is how we communicate,” he said. “He’ll call me up and say ‘This is what happened at the football.’ But what he’s also saying is ‘I love you.'”
In 2020, Goldstein was originally hired as a writer for “Ted Lasso” but that quickly evolved into him being cast as aging footballer Roy Kent. His performance in the first two seasons earned him back-to-back Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
The character Roy Kent is actually a year younger than Goldstein (who is 41), but in football/soccer terms, he’s borderline ancient. Roy Kent’s age obsession probably isn’t the best for Goldstein’s mental health:
“I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with death,” he said in an interview. “There are cultures that talk about death and ours isn’t one of them. I’m scared and worried about people I love dying — and when you get older, more die. It’s something we need to probably think about a bit more.”
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the 41-year-old.
“I do think there is so much stuff put out into the world on the internet and in art that tells you the world is bad,” he told The Times in an interview. “And the world might be bad — but the majority of people are not. Also, the older I get, the less horrible sh*t I want to see. I hate seeing people get hurt.”
In 2020, Goldstein told Esquire that his dream job was to work on the Muppets. “That’s my ultimate goal, is work with the Muppets. I do that, then I’m dead,” he said.
He did make an appearance in February on Sesame Street with Oscar the Grouch, who by the way, has an Israeli cousin named Moishe Oofnik.
Goldstein’s obsession with the Muppets even led him to writing a poem:
Kermit is not a great host,
~ Brett Goldstein
Fozzie is not a good comedian,
Miss Piggy is not a great singer,
None of them are actually good at it,
but they f*cking love it!
and they’re like a family,
and they like putting on the show,
and they have joy,
and because they have joy,
it doesn’t matter that they’re not good at it.
and that’s what we should all be, Muppets!
Originally Published Jun 4, 2023 02:16PM EDT
