As “Ted Lasso” returns for Season 4, Tanya Reynolds is bringing a very different coaching style to AFC Richmond.
Reynolds joins Season 4 of the Apple TV+ comedy as Alice Chilton, the coach of AFC Richmond’s women’s soccer team, whose tough, guarded demeanor couldn’t be more different from Ted’s signature optimism. Though Alice is initially perceived as “cold” and “standoffish,” the coach’s walls slowly start to come down, showing viewers her complex backstory.
“She’s a real juicy onion,” the actress tells Variety during the July 27 premiere.
Co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis offered Reynolds the role without showing her the script, walking her through Alice’s personality rather than teasing the episodes themselves. “Jason had given me a very detailed rundown of who she was and what her storyline was. [Alice] was so far away from me, and it was a process of trying to figure out why she was so tough, why she was so cold and standoffish. I was trying to understand the psychology of that.”
The actress is one of the many new faces joining the Emmy-winning comedy’s highly anticipated fourth season, which premiered on Aug. 5, three years after the Season 3 finale. Despite her excitement, Reynolds admits joining such a beloved series came with plenty of pressure.
