The beloved but temperamental Roy Kent of Ted Lasso fame has some unusual inspirations, far removed from the famous former footballer that birthed the character concept. The Apple TV+ series was a beacon of hope during a pandemic-era television landscape that saw challenging productions lead to unsatisfying content. Its story of an optimistic American football coach traveling to England to lead a Premier League team was a breakout hit because of its relatively simple approach to depicting characters that want to be good people.
One character that did not seem to fit the mold was Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein), captain of AFC Richmond in season 1, who came off as irritable, defensive, and downright mean in tense situations. Ted Lasso's showrunners built Kent's personality around the similarly aggressive nature of real-life pro footballer Roy Keane, who captained Manchester United from 1997 to 2005. Like Keane, the grouchy Roy Kent habitually makes unsafe plays on the football pitch and emotional outbursts outside of it.
In an interview with The Times' Jonathan Dean, Goldstein discusses the series, his career, and the melting pot of odd influences for his moody fan-favorite character. He states that Oliver Twist antagonist Bill Sikes, the psychological thriller Don't Look Now, The Muppets, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Céline Sciamma serve as the basis of Kent's persona. The interview also addresses Keane's impact as an intimidating midfielder, accurately describing Goldstein's character. Check out the full quote below:
I ask which footballers Kent is based on. The answer? Oliver Twist’s nemesis Bill Sikes. That is not a deflection — other influences include Don’t Look Now, the Muppets and the French arthouse director Céline Sciamma, who made Portrait of a Lady on Fire. One former professional, though, did tell Goldstein that part of his job was to intimidate the other team to make them run at him less, so it is no surprise that Roy Kent shares initials with the Irish tyrant Roy Keane.
This mish-mash of fictional inspirations may seem out of the blue, but the educated cinema fan may make sense of them. Kent's development from hardheaded sports star outside of his prime to one of Ted Lasso's resident sweethearts runs the gamut of these sources. He showcases the nastiness of the criminal Sikes, the silliness of the Muppets, and the emotional complexity of some of arthouse cinema's most acclaimed tales of grief and romance. Kent's ability to reflect inward and recognize his mistakes while simultaneously motivating others depicts his depth as a character and is a stark contrast to his rugged exterior. Of course, his comparison to Keane makes the most sense, but even that template begins to change as the show goes on.
Goldstein also talks about how the benevolent coach Lasso reflects our best selves and how the show is about "people trying to be better," a theme that will undoubtedly endure in Ted Lasso season 3. Kent's inspirations may appear vile, melancholy, and even totally out of place on the surface, but they ultimately feature the complexities between peoples' relationships and how those connections can change people—often for the better, but sometimes not. Kent still has room to grow throughout Ted Lasso but faces difficult choices in his career and personal life if he wants to avoid heartache.
Source: The Times