Wicked’s successful film adaptation has brought The Wizard of Oz back into public discourse, and some have noted its parallels found in Ted Lasso. Now, series writer and star Brett Goldstein has set the record straight about the close relationship between the Apple TV+ series and the classic film and book.
The Wizard of Oz was a big inspiration for Lasso’s creative team
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Brett Goldstein was asked point blank whether Ted Lasso was an intentional retelling of The Wizard of Oz.
The actor behind Roy Kent, who was also a writer on the show, gave a remarkably candid response.
Oh yeah, there’s loads and loads of The Wizard of Oz in Ted Lasso…The pinball machine is the one that’s always ‘Ted has to go home. There’s no place like home.’ And then, there’s no place like Richmond F.C. Yes, that’s all Wizard of Oz.
Where things got especially interesting was when Goldstein proceeded to share specifics around character parallels. Maureen Lee Lenker writes:
Goldstein took things a step further, clarifying who each character on Ted Lasso was meant to represent in the story. “I’m the Tin Man,” he says of his own character, Roy Kent. “Ted is Dorothy, Rebecca’s the Lion, and the Scarecrow is Jamie.”
So there you have it. Assuming Goldstein wasn’t just being tongue-in-cheek, the character profiles are actually not very surprising at all.
- Ted Lasso—Dorothy—is the lead, plus he’s from Kansas and pines for home
- Rebecca, the Lion, is initially driven by fear but comes into her own as a fiercely powerful businesswoman
- Roy, the Tin Man, gets taken on a journey that proves he has a heart
- and Jamie, the Scarecrow, seems brainless at the start, but similarly proves otherwise by the end
I’d be curious to hear more from Goldstein, and the rest of the creative team, about all the ways The Wizard of Oz influenced the series. Especially if there are more direct character inspirations they drew from the classic film.
Are you surprised by Goldstein’s comments? What other characters do you see Wizard of Oz parallels for? Let us know in the comments.
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