Hannah Waddingham played leading roles on theater stages, but TV stardom came later.
British actress Hannah Waddingham says that he got the strength to pursue a TV career because of a teacher's nasty comment.
Waddingham is known for his roles in blockbuster series Ted Lasso and Game of Thrones. He is also remembered as one of the presenters of last year's Eurovision Song Contest.
He told the British Broadcasting Corporation about his acting studies and the adversities of his career the BBC Michelle Visage's Rule Breakers on the podcast. Several foreign media reported on Waddingham's interview on Wednesday.
While studying theater Waddingham was told he wouldn't get TV roles because of his looks.
“I had one drama teacher who told the whole class: Hannah won't get a job on TV because her face looks half paralyzed,” the actress recalls in the podcast.
The mean comment gave him the urge to show off.
“I thought that I would get a job. Whatever happens, I'll be seen on screen again.”
However, Waddingham admits the comment made him feel insecure over the years. He played leading roles on the West End and Broadway theater stages, but at the same time pursued TV stardom.
Theater work besides, he accepted every small TV role he could get. In the end, he got frustrated and decided to stop working on TV when a bigger role didn't come along.
“Then came Game of Thrones“, he says.
Waddingham was seen in the fifth and sixth seasons of the HBO hit series in the role of nun Septa Unella. The final TV breakthrough happened in 2020 in the Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso.
Waddingham plays soccer club owner Rebecca Welton in the comedy series. He has received Emmy, Critics' Choice and Screen Actors Guild awards for his performance.
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