'Ted Lasso' cast visits White House to promote mental health

The stars of the hit comedy series "Ted Lasso" paid a visit to the White House on Monday to meet with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in an effort to raise awareness about mental health. 

The Apple TV+ show, which began airing its third season on March 15, explores the mental health of various characters, covering topics such as bullying, anger, relationships, self-esteem and panic attacks.

During the meeting, Jason Sudeikis, who plays the titular character of Ted Lasso, emphasized the universality of mental health struggles, stating, "No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter who you voted for, I assume we all know someone... that's struggled, that's felt isolated, that's felt anxious, that has felt alone."

In Ted Lasso, an American football coach is recruited to lead a struggling English football club, and the show has been widely praised for its uplifting and humorous portrayal of mental health issues.

The Bidens welcomed the cast to the White House to promote overall well-being. President Biden tweeted a photo of the Oval Office on Sunday with a sign reading "BELIEVE" taped above the door, just like Ted Lasso does in the show.

Tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/XPNAfqnzEj

— President Biden (@POTUS) March 19, 2023

The Biden administration has expanded mental health resources for young people and provided nearly $500 million to help states transition to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 

Ted Lasso has won numerous awards, including back-to-back Emmys in 2021 and 2022 for Best Comedy and Best Lead Actor in a Comedy for Sudeikis, as well as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for Brett Goldstein.