Jason Sudeikis explains why he doesn’t use his real name

The actor also revealed a surprising family connection to ‘Cheers’ star George Robert Wendt Jr

Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis has explained why he has not used his real first name for years.

Speaking to Today, Sudeikis said that since he shares the name Daniel with his father, his mother uses his middle name, “Jason”, to distinguish between them.

The award-winning writer joked: “I’m Daniel Jason and my dad is Daniel Joseph, so my mom decided to call me Jason so we knew which one she was yelling at.”

In a game of “True or False”, Sudeikis also revealed a surprising connection to Cheers actor George Robert Wendt Jr, who played Norm Peterson in the American sitcom.

When asked whether it was true or false that Norm Peterson is his uncle, Sudeikis confirmed that Wendt is indeed his mother’s younger brother.

Sudeikis – who is currently working with American healthcare firm Abbott and football club Real Madrid to help prevent malnutrition in children – also touched on the future of his Emmy-winning TV show about an American football coach recruited to lead a struggling Premier League soccer team.

While discussing whether he was feeling the pressure to keep the momentum of Ted Lasso going in its forthcoming third season, he joked that he should be writing instead of giving interviews.

He added: “As much as you really want people to connect with something you’re making and creating, you never anticipate it. So the fact that folks have...we’re just trying to do the same thing with the third season, and see if we can keep wooing folks.”

Finally, on whether Ted Lasso will return to TV screens for a fourth season, Sudeikis said that’s something even “Wikipedia might not know”.

However, Sudeikis has hinted that the show has a “three-season-arc”.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly earlier this year, he said: “The story that’s being told—that three-season arc—is one that I see, know, and understood. I’m glad that they are willing to pay for those three seasons. As far as what happens after that, who knows?”