‘Ted Lasso’ actors visit White House to promote mental health

Washington The cast of hit comedy series "Ted Lasso" was meeting President Joe Biden on Monday to promote mental health awareness, but the actors´ message was briefly eclipsed by a disgruntled journalist´s live-television outburst in the White House briefing room.

Jason Sudeikis, who stars as Ted Lasso, a baffled American football coach at a dysfunctional English soccer club, led fellow actors onto the daily briefing room podium alongside Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

"No matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter who you voted for, we all probably -- I assume we all know someone... that´s struggled, that´s felt isolated, that´s felt anxious, that´s felt alone," Sudeikis told reporters.

That caring message -- building off the mental health challenges that the Lasso character faces in the series -- was, however, derailed briefly when a journalist began heckling.

The reporter for online outlet Today News Africa broke the storied briefing room´s unwritten rules by loudly repeating that he was not picked by Jean-Pierre to ask questions as often as he wanted, sparking uproar from other journalists as he refused to stop shouting.

A grim-faced Jean-Pierre, still standing next to the "Ted Lasso" actors, eventually threatened to call off the briefing and the heckler fell quiet.

Biden on Sunday tweeted a photo of the Oval Office with a sign reading "BELIEVE" taped above the door -- a reference to Lasso´s mantra.

The Biden administration said it 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" won Emmys in 2022 and 2021 for best comedy, best lead actor in a comedy for Sudeikis and best supporting actor in a comedy for Brett Goldstein, among other wins.

After winning in 2021, Sudeikis said the show was about family, mentors and teachers, and teammates.

"And I wouldn´t be here without those three things in my life," he said.