Hannah Waddingham says she was told her looks would ‘never work on screen’

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Hannah Waddingham disclosed that during her time as a student, an acting coach conveyed to her that her physical appearance would not be suitable for the camera.

The British performer, who is 49 years old and renowned for her portrayal of Rebecca Welton in the hit show Ted Lasso, has had a long and illustrious career in the entertainment industry. She is also a proficient host and had the honor to co-present the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.

Michelle Visage was talking about her youth on the podcast 'Rule Breakers' on BBC Radio 2. The actress, who has performed on both television and stage, shared a story about a drama teacher she had. During a class, the teacher informed everyone that Hannah wouldn't be successful on screen because she appeared as though she'd suffered a stroke on one half of her face.

"I made a decision to pursue a career on screen, no matter what obstacles came my way," she explained to Visage. "This determination had a lasting impact on my mindset for years to come. That's why I emphasized it in my acceptance speech."

She went on to say, "I made a promise to myself that if I was given this unexpected opportunity to receive an award and enter the industry, I would use it to pave the way for future musical theatre or theatre enthusiasts."

In 2021, Waddingham was honored with an Emmy for her remarkable performance in the TV show Ted Lasso. During her acceptance speech, Waddingham highlighted the talent of professional musical theater actors and offered them her support. She passionately expressed a plea for giving them more opportunities onscreen, stating that these performers are immensely talented and will exceed all expectations given to them.

In the podcast, Waddingham mentioned that when she declined to take a reference from the headmistress of her school, she was discouraged from pursuing a career in the arts.

I recall telling my school principal that I was interested in pursuing drama. She responded by saying that I was intelligent enough to study drama as a subject. However, I insisted that I wanted to actively participate in drama instead of just reading about it.

"She declined to provide me with a recommendation," she carried on. "Luckily, I was able to secure a scholarship for the drama school I attended, and I returned to her office, placed it on her desk, and exited without closing the door."

Looking back at her school days, she mentioned: "The headmistress would never take me seriously because I had different aspirations than the traditional academic path." "It bothered her that I didn't choose the same route as everyone else," she continued. "To spite me, she would cast everyone else in the school plays and make me an understudy."

Hannah Waddingham, who won an Emmy award earlier, was honored with the entertainer award at the Glamour Women of the Year awards 2023. In addition, during the holiday season, she hosted a musical event at the London Coliseum titled "Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas."

Waddingham also received the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the Critics Choice Awards in 2022 for her role in Ted Lasso. She has also acted in Game of Thrones, Sex Education on Netflix, and the ITV drama Tom Jones.

You can tune in to Michelle Visage's Rule Breakers podcast on BBC Sounds.

More information was gathered by the Press Association and included in this blog post.