Yahoo TV

The White House press secretary was joined by Jason Sudeikis and the cast of the comedy-drama series Ted Lasso in Washington to advocate for mental health awareness during a briefing on Monday, March 20.

Karine Jean-Pierre started by highlighting President Joe Biden’s commitment to mental health as a “centerpiece of his Unity Agenda”, before handing the podium to “Coach Lasso”, the name of the character played by Sudeikis in the series,

Sudeikis, who was in DC to speak to Biden and the first lady about the importance of mental health, encouraged people across the political spectrum reach out for help and help those around them.

“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 who has — or have been that someone ourselves, actually — that’s struggled, that’s felt isolated, that’s felt anxious, that has felt alone,” Sudeikis said.

“We encourage everyone — and it’s a big theme of the show — is, like, to check in with your — you know, your neighbor, your coworker, your friends, your family, and ask how they’re doing and listen sincerely,” he continued.

“We also have to know that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help ourselves. And that does take a lot, especially when it’s something that has such a negative stigma to it, such as mental health. And it doesn’t need to be that way.

“You just want to emulate, you know, these make-believe folks that we all play at AFC Richmond and the way they take care of one another,” Sudeikis finished.

Sudeikis also took a question from fellow actor James Lance, who introduced himself as his Ted Lasso character, journalist Trent Crimm.

The Ted Lasso star also politely declined to perform his Joe Biden impression from Saturday Night Live. Credit: White House via Storyful