Quote Of The Day: Jason Sudeikis On Hitting Rock Bottom

The infectious optimism of “Ted Lasso” pushed Jason Sudeikis’ popularity to new heights when it debuted back in 2020. Four seasons later, the comedy has become one of the best shows streaming on Apple TV.

It’s unsurprising that Sudeikis knows how to tickle an audience’s funny bone: He cut his teeth performing improv comedy in the late 1990s and early 2000s and went on to write gags for “Saturday Night Live.” Whether it was his performances as George Bush, Mitt Romney, or the Devil — Sudeikis quickly became a regular highlight of the NBC sketch comedy show. He also had smaller roles in “30 Rock,” one of the best sitcoms ever made, before making the jump to the big screen with movies like “Horrible Bosses,” “We’re the Millers,” and “Sleeping with Other People.”

But “Ted Lasso” has now become the defining role of Sudeikis’ career, which is quite impressive since the character was first created for an NBC commercial. The titular coach has already delivered plenty of motivational messages for the AFC Richmond Ladies team during Season 4, so let’s take a look at some real advice from Sudeikis himself in today’s quote of the day.

“I think if you have the opportunity to hit a rock bottom, however you define that, you can become 412 bones or you can land like an Avenger. I personally have chosen to land like an Avenger … It doesn’t mean when you blast back up you’re not going to run into a bunch of s*** and have to fight things to get back to the heights that you were at, but I’d take that over 412 bones anytime.”

Jason Sudeikis’ quote comes from his 2021 GQ cover story published before “Ted Lasso” Season 2 was released and after his high-profile split from his longtime partner Olivia Wilde. The story examined all that had happened to Sudeikis across such a short time period — from the dizzying heights of success of “Ted Lasso” to the drama surrounding the end of his relationship. 

The star unpacked how he handled that difficult year, noting that it’s not always easy getting back up again.

The “Ted Lasso” star’s comments conjure up a pretty striking image: “Landing like an Avenger.” Whether that’s Iron Man, Captain America, or any other marvelous caped crusader is up to you, but the idea is simple: If you’re going to fall, at least land in a way that feels powerful. 

If life knocks you down, land in a way that helps you get back up to try again. Obviously, that doesn’t suddenly mean that things are going to get easier — Jason Sudeikis himself acknowledged that in the aformentioned quote — but it’s certainly going to put you in a better position going forward.  

Sudeikis has continued to push forward even through difficult seasons of life, winning four Emmy awards for his work on “Ted Lasso.” 

• “People are getting cynical about the news. It doesn’t seem like there’s one place to watch where you get the straight dope. You watch the channel that proves your point.” — from a 2017 interview with the Los Angeles Times
  
• “It’s a very interesting space to live in, where you’re living in the questions and the universe is slipping you answers. And are you — are any of us — open enough, able enough, curious enough to hear them when they arrive?” — from a 2021 interview with GQ

• “Doing something you give a damn about with people you give a damn about is important. If you can find a way to do that even for 20 minutes a day each day, I think your life will be richly rewarded. It will actually be thrilling.” — from a 2023 interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal