No, Brett Goldstein's Ted Lasso Character Is Not CGI
We didn't think we'd have to say this... and yet.
Roy Kent is played by Brett Goldstein -- a real human man.
Whenever a TV show hits peak popularity, inevitably a wild rumor sprouts. In the case of wholesome comedy Ted Lasso, now in its second season -- and going strong, despite Twitter discourse -- this rumor is on the weirder end of the spectrum.
Fans and punters online are convinced that the foul-mouthed but endearing footballer Roy Kent, played by Brett Goldstein, is actually a CGI creation. Why, you might ask? Because of his similarity to PS4 FIFA characters, the sharpness of his appearance and a disputed "glow" that apparently surrounds him on screen.
Ted Lasso co-creator and actor Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard on the show, told CNET, "I can neither confirm nor deny that if you entered data into an algorithm for 'building the perfect actor' it would produce Brett Goldstein."
On the one hand, Goldstein can probably take it as a compliment that fans think he's too good to be true, but just for argument's sake, let's be serious.
In a world of deepfakes, have people gone too far with their suspicions?
The easy and simple answer is: Yes. Yes they have. Sorry, but you're wrong.
ted lasso fans think that one of the main characters is entirely cgi https://t.co/fPJGAaoiiP
— esther (@capybaroness) August 31, 2021
no more ted lasso discourse it's time for "brett goldstein is cgi" discourse pic.twitter.com/DkSlFAlNp7
— guy (@guymrdth) August 28, 2021
Not only is Goldstein a very real actor and comedian who has acting credits dating back to 2003 -- including an episode of Doctor Who and writing credits on The Catherine Tate Show -- but he's also one of the writers and executive story editors for Ted Lasso. His involvement with the show is extensive and public.
Sure, video game technology has led us to a point where characters can feel very realistic, but this is not a case of CGI. This is something a very quick Google search could have alerted you to.
Brett Goldstein exists in a very real way.
Brett Goldstein is a real human man.
These are not sentences we thought we'd have to write, but here we are.
A more plausible, yet still unlikely, rumor to spin out of the show is the recent appearance of what looked like an iPhone without a notch. Could it be the iPhone 13?! Ironically, this probably is CGI.
