Who Plays Dottie Lasso, Ted’s Mom, on ‘Ted Lasso’? Meet Becky Ann Baker

By Nicole Gallucci @nicolemichele5
Published May 24, 2023, 9:41 a.m. ET

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The great Ted Lasso once said, “I love meeting people’s moms. It’s like reading an instruction manual as to why they’re nuts.” After three seasons and 33 episodes of the Apple TV+ comedy, we finally got to meet Ted’s mom, Dottie Lasso, and honestly? It explains a lot.

Dottie, played by actor Becky Ann Baker, surprised Ted with a visit in Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 11, “Mom City,” and her sheer presence in his London life brought out a side of him we had yet to witness. When she accompanied Ted to work and charmed Rebecca, the team, the Diamond Dogs, and everyone she crossed paths with, it quickly became clear she and Ted share the same sense of humor and contagious personality. But Ted seemed increasingly unsettled as he watched everyone connect with Dottie. At one point, he even retreated to the pinball machine in Mae’s pub to sulk and get some much-needed time away. But why?

What’s Ted’s relationship like with his mom? And what do we know about Becky Ann Baker, the actor who plays Dottie Lasso? Here’s everything you need to know about the woman who birthed one of the nicest humans Rebecca has ever met.

What’s Ted Lasso’s Relationship Like With His Mom?

While Ted was seeking solace at the Wizard of Oz-themed pinball machine, Mae dropped some word of wisdom, explaining that parents “fuck you up” even though they don’t mean to, and when he and his mom got back to his apartment we saw a glimpse of her impact on him firsthand. Dottie gave Ted newspaper clippings of him that she saved from back home, then tried to ask about his panic attacks. Ted explained he’s been talking to a therapist and it’s really helped, then asked if she ever considered doing the same and she shut him down.

Later in the episode, when Ted went back home after the Manchester game to have a goodbye dinner (meatloaf AND lasagna) with his mom, he came right out and addressed his complex feelings for her. “Thank you for cooking dinner, both of them. And fuck you for not wanting to talk,” he said. “Thank you for flying all the way here to see me. And fuck you for not telling me you were coming. Thank you for all the small silly little things you did for me as a kid, you know, like hiding notes in my lunch box or putting googly eyes on the fruit at the supermarket just to make me laugh. And fuck you for not working on yourself or seeking help after we lost dad, and for not talking to me about it either, just glossing over the whole thing and acting like it was alright.”

Dottie apologized and said she didn’t know what to do after her husband’s suicide and pretended she was OK. As the two were having their most honest conversation in decades, Dottie dropped the truth bomb Ted needed to hear: “Your son misses you.” Ted broke down in tears and admitted he’s afraid to get close to Henry because he knows he’s going to leave, and Dottie comforted him, then added a hilarious, “Fuck you.”

Just as Ted has exhibited stunning emotional range throughout the series, Dottie’s single episode gave us a glimpse at her highs and lows; her humorous and serious sides. So what do we know about the actor who brought her to life?

Who Plays Dottie Lasso, Ted’s Mom, on Ted Lasso? Meet Becky Ann Baker

As noted, Dottie Lasso is played by Becky Ann Baker, the 70-year-old actor and Kentucky native married to actor Dylan Baker. If Becky Ann Baker looks familiar, you likely recognize her from her many roles in popular television shows and films over the year. Per IMDb, she kickstarted her on-screen career in 1985 and has starred in over 100 titles since — everything from Freaks and Geeks as Jean Weir and Spider-Man 3 as Mrs. Stacey to Girls as Loreen Horvath and more. She also has a history in theater, so you may even know her from the stage.

Though Dottie flew back home at the end of Ted Lasso Season 3’s penultimate episode, I suppose there’s still a chance we can see her again in the finale. If not, you can catch Becky Ann Baker in the 2023 film Starbright, the upcoming series The Girls on the Bus (listed as post-production), and future projects All Happy Families and Grand Death Lotto.

Ted Lasso is currently streaming on Apple TV+.