When you think of elegant celebrities, one person who might come to mind is Hannah Waddingham. The Ted Lasso alum has shown on many occasions that she exudes grace and charm when she attends major events. However, she’s also known for not mincing words when the occasion is appropriate. That’s exactly what happened when she attended an awards ceremony this past weekend and was asked to show leg. Waddingham ultimately called out the photographer with some brief, yet direct, comments. And those who’d like to see the exchange can do so, because we have video, courtesy of social media.
The 49-year-old actress served as host at The Olivier Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall this past Sunday. As expected with such circumstances, she posed for photos amid the festivities. It was during that time that someone made the aforementioned request for her to reveal a bit of leg. The Emmy winner seemed surprised by the remark and noted that the photog wouldn’t ask a man to do the same. She then expanded on her appeal by saying, “Don’t be a dick,” before saying she might move on from the photographers. Take a look at the footage, which was shared by @odeiotedlasso on X down below:
long story short: hannah was being her gorgeous self and the 📸 made some comment about her leg we couldn't quite make out and... well, the video speaks for itself. This woman is a role model. Always, always call pricks out on their bullshit. https://t.co/TUPwdqEYo2 pic.twitter.com/ybhxCo5FJ6April 14, 2024
Her initial assertion isn’t wrong, to be fair, as it’s not common that a male star gets asked to show off a part of their anatomy while appearing at an event like this one. It’s clear, based on her reaction, that she’s not here for any kind of comments like the “leg” request. What’s also not surprising is that after the exchange, the fan-favorite star seemingly kept it moving like nothing happened. From what I’ve seen of her public persona, I’ve always believed Hannah Waddingham to be a no-nonsense person, and her response here further cements that notion for me.
Throughout her career, Hannah Waddingham has shown that she’s not one to suffer fools. She has no problem standing up for herself and, in doing so, she’s ultimately defended other people as well. That was the case in 2023 when Waddingham stood up for Tom Cruise when he faced media scrutiny, saying she has “no time for anyone saying anything about him.” Earlier this year, Waddingham – who worked with Cruise on the eighth Mission: Impossible film – recalled being “fractionally vilified for saying something nice” about the actor. All in all, she found the situation to be “hilarious.”
Any blowback aside, the Hocus Pocus 2 star seems to be thriving right now, and she was certainly living her best life at The Olivier Awards. She most notably started the night off with a bang, by performing a rendition of “Anything Goes.” You can check out the excellent musical moment for yourself:
Fans may currently be wondering what the actress has planned next from a professional standpoint. Well, in addition to the upcoming M:I sequel, she’s involved with two flicks on the 2024 movie schedule – action comedy The Fall Guy and animated romp Garfield. As for a post-Ted Lasso TV gig, she’s set to lead a currently untitled spy comedy that’ll eventually hit Prime Video.
It seems that Hannah Waddingham’s star is still on the rise, and one would think that the number of fans she has is also increasing. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gained a few more admirers after her viral “leg” conversation, too. Following that situation, one would think that a person will think twice before making such a request of Waddingham moving forward.
You can see the actress’ acclaimed performance as Rebecca Welton on Ted Lasso by streaming all three seasons with an Apple TV+ subscription. And keep yourself locked on the 2024 TV schedule in case she has any other productions that land dates on it.
