Sam Obisanya isn't a laugh riot on "Ted Lasso." Rather, it was likely how involving his Season 2 arc was (activism, leadership, love) that earned the actor who plays him, 25-year-old Toheeb Jimoh, his first Emmy nomination. If the dark evolution of Coach Nate (Nick Mohammed) from sweet milquetoast to burgeoning supervillain has cooled the reception to the series' second outing, Sam's development could be the show's new hope.
"The relationship between Sam and Ted kind of parallels me and Jason," says Jimoh of co-creator and star Jason Sudeikis. "He's really helped me stand on my own two feet as an artist, just as Ted helps Sam stand on his own two feet as a player and as a person. It's dope."
Initially quiet Nigerian import Sam — not superstar Jamie (Phil Dunster) or old-guard hero Roy (Brett Goldstein) — is becoming the ideal player-leader under Coach Ted. Thrown into an environment in which he was doubted and bullied, Sam, like Ted, doesn't respond with confrontation.
