Ted Lasso star James Lance on Trent Crimm reveal: 'He was looking for the perfect moment'
There are many ways the fictional story about a closeted soccer player whose secret is discovered by a sports writer could go, and many of them would likely involve a great deal of stress and drama. But the writers of Ted Lasso took a different, if very on-brand, route with their handling of the show's plot line involving Billy Harris' AFC Richmond player Colin Hughes and James Lance's journalist Trent Crimm.
Apple TV+ James Lance in 'Ted Lasso'
At the end of season 3's third episode, Trent, who is writing a book about the Ted Lasso-managed British soccer club, saw Colin kissing his boyfriend. The moment opened up the possibility that the journalist might make public the sports star's sexuality or use the information for some sort of nefarious end. The other shoe seemed about to drop in last week's Amsterdam-set episode when Trent followed Colin to a gay bar, prompting the athlete to swiftly exit with the writer on his heels.
After Trent caught up with Colin, the journalist announced, "I already knew, I've known for months, I haven't said anything to anyone. I must have a good reason for that, mustn't I?"
That reason, both Colin and the audience discover, is that Trent is queer, too. In the duo's next scene, we find the writer describing how he had to come out to the mother of his daughter twice before she believed him.
"I have an ache, an ache for both my lives to be my only life," Colin told Trent. "I don't want to be a spokesperson, I don't want a bunch of apologies. All I want is for when we win a match to be able to kiss my fella the same way the guys get to kiss their girls."
The next we see the pair, they have returned to the bar for a drink.
Apple TV+ Billy Harris and James Lance in 'Ted Lasso'
Lance tells EW of the episode, "I guess it's been a little while coming, what happens there with Trent. I think he was looking for the perfect moment to reach out to young Colin. You could see that [Colin] was out there on his own, and now was the time, now was the moment. I think Trent just wanted to let him know that there was a safe space for him, where he could be himself."
"That little section between Colin and Jimmy Lance, Trent Crimm, was so important," Harris says, adding that "any football fan throughout the world needs to maybe give that a watch, to sympathize with these players. You see, out of the game, they are people, and have personal lives, and maybe you're not really seeing their full life."
Lance reveals that the show has received positive feedback about the episode.
"Yeah, yeah, we have," he says. "I mean, it's really had a wonderful impact out there. I've had quite a few texts just saying that, certainly for younger people, that this is really really important for them to see out in the world. It's great."
While happy to talk about his character's reveal in the last episode, Lance is more tight-lipped when it comes to teasing what might happen in the remaining half of what could be the show's last season.
"I really wish I could," he says. "But I think you're going to enjoy it. It's a great season. What we've got coming up is pretty exciting."
Ted Lasso season 3 is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
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