Ted Lasso Creator Defends Casting Daughter in New Show: ‘She’s a Rockstar’

Scrubs and Ted Lasso creator Bill Lawrence recently defended casting his daughter, Charlotte Lawrence, in his new crime comedy series Bad Monkey. Lawrence stressed that Charlotte earned the role after auditioning alongside other actors, and acknowledged the advantages she’s had due to her family connections.

Charlotte, 24, is the daughter of Lawrence and Cougar Town actor Christa Miller. In a conversation with The Independent, Lawrence noted that Charlotte has independently built a career as a singer-songwriter, despite her parents having no connections in the music industry.

“My daughter made her way in that business on her own,” Lawrence pointed out. “She was very adept at handling ‘nepo baby’ interviews. She recognized her privileges and was grateful for them. Watching her acknowledge this, I thought, ‘I’d love for her to be in Florida with me for three weeks.’”

Bad Monkey, an adaptation of Carl Hiaasen’s cult bestseller, features Vince Vaughn as a former detective turned food inspector who is investigating the mysterious appearance of a severed arm. In the show, Charlotte makes her television debut as Caitlin Stripling, a character who suspects her stepmother Eve (played by Search Party‘s Meredith Hagner) of suspicious behavior following her father’s death.

Lawrence emphasized that Charlotte secured the role through a traditional audition process. “I didn’t initially consider her for it,” he said. “All her friends, given who she is and where she lives, were auditioning for it. Eventually, the audition tapes came in and one of them was Charlotte’s. At first, I was annoyed, but soon I got super excited about it.”

Lawrence also highlighted the constant suggestions he receives to cast young actors with a large social media following. “Many times I hear, ‘Hey Bill, your show could use someone under 25 who has a million Instagram followers,’ and the business side of me thinks, ‘My daughter fits that description,’” he remarked.

“I’m really proud of her. It’s a joy to spend time with and work alongside her,” Lawrence continued. “She’s a rock star and she’s awesome.”

Reflecting on a recent concert of Charlotte’s, Lawrence shared: “I took the whole family to see her play at Radio City Music Hall two months ago. I was decked out in her merch, including a Charlotte Lawrence sweatshirt. Seeing her perform brought me to tears. Many people didn’t realize I was her dad; they just thought I was an old guy who happened to know all the words to her songs, which created some awkward moments!”

Bad Monkey premieres on Apple TV+ from August 14.

Source: The Independent