Melissa McCoy interview: ‘Ted Lasso’ editor

“It always comes back to, are we being honest and truthful to these characters?” declares Melissa McCoy, the editor for Apple TV+’s Emmy-winning comedy “Ted Lasso.” “The writers and Jason [Sudeikis] have imbued them with such deep, rich backstories, and they will share those little nuggets with us. Like, ‘This line that Rupert says to Rebecca hits different because in their past, this happened.’ And it’s always coming from a real place.” We talked to McCoy as part of our “Meet the Experts” TV editors panel. Watch our exclusive video interview above.

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Winner of seven Emmy Awards, including Best Comedy Series, “Ted Lasso” stars Sudeikis as an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team. What he lacks in knowledge he makes up for with optimism, determination and biscuits.

“The actors are amazing,” McCoy gushes. “Their performances are so beautiful and real. When they’re being sincere and honest, in a place where it’s more dramatic, it’s coming from a real place, but the humor is also coming from that place. Yeah, we have some absurdest things that happen. For the most part it’s your office comedy, your family comedy. There’s the ups and there’s downs. We lean into that aspect. This is our ragtag family and you love them flaws and all.”

For the editor, “Rainbow” was one of her favorite episodes of the season. “This was the romantic comedy that I’ve always wanted to do,” she admits. “I’m a huge Nora Ephron fan. I watch ‘When Harry Met Sally’ once a year. I watch ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ once a year. Those are films that make me feel safe and warm. Talking with Jason about the episode it was like, I love that this a romantic comedy, but it’s not a woman-man story. There’s not that dynamic, but it’s a romantic comedy. The end of that episode was probably one of my favorite things I’ve gotten to put together.”

McCoy is an Emmy nominee and American Cinema Editors Award winner for “Ted Lasso.” Her career has also included “Beyond Limits,” “Rush Hour” and “Life Sentence.”