Hannah Waddingham and Jason Sudeikis Cover ‘Shallow’
Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham during the photocall for "Ted Lasso" Season 3 at Battersea Power Station on April 28, 2023 in London, England.
Jason Sudeikis did his best Bradley Cooper impersonation during his annual benefit concert for amputees in need. At this year’s event, which is called THUNDERGONG!, the Ted Lasso creator and star hit the stage with his former Saturday Night Live castmate Will Forte by his side to sing “Shallow,” from A Star Is Born. The iconic strumming of the guitar from the 2018 hit had the crowd roaring. Before Forte attempted to sing Lady Gaga’s part, a heavenly, velvety voice exploded through the speakers. Sudeikis’s Ted Lasso co-star and Broadway alum, Hannah Waddingham, took over the part.
In perfect Wadidingham fashion, she steps in between Sudeikis and Forte, not missing a beat of the song. She then smashes her hand on Forte’s face and pushes him aside. The crowd went absolutely wild. As the English actress belts, “I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in. I’ll never meet the ground,” Forte admits defeat and leaves the stage. Watch the amazing performance here.
About THUNDERGONG!
Sudeikis described THUNDERGONG! as “your most clever friend made you a mixtape” with songs that make you cry and songs that make you excited. The actor and comedian said the variety show, which began in 2017, is an evening of “that great, eclectic mixtape.” Also during this year’s THUNDERGONG!, Waddingham took the stage again. This time, she shaved off Ted Lasso co-creator and star Brendan Hunt’s beard while Sudeikis serenades him with Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself.” At the end of the shaving, Sudeikis auctioned off Coach Beard’s beard in a box with a plaque. Also performing at this year’s event include singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff, comedian Sam Richardson, musician Kevin Morby, and band Summer Breeze. Last year, the event raised over $600,000 for the Steps of Faith foundation to provide prosthetic limbs for amputees. And this year, the event made more than $800,000, according to KMBC News.
These Celebrities Don't Go By Their Real Names
In the entertainment industry, every aspect needs to be marketable. Some celebrities have really catchy names, while others have had to get their creative juices flowing to come up with a unique name to be known for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, there are some cases where there are other successful people in media who have the same name, and someone’s got to change their name to follow SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) rules. This guild that represents actors stipulates that no two members can have identical working names. An actor whose name has already been taken must choose a new name. SAG-AFTRA allows any new member to keep their legal name as their stage name, even if another member has the same stage name already, as long as they sign a waiver.
Why Use a Stage Name?
Furthermore, a middle name may be adopted in preference to changing a name to avoid confusion. In some cases, attaching a generational suffix is sufficient for guild rules. A person hoping to become successful as an entertainer who has a name identical to a name already familiar to the public (in any field of endeavor) may change their name to avoid having their name evoke the other person with the same name. When it comes to musicians spanning all genres, artists have come up with some pretty unique stage names. Some artists, like Sean Combs, use several aliases (P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Diddy, Puffy). Other reasons a performer will take a stage name is because their real name is considered unattractive, dull, hard to pronounce or spell, or even to retain anonymity. The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, started releasing his music anonymously on YouTube in 2009.
See which celebrities don’t go by their real name in the entertainment industry.
Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.
