Hannah Waddingham has made a name for herself in recent years with her acclaimed performance as Rebecca Welton on the hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso. However, Waddingham is far from an overnight success. She has over 20 years of experience on the stage and screen, showcasing her immense talent and versatility. Let’s take a closer look at Hannah Waddingham Net Worth in 2024.
As of 2024, Hannah Waddingham’s net worth is estimated to be around $4 million. While a chunk of this wealth has come from her Ted Lasso fame, Waddingham built her fortune through decades of hard work and determination. Let’s take a closer look at how this British talent achieved multi-millionaire status.
Early Life and Training
Hannah Waddingham was born on July 28, 1974 in Wandsworth, London to opera singer mother Melodie Kelly. With musical theater and performance running through her blood, a young Waddingham soaked up the world of theater by watching her mother perform.
By the time she was a teenager, Waddingham set her sights on becoming a performer herself. She studied at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and quickly began booking roles after graduation.
Theater Stardom in London and Broadway
Though Waddingham would go on to TV and film success, the theater is where she first made her mark. In the early 2000s she began landing starring roles in major West End productions like The Beautiful Game, Spamalot, A Little Night Music, Into the Woods and more.
Critics raved over Waddingham’s four-octave vocal range and magnetic stage presence. Her performance in Spamalot earned her a Laurence Olivier Award nomination and she wowed American audiences when she reprised the role on Broadway in 2008.
Over the next decade, Waddingham solidified her status as a London theater star, earning multiple award nominations and cementing her reputation as one of the West End’s most talented leading ladies. Though the stage remained her primary focus, it was only a matter of time before film and television came calling.
Early TV and Film Roles
Never one to turn down opportunities, Hannah Waddingham began appearing on British television in the early 2000s. Some of her early credits included series like Coupling, Doctors, Marple, My Family, and more.
In 2008 she got her first major film role opposite an A-list cast in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People with Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst. A few years later she again appeared on the big screen as a Factory Worker in the Oscar-winning musical Les Miserables.
Though these projects raised her profile, big-time success still eluded her. That was until a pair of career-changing supporting roles came her way in the mid-2010s.
Game of Thrones and Other Key TV Roles
Hannah Waddingham’s television career kicked into high gear when she was cast as the infamous Septa Unella on Game of Thrones seasons 5 and 6. As the “Shame Nun” who tortures Cersei Lannister, Waddingham left a memorable mark even in a small role.
Around the same time, Waddingham also began starring as Tonya Dyke on the popular ITV comedy Benidorm. Though the notoriously naughty character was a far cry from her theatrical roots, it showed Waddingham’s skills as a comedic actress.
Waddingham continued to balance stage and screen in the late 2010s, appearing on shows like 12 Monkeys, Krypton and more. Then in 2019, she joined the cast of Netflix’s buzzworthy new series Sex Education. Though it wasn’t the largest part, it marked her first role in an American production since Les Miserables.
Little did she know at the time that her next job across the pond would make her a household name.
Ted Lasso Catapults Her to Fame
In 2020, Hannah Waddingham landed the role of a lifetime as Rebecca Welton on Ted Lasso. As the owner of fictional English soccer team AFC Richmond, Rebecca finds herself reluctantly relying on American football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) to lead her flailing club.
Though originally intended as a supporting part, Waddingham brought such dynamism and depth to Rebecca that she emerged as the show’s female lead. With razor-sharp comedic timing and dramatic chops on full display, she became a critical standout of the award-winning first season.
Buoyed by viral popularity and acclaim, Ted Lasso turned Hannah Waddingham from “that actress I recognize” to a bonafide star practically overnight. With fame came financial reward in the form of a lucrative contract to return for future seasons.
Emmy Winner and Multi-Millionaire
When Ted Lasso dominated the 2021 Emmys with multiple wins, Hannah Waddingham completed her journey from theater darling to TV sensation. She took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, defeating even her own castmates like Juno Temple.
In an emotional speech, Waddingham thanked her cast and declared “There’s no Rebecca without Keeley” in a shout-out to Temple. She also touchingly dedicated the win to her young daughter watching at home.
That Emmy cemented Waddingham as one of Hollywood’s top talents. Thanks in large part to her Ted Lasso salary, her estimated net worth now sits between $3-4 million. And with more seasons of the hit show (and other projects) ahead, those millions will surely keep climbing. I sincerely hope you like reading this “Hannah Waddingham Net Worth in 2024? You Won’t Believe the Numbers” article.
