TED LASSO Co-Creator Brendan Hunt To Premiere THE MOVEMENT YOU NEED in Chicago
Hunt's new one-man show is fueled by bittersweet memories of his Chicago childhood, a love for The Beatles that got him through it, and more.
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Emmy and SAG Award winner Brendan Hunt will return to his hometown of Chicago this spring to present his one-man autobiographical show The Movement You Need: An Evening with Brendan Hunt. Directed by Ashley Rodbro, this Broadway-bound, three-week limited engagement runs at Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. from April 19 - May 10, 2026.
Emmy and SAG Award winner Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso’s co-creator/writer/“Coach Beard”) will present his hilarious new one-man show fueled by bittersweet memories of his Chicago childhood, a love for The Beatles that got him through it, and the tongue-tied moment he met Paul McCartney. The Movement You Need is a laugh-filled love letter to the family that makes us, the music that shapes us, and the crazy shit life throws our way.
Produced by Tiwary Entertainment Group and Lead Producer Vivek J. Tiwary, the new production features scenic design by Meredith Ries, lighting design by Nick Solyom, sound design by Kate Marvin and projection design by Stefania Bulbarella. Elie Landau serves as Executive Producer.
(playwright/performer) is an award-winning actor, screenwriter, and playwright living in Los Angeles, best known for co-creating the international hit Apple TV series Ted Lasso along with Jason Sudeikis, Joe Kelly and Bill Lawrence. He is also an ensemble member for the show, portraying Ted’s trusty assistant Coach Beard. In its first two seasons the show won consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, a Peabody Award, and many others.
A Chicago native and a veteran of sketch and improv comedy, Brendan’s first professional gig was as a performer and writer with Amsterdam’s notorious comedy theater Boom Chicago, where he performed with Sudeikis, Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele, Ike Barinholtz, Amber Ruffin, Heather Anne Campbell, and many more. His solo show about that experience, Five Years in Amsterdam, debuted at IO West in Los Angeles, and went on to be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, UCB LA, UCB NY, Second City e.t.c., and the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.
In theater, Brendan has twice been nominated for LA Theater’s Ovation Awards, winning one for Best Actor in a Musical. His two plays, Absolutely Filthy and The Art Couple, both had sold-out LA runs, with the former winning Best Show at both the Hollywood Fringe Festival and the New York International Fringe Festival. His newest solo work The Movement You Need just completed a sold-out run at the Soho Playhouse in Manhattan and is eyeing a Broadway debut.
TV and film appearances include Bless This Mess, Community, Parks and Rec, Key & Peele, and the upcoming indie science fiction film Terrestrial. Brendan also voiced the character of “Gunther Melmac” in Pixar’s latest animated film Elio.
His time in Amsterdam engendered in him a passion for the sport of football that would eventually prove to be life-changing, leading not only to Ted Lasso, but also finding him as co-host of Apple News’ wildly successful World Cup podcast After the Whistle with NBC Sports’ Rebecca Lowe. Brendan is currently shooting Season 4 of Ted Lasso.
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