Roy Kent is back. He’s here, he’s there, he’s everywhere!
After a two-year wait, Ted Lasso returns to Apple TV+ on Wednesday, bringing back one of television's most beloved characters. But before Brett Goldstein slipped back into Roy Kent's trademark growl, he helped create another hit with an unexpected Monmouth County connection. Goldstein co-wrote and stars in Office Romance, the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy that was partly produced at Fort Monmouth and that reached No. 1 on Netflix shortly after its release.
The story behind Office Romance is almost as entertaining as the movie itself.
Goldstein and fellow Ted Lasso writer Joe Kelly came up with the idea during a three-hour train ride between Manchester and London while working together. By the time the train reached its destination, they had the foundation of a screenplay. They also agreed on one thing almost immediately. If they were going to make the movie, Jennifer Lopez was the only actress they wanted to play the lead. Goldstein later laughed that when they pitched the project, they told Lopez she was "at the top of our list," before adding, "It's a list of one."
Fortunately for them, Lopez said yes.
She stars as Jackie Cruz, the founder and CEO of the fictional airline AirCruz, opposite Goldstein's Daniel Blanchflower, a British lawyer hired to help the company through a legal crisis. Lopez also served as one of the film's producers. She later revealed she was already a Ted Lasso fan, particularly Goldstein's performance as Roy Kent, making the collaboration an easy decision. Director Ol Parker rounded out the cast with Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, Tony Hale, Amy Sedaris, Jodie Whittaker and Edward James Olmos, who reunited with Lopez nearly three decades after portraying her father in the 1997 film Selena.
While movie fans know Goldstein as Roy Kent, many don't realize he almost never played the role.
He originally joined Ted Lasso strictly as a writer. According to Goldstein, he didn't believe he would be cast as Roy until Jason Sudeikis and the creative team encouraged him to audition. The gamble paid off. Goldstein won two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series while also continuing to write and executive produce the show, making him one of the creative forces behind one of television's most acclaimed comedies.
Wednesday marks the beginning of Ted Lasso's fourth season, with one new episode debuting on Apple TV+ followed by weekly releases through Oct. 7. This season sends Ted back to Richmond to coach the newly formed Lady Greyhounds, AFC Richmond's women's team, while familiar faces including Roy Kent, Rebecca Welton, Keeley Jones, and Coach Beard all return. The first trailer promises the same mix of humor, optimism, and heart that turned the series into a worldwide phenomenon and earned it 13 Emmy Awards.
Office Romance has its own New Jersey story to tell.
Although portions of the film were shot in the Dominican Republic, much of the production took place in New Jersey, including locations in Hoboken, Kenilworth, Montclair and Denville. Production also utilized facilities at Fort Monmouth, giving Monmouth County an early connection to a movie that would later reach audiences around the world. It's a noteworthy milestone because the film found global success before Netflix's permanent studio campus at Fort Monmouth has even been completed.
There's another fun New Jersey connection hidden in the screenplay.
Jackie Cruz isn't just based in New Jersey. She's proud of it. Rather than treating the Garden State as the butt of a joke, Office Romance embraces it as part of the character's identity. For New Jersey film fans, it's a refreshing change and another reminder that the state has become one of Hollywood's busiest production destinations.
For Monmouth County readers, Wednesday's return of Ted Lasso offers more than another chance to spend time with Roy Kent. It's a reminder that one of this year's most successful streaming movies already shares a connection with Fort Monmouth. If Office Romance is any indication, it may be the first of many productions that tie some of Hollywood's biggest stars to Monmouth County in the years ahead.