What Would Ted Lasso Say? Jason Sudeikis Just Ditched His SHRM Keynote Speech to Go Watch Caitlin Clark

Ted Lasso would never cancel on you at the last minute because he wanted to do something fun, but Ted Lasso creator Jason Sudeikis would and did. Sudeikis was slated to be the keynote celebrity speaker at the Society for Human Resource Management annual convention this past weekend, but he canceled at the last minute.

To go to a basketball game.

Granted, it was to see Caitlin Clark, but here’s the thing about basketball–there will be another game. 

I have very strong feelings about celebrity speakers at conventions, and this proves them all. Even though you may never organize a conference, the lessons apply on the management level as well. Here’s why you should rethink using celebrities as role models.

Celebrities don’t care about your business

Could it be any more obvious that Sudeikis doesn’t give a flying fig about SHRM? The man who created the people-savvy Ted Lasso character just flat-out doesn’t care about the HR professionals who wanted to see him.

It’s doubtful that any high-priced speaker you hire has a deep and abiding love for your industry. In fact, they likely do not even know much about your industry. This doesn’t mean they aren’t good speakers–it’s just that they don’t know much about your industry.

Of course, sometimes this is fine, as the goal is a pep talk or feel-good speech. But the celebrity most likely won’t bring business value.

Actors are not their characters

Everyone loves Ted Lasso, but Sudeikis is not Ted Lasso. That can be hard to keep in mind. Even though Sudeikis created Lasso, they aren’t the same person–after all, do you really think Stephen King goes around murdering people? Lasso is a character, just as the scary clown in It is a character.

Every public figure is a character of sorts. Their public face can be very different from their private face. How many of us think of Dr. Cliff Huxtable when we think of Bill Cosby? Cosby is a brilliant speaker and comedian, but that doesn’t make him a good person. And we all thought Ellen Degeneres was the queen of nice until we learned she was not.

I don’t believe at all that a horrible person can’t give a good speech. Plenty of horrible people are incredible orators. But when you hire a keynote speaker, remember, you’re hiring a person–not their onscreen persona.

Use your money wisely

There is no doubt that some people decided to attend SHRM precisely to hear Sudeikis speak. Celebrities can increase attendance and income at your event. That’s why event organizers hire them.

But the cost is high. Celebrity Talent says Sudeikis charges between $300,000-$499,000 for a keynote address. Former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton earned $153 million in paid speeches prior to Secretary Clinton’s run for president in 2016. I don’t know how much SHRM paid President Clinton to speak last year, but I (and many other HR professionals) questioned the value of having a leader famous for having an affair with an intern speak at an HR conference. 

SHRM doesn’t pay its other, less well-known speakers, and only reimburses travel for a few of them. For the $300,000 Sudeikis charges, you can pay a lot of travel.

Of course, some celebrities are high-quality people and high-quality speakers. Al Roker stepped in to take Sudeikis’s place, and by all accounts was delightful. 

Whether or not the draw of celebrity is worth it is a question you have to consider. (Incidentally, Roker’s fees are between $50,000 and $100,000). Certainly, the right celebrity increases your turnout. But will they bring value to the event? Will they help attendees be better at their jobs? Will you get enough additional attendees because of the celebrity to make their astronomical fees worth it?

You don’t have to have a celebrity to have a good conference. You can pay industry speakers to add value to the conference with the money you save.

I’m sure Sudeikis won’t suffer permanent damage from blowing off HR people. And with a $20 million net worth, he probably won’t miss the fee. But hopefully, his actions will make people consider just why they are bringing in a particular high-dollar speaker.

One last note: Sudeikis was supposed to speak about mental health, workplace culture, and empathy. It seems he’s not an expert on any of these–except maybe his own mental health, which he bolstered by attending a sporting event.