The cast of hit show “Ted Lasso” is expected to visit the White House on Monday to discuss efforts to address mental health needs with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
According to an Apple TV+ statement, the visitors will include the Emmy-winning comedian and actor Jason Sudeikis, who plays the show’s namesake soccer coach.
The pandemic-era show often includes themes of optimism, kindness and determination. The character Dani Rojas, a soccer pro coached by Lasso, made the saying “Fútbol is life!” into a catch phrase in 2021.
Biden has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in federal, state and local efforts to better deal with mental health issues in the U.S.
Calling the state of the nation’s mental health a crisis after the coronavirus pandemic curtailed socializing and made many workers and children homebound, Biden last year argued for a major taxpayer investment in solutions.
The administration has put federal money behind expanding school-based mental health treatment and training first responders in how to respond to people in mental health emergencies.
“Mental health affects all of us,” Biden said in a statement in October. “We can and must do more to transform how we address mental health in America.”