“Ted Lasso” star Nick Mohammed had to find “a real truth” to play Nate Shelley

Nick Mohammed, who stars in the Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso,” said he had to find “a real truth” to play Nathan “Nate” Shelley in the show, which is out with its Season 3 premiere on Wednesday.  

Shelley started off as an underdog character in Season 1, before Mohammed said things took a “slightly different turn” in Season 2, which is when he transformed his character — who is now considered something of a villain. 

“In order to sort of play it realistically I had to sort of find a real truth to why he was behaving that way,” Mohammed said of his character.

“A lot of it does stem from this toxic relationship he has with his dad,” Mohammed said Wednesday on “CBS Mornings.” “And you know, he was clearly bullied when he first started out as a kit man, by some of the players at the club, in AFC Richmond.”

Every villain has an origin story, he said, and Shelley is no exception — although he noted he can’t condone his character’s more recent behavior.

“I don’t condone it, but … he is quite fun to play,” he added.