Isaac McAdoo is a main recurring character featured in the Apple TV+ series, Ted Lasso, and a footballer who played Centre Back for AFC Richmond. He is seen with other team members and participates in group activities such as karaoke and dancing in clubs. He hangs around with Colin Hughes, Sam Obisanya, Moe Bumbercatch, and Richard Montlaur most of the time.
Ted Lasso admires his ability in training, particularly his stature, and describes him as "a Rodin sculpture in cleats".
The Lackeys[]
He and his close friend, Colin, were heavily under Jamie Tartt's sway in the locker room. For some time he and Colin bullied Nathan Shelley at Jamie's request, but his influence on him seemed to wane after Ted and Roy Kent successfully exposed Jamie as a bully and tells both of them to stay away from Nate. After Jamie left the club, Isaac's behaviour seemed to improve, especially after Nate gets promoted to assistant coach..
During the 'ghost cleansing' ceremony, Isaac throws a pen shaped-duck that quacks into a bin before they take it out outside and set it on fire. Colin throws his Lamborghini's key to the bin as a way of solidarity, which makes Coach Beard asks him how he's going to get home. According to actor Billy Harris via his Twitter, Isaac drives him back home after the ceremony.
Before the match against Everton F.C. in Liverpool, Nate roasts Isaac in front of other players that he's been playing football like a "big dumb pussy" as a motivation. At first, he gets angry, but Nate explains that Isaac is more concerned about looking tough than being tough, and there is a way to be intimidating without being physical. The motivation seems to work as the team wins the match.
The Angry Captain[]
During the team meeting for the preparation against Manchester City F.C., Nate shows the squad a video of Jamie talking down to Richmond which makes Isaac break the tv in anger. Before the match, Roy chooses Isaac as the new captain and gives him the Captain Arm Band. When Roy gets injured and hurt his knee, Isaac leads the team into using the 'Lasso Special' elaborate set-piece; the American Football strategy confuses the opposing team, and it gives Dani Rojas a chance to score a goal. Unfortunately, they lost the match.
When Jamie returns to Richmond, Isaac tells him off that he was the reason the club got relegated, which then prompts everyone else to chime in angrily. During practice, Ted as 'Led Tasso', yells at Isaac for being mouthy, and order everyone to run 10 laps around the field.
Isaac is the first person to support Sam boycotting Dubai Air by covering the sponsor's name on his uniform with black tape, as he has a sense of solidarity and respect for his Nigerian blood and fellow players. Tommy Winchester then follows after him including Jamie and other team players before their match against Coventry City AFC.
The official promotional image of Isaac in season 3
Gillette Soccer Saturday panelists are talking about the lack of leadership from Isaac, but Roy defends him by saying that the new captain will find his way. Meanwhile, after losing a match, Isaac yells at Jan Maas for having a bad defense. Ted, however, tells everyone about the 'RomCommunism' philosophy; believing everything's going to work out in the end. But Isaac has trouble coping with being the captain, so Ted decides to go to an unlikely source: Roy Kent. After some reluctance, Roy asks Ted and Isaac to meet him at the place where he grew up and used to play football. Roy then tells Isaac to play a football game with some locals and after a few rounds, Isaac finds his bearing and has so much fun at the friendly game. The key message Isaac has to accept from Roy is to have fun while playing football.
In the next match against Sheffield Wednesday AFC, Isaac is doing a fun warm-up doing funny handshakes with his fellow teammates and coaches. It prompts Chris Kamara to comment that it's nice to see Isaac's smile which makes Roy abruptly leave the panel and run off to the Nelson Road Stadium to accept the coaching position. Isaac sees Roy enter the stadium and hear the crowds' chant, welcoming him.
Roy is coaching the players and Isaac is happy that the club has some winning streaks under his tutelage, calling it "The Roy Kent Effect". During a match against Tottenham Hotspur, a frustrated Nathan Shelley orders Tommy Winchester, Paul Reynolds, and Babatunde to substitute Dani Rojas, Colin Hughes, Richard Montlaur positions and orders Isaac to use the "Park The Bus" defensive strategy to win the match.
The Locker Room Barber[]
When Sam gets a notice from Bantr that his blind date wants to meet him for a dinner, he asks Isaac for a haircut. Isaac is the official locker room barber, and all the players are participating in the elaborate ceremony of haircutting. Jan asks what's the big deal with the haircut by Isaac, which Moe answer that Isaac is an artist with hair clippers. Colin explains that he only gives one haircut per season and only during special occasions. Dani says that he will not be using his haircut privilege until he gets married or gets circumcised. Thierry Zoreaux cannot believe that Sam is wasting Isaac's haircut for a blind date. Sam's only reply is that he believes that the date will be something very special. so Isaac expertly cut and clip his hair with the support of the squad.
When Rebecca Welton's father passed away, Isaac tells everyone that they need to go to the funeral as a team; therefore everyone needs to dress suitably and not wear trainers. At the church, Colin and Isaac say their condolences to Rebecca and sing along with her with Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up" as a sign of empathy.
The Leader[]
After the news article from Trent Crimm about their coach's panic attack is published, Isaac voices his opinion that they should hurt whoever the anonymous source who leaked the personal information was, which the rest of the team agrees, but Ted rather everyone focuses on their match against Brentford FC for a place back in the Premier League. When the squad's morale is low after being beaten during the half-time, Isaac touches the "BELIEVE" sign on the wall, follows by the rest of the team members while the coaches (minus Nate) and Will Kitman looks proudly.
During the match against West Ham United F.C., player Armando scores a goal for his club and wins the half-time. Dejected, Isaac and the rest of the team are fired up and pissed off when Beard and Roy shows them a video of Nate ripped apart the BELIEVE sign. During the match, every player plays very dirty and aggressive including him. When Armando is dribbling the ball and is going to score the goal, Isaac grabs his kit from behind and pull him to the ground hard, practically slamming him. Isaac's action prompts many West Ham players from the side to runs over to him and a fight ensued with the Richmond backup players, and their team lost to West Ham.
Richmond visits Amsterdam for an Exhibition Match (Friendlies Match) against AFC Ajax, and Isaac is very upset that his club suffer a loss against the club from Netherland. Ted tells everyone to have fun in Amsterdam for the whole night to lift their spirits, which actually makes him excited. Isaac tells everyone to meet up in the lobby of their hotel so they can decide where to go and what to do. At the lobby of their hotel, the team can't decide where are they going to do. Jan Maas offers they go to a private party at Groningen which makes some of them object because it takes two hours to go the party. Thierry Zoreaux proclaims that they should see a live sex show, and the teammates are split with the decision.
Isaac insists that the team should be together no matter what, and they spend the whole night arguing, discussing, and voting where to go and what to do, when they finally decides to play pillow fights at the lobby of their hotel. He doesn't realize that Colin slip out from the hotel on his own. In the morning, Isaac and the team's spirit are lifted and they go home to England with a better mood.
The Ally Friend[]
When there are many nude photos of celebrities are leaked on the internet, the team discusses whether they should delete their photos from their phones. Colin thinks that deleting photos makes no sense because it feels like deleting their memories, but many disagrees. Isaac insists that all of the team players delete all compromising pictures on their phones. While the rest of the team deletes photos in the locker room, Colin slips out to the hallway so people do not see his photos are of men. Isaac sees him leave and follows him, saying that he wasn’t playing and Colin has to delete his photos like everybody else. Believing that Colin is not following instructions, Isaac grabs his phone and sees what’s on Colin's screen. He gives him back the phone, saying nothing, then leaves.
During a match against Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Isaac seems distracted and won't even look at Colin. He ignores and refuses to touch Colin's hand during a huddle and even misses a goal. A Richmond fan keeps yelling at him, hurling some insults and when he's saying a pejorative term for a gay person, the captain loses it. He confronts the fan and ready to fight, but everyone stops him. Isaac gets a red card and gets kicked out from the match, and the fan also gets booted from the Nelson Road Stadium.
Richmond loses the first half, and when the players returns to the locker room, everyone is confused with Isaac's behavior. Ted asks what happened, and Isaac tells him that the fan said something ignorant, which confuses everyone after Sam tells them that the fan said the "F" word, but it's not "Fuck". Jamie says that they should just ignore people like that, but Isaac angrily says that they shouldn't because what if there's a gay person in the team? Isaac storms out from the locker room, and Moe Bumbercatch thinks aloud that maybe Isaac is gay, hence the anger. The coaches think they should support Isaac for being gay, but Colin confesses that it's not their former captain who is gay, but it's him.
Roy tries to talk with Isaac, but he doesn't want to get yelled at. His coach convinces him that he won't yell at him, in fact, he understood whatever happened isn't what he really angry about. Roy tells Isaac to trust him, and he needs to deal with it sooner or later or he's going to fuck up whatever that he really cares about. Will Kitman then chimes in and preaches the exact same thing like what Roy had just said, only more flowery.
Colin and Isaac are friends again
At night, Isaac visits him at his house and tells him that he's angry for being lied to. He asks Colin why he didn't tell him about the secret and thought that his best friend didn't trust him. Colin says that it's not about Isaac, but more about himself, because even though he knew that Isaac would support him, there was still a fear that he would reject him, and that scared the hell out of him. Especially knowing that Isaac can't keep a secret; after all, Colin had been keeping a secret for years, but after Isaac found out, the secret is out immediately.
Isaac apologizes and Colin forgives him. But when asks whether he would tell everyone about his sexual orientation, Colin doesn't care. The only thing he cares that the team knows, and that's enough for him. The two best friends make amends at each other and Colin asks him whether Isaac want to hangout. They both plays some video games and Colin tells him that he loves his best friend and knows that he will not answer back, but Isaac answers that even when he will not answer, he knows that he does love him. The two continues to play their video game in silence, finally at peace.
From Arlo White's cheat sheet:[]
- Vice Captain - Will lead the side against City if Roy Kent is benched.
- His mother has two left hands
- Official locker room barber
- Admits that he's "addicted to Rolos"
Notes[]
- Actor Billy Harris posts a lot of behind the scenes video and pictures with actor Kola Bokinni as they are friends in real life.
- In season three, actor Kola Bokinni is promoted to the main cast and received a name credit in the intro.