*Careful, spoilers of Season 3 of the show Ted Lasso will be included in this article*

Fans of the hit comedy TV show Ted Lasso were greeted by a polarizing new character at the beginning of Season 3. The newest member of A.F.C. Richmond is a superstar soccer player like few others, and he goes by one name only: Zava.

The introduction of the character has been a major talking point among Lasso fans, and as we've come to learn, a graduate of a prominent Upstate New York university is responsible for bringing him to life.

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Syracuse University Grad Polarizes 'Ted Lasso' Fans with Zava Portrayal

A story from New York Upstate shared an outstanding profile on actor Maximilian Osinski, who graduated from Syracuse University in 2006. A character played by Osinski has been at the forefront of the hit comedy series, Ted Lasso, as the show makes its way through its third season, which is currently airing on Apple TV+.

Osinski brought-to-life the character of Zava, a soccer superstar in the Lasso-verse who shocks the football world by agreeing to join A.F.C. Richmond instead of choosing a larger, more prolific organization.

29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Cocktails
Dichen Lachman and Maximilian Osinski / Getty Images
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Zava isn't the most lovable character you'll ever watch on the small screen; he's mild-mannered and relatively soft-spoken, but operates with an infuriating sense of egotism and self-righteousness.

According to NY Upstate's profile on Osinski, he had to develop two "skills" to prepare for this role: the ability to play soccer, and the ability to be an ego-maniac. Directors on the show told him you take care of the swagger, we’ll take care of the ball, which helped make Osinski more comfortable while developing this notorious character's personality.

Despite the reassurance from the show's directors, Osinski still hired soccer trainers to help him develop a few basic skills for his time on the pitch.

Fans have loved-to-hate the character during his time with the Greyhounds, and if you watch the clip below, you'll begin to understand why:

Maximilian Osinski's story, both as an actor and a human being, is nothing short of remarkable. He was born in a refugee camp in Austria to two Polish parents, who were able to flee the country and come to the United States.

After making it to America, he grew up in Chicago before being accepted into the acting program at Syracuse. He studied abroad in London during his time as a member of the ' Cuse community, and after graduating, began his career in Hollywood soon after.

Now, he's dominating the small-screen with performances like this:

Aside from his time on Ted Lasso, Osinski has added credits like these to his resume:

  • The Last Ship (2014-16, 3 episodes)
  • MacGyver (2020, 1 episode)
  • Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020, 27 episodes)
  • The Walking Dead: World Beyond (2021, 9 episodes)

Based on his incredible portrayal of Zava, it appears that this resume is set to grow exponentially in the next few years!

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