CRISTO FERNANDEZ is the former Mexican professional footballer who plays the gifted striker Dani Rojas in the award-winning Apple TV + series TED LASSO. He has become a cult figure because of his natural football skills, his bright smile as wide as a goalmouth and his famous mantra, 'Football is Life,' which he reveals today was accidentally discovered by him!

Here in an UP CLOSE interview with NUB NEWS at Richmond's Bingham Riverside Hotel, Cristo, aged 31 talks about his long journey to fame, his genuine love of football and the cast and crew of the cult show which he calls a 'big family.'

He also pays a glowing tribute to the writers and creators of the show, which has received 20 nominations for this year's prestigious Emmy awards which take place on September 12.

So Cristo, Richmond upon Thames is a long way from Guadalajara. Tell us a bit about what you like about this area. Have you actually settled in the area and where are some of your favourite spots?

I actually live in Hammersmith but I visit Richmond a lot. I brought my family over from Mexico. They had never been to Europe let alone London but I took my parents and my sister to the pub The Prince's Head on Richmond Green which is the Crown & Anchor in the show. I was just like a fan too because I had never done any scenes at the pub but that will change in Series Three. Several people came up to me and recognised me and my parents were totally shocked and said: 'Oh my god!' I have discovered quite a few places in Richmond I like such as Kapucin on Hill Rise, where they make the best coffee, Amorino, the brilliant ice cream parlour near the Green and Brindisa, the tapas bar overlooking the river. I love the pubs here because every pub has a story and a history and they have unusual names like Shakespeare's Head or The Twisted Tree. You can find a show or music in so many of these pubs and there is something for everyone, they are storytellers in their own right. One of my favourites is The Old Ship around the corner from the Prince's Head.

I have seen you meeting some of the show's fans in the Richmond area and spending time talking to them – what sort of things do they say to you?

Most of the time their first question is whether I played football for real and they want to know if I am really like Dani Rojas. They also want to know if I am really Mexican and what level I played at. Or they just shout at me Football is Life! Of course, I also get lots of comments from fans about the penalty incident with the dog (spoiler alert) but as they say 'no animal was ever hurt in the making of Ted Lasso.' Lots of people ask about the dog and even though it was a scene done with brilliantly realistic effects and CGI I still felt bad about it in that people had thought I had hurt the dog!!!

I did play in the second division and was training with the first team, when I suffered my knee injury which stopped me progressing my career. So then I studied communications in Mexico and discovered my passion for acting and film-making. I know many friends who have had promising football careers which have been cut short and they have struggled afterwards. In those days football REALLY was my life. My mother said I read, watched, breathed football all the time, I knew nothing else but then injury struck. When I was a kid my grandma said I was going to be a footballer and I could barely walk at that stage! There was no history or sport or football in my family. My dad is a lawyer and my mother is a teacher and a psychologist.

Cristo Fernandez's character Dani Rojas is a strong favourite amongst Ted Lasso fans (Photo credit: Apple TV+).

There's been lots written about how you got the role as Dani but originally I think you were auditioned with a view to being an Icelandic character called Gonnar. Was he going to be a footballer too?

The truth Is that I did a self-tape audition for Ted Lasso in March 2019 because they wanted a Latin/Spanish type player, who was supposed to be the bad guy in the show, but in the end they decided that actor should be British and it was Phil Dunster who became Jamie Tartt and is brilliant at being the bad boy as well as a good footballer! They began filming the show in August 2019 and I heard nothing so I had given up on any role. But then in September one of the show's creators Bill Lawrence tweeted me and just said 'great audition man.' I was slightly confused given I had failed to get a part just said thanks and wished him good luck for the show. But then they asked me to audition for a guy from France, Africa or Iceland, who was going to be a footballer in the show too. The Icelandic name was Gonnar and the first time I did a table read I played the character of Gonnar. Later on at the Premiere of Series Two in Los Angeles Bill Lawrence was doing a Q and A with the audience and he said the idea for Football is Life was Cristo's. I couldn't believe it but he then told me that when I did my audition I said: "Hello, my name is Cristo Fernandez. Thank you very much for the opportunity. I want to speak about football because football is life." So I was credited with phrase by the big boss and that was good enough for me!

Since you have been in England have you become a big fan of an English club? If so, which one and why? Have you been to many games here?

As my mother has said my entire life was football and I was always a big fan of the Premier League. My team was always Manchester United because Chicharito (Javier Hernandez) was my hero. He also comes from Guadalajara and now he plays for LA Galaxy so I hope to meet him some day. He was a brilliant player and always had a nose for goal, he would jump on the slightest chance to score a goal, whether it came off his knee or anything. I also loved Wayne Rooney, Ruud Van Nistlerooy, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar from that era. My big hero at the moment is Raul Jimenez, who plays for Wolves and is the only Mexican player in the Premier League. I am also a massive fan of Ronaldinho, the Brazilian legend. I have been lucky enough to see Chelsea against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season and I have been to Crystal Palace where much of the Ted Lasso filming is done and to West Ham's stadium.

Cristo Fernandez has shared a love for football from a very young age.

Be honest now, who is the best footballer in AFC Richmond – is it YOU given your background as a professional in Mexico or Phil Dunster?

That's a tough question. I think everyone plays football. I prefer to let people decide. Everyone in the team, plays football, perhaps at different levels. In the show I personally do all my stunts and tricks because I feel that I have a duty to honour my professional past. I really did win the crossbar challenge and I scored the goal direct from the corner kick. Out of all the players only Brett, who plays Roy Kent needs a bit of help! I love to look after myself. After all, I am playing the part of a professional footballer at the highest level so I stay fit by swimming, I do lots of running and I go to the gym just to keep in shape.

Tell us a bit more about your background Cristo?

I came to England in 2016 when I knew my football career was over and I wanted to explore many things. I worked at Guildford Spectrum as a lifeguard and I worked at a bar in Tooting market called Tacos and Tequila as a bartender and dishwasher just to earn some money. I had to save for years and at one stage I was working in a restaurant, doing some sports marketing and working as a wedding photographer from Monday to Sunday. I also worked as a life insurance salesman which has proved to be great training. It really taught me about rejection and people saying no which I also had to get used to when I struggled for work. It made it easier to handle. I have lived in Tooting, Clapham, Fulham and Pimlico. I then studied for a master degree at the Guildford School of Acting from the University of Surrey in the UK. I became fluent in various languages including English, German, French, Italian and, Spanish which really helped my career and got me involved in various film projects with my own independent company Espectro, which has already made several short films but I am learning so much from the cast and crew of Ted Lasso.

Have you had a chance to visit many other places in England while you have been here?

I've been to Stonehenge!

Tell us a bit about some of the stories behind the scenes – it seems the cast are all great friends as well as fantastic actors. Have you formed some strong friendships through the show?

The craziness of this show is amazing. Through the pandemic we could really see how much the power of the show had and what it meant to people, how it affected them. It truly is like a family, the cast and the crew are all one big happy family. The writers are geniuses and the scripts are so intelligent. I have never seen anything like it. I go to bed learning my lines for the next day, when I wake up the lines had been changed and when I got to the set they had been changed again. They all work on the basis is that there is no such thing as a bad idea. Everyone puts so much of themselves into their role and their character. I am full of admiration for Jason. He has not only made my dream come true but he thinks of every detail. His leadership creates good vibes and creates a very positive environment for the cast and the crew. There are people who started out as runners who are now assistant directors and people in catering who are now in the art department and people who started out as extras who are now fully-fledged actors with lines in the show. They want to create opportunities for everyone. They all have so much humility. Jason is a genius and Brendan and Joe Kelly deserve massive recognition for the environment they have helped create. He also likes to honour and recognise those people who have helped him along the way and there are teachers and former colleagues who have inspired some the names of characters in the show.

Cristo Fernandez explained how a strong bond has been established between the cast and crew.

You are now regularly recognised in the street but I read that in America you were actually asked for a selfie in the loo. Is that true? What happened?

Yes, amazingly it is absolutely true, believe it or not. It happened at a shopping mall in Los Angeles. I was in the loo when I could feel this person just staring at me as I was taking a wee.. It was very unnerving. Eventually, he said: "Are you that smiley one from Ted Lasso?' He didn't even know my name, not Cristo or Dani. He asked for a selfie right there on the spot as I was having a wee. I said 'can you hang on a minute until I've finished' and he just took the selfie right there in the loo. That was one of my stranger encounters……

Without giving too many secrets away can you give us any little clues as to where Dani Rojas goes in Series Three?

I obviously don't want to give too much away and we are still filming but what I can say is that there is a lot more football which is great for the football fans. There are some very funny moments for Dani and the viewers will discover other facets of Dani's personality and I am sure fans of the show will like it. That has been another talent of the writers is that we have learned more and more about depth of the characters as the series has developed. There was a lot more in Series Two than Series One and there is a lot more in Series Three.

What will be next for you and where might we see you next if this is really the last series of Ted Lasso?

I really want to push myself and if I keep doing that then I really believe things will happen naturally. There are some projects in the pipeline but I will still have to keep working hard to bring them to life. For me, I would love there to be more Ted Lasso beyond Series Three. As I have said we are one big happy family,. The cast and the crew. We work closely together but we are also good friends off set and hang out together. I have loved and cherished every single moment of Ted Lasso and learned so much. I personally think this will be the last one and I understand that and totally support the creators and the writers but there may be scope for some kind of spin off or a movie. My world will be a strange world without Ted Lasso in my life but I am sure will move on and apply all the knowledge and learnings to the next phase of my career.

'Dani Rojas' in action taking a crucial penalty for AFC Richmond (Photo credit: Apple TV+).

Can you sum up the impact and difference Ted Lasso has made to your life?

It is very difficult to explain the scale of this because it is so great. On the one hand I always wants to remember where I have come from and the community of my family and friends in Mexico and what it took to get here and on the other I want to encourage people to follow their dreams and ambitions. My football career has helped me to be the person I am today. I didn't want to move out of comfort zone but I have learnt to push and be positive but it takes hard work and risks. I hope Ted Lasso will keep opening doors for me for new roles as well as my own production company. I have had many years of hard work finding ways to stand out and be ready to take those opportunities when they came up. I know I have also been very lucky but you do make your own luck but will be forever indebted to Ted Lasso, especially Jason, Brendan and Joe.

If you want to get a taste of Ted Lasso for free, click on the link here.

The third series is currently being filmed in West London and will be on air later in the year.