Actors such as Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy may have dominated headlines this year, but a breakout star from Ted Lasso also had a stellar year – and the future only looks to be getting brighter.

Coming off the high of Ted Lasso‘s final season, English actor Hannah Waddingham’s next project will include taking the lead alongside Hollywood star Octavia Spencer.

The pair are set to appear in a currently untitled, eight-episode Amazon Prime Video series that takes on the action-comedy genre.

Created by Tessa Coates (Feel Good), the show will see Waddingham play Judith, whose secret life as a highly trained assassin has always gone unnoticed by her best friend Debbie (played by Spencer).

But when a hit goes wrong, Judith and Debbie are forced to go on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of a mysterious enemy while also having to fix their ruptured friendship.

In addition to her starring role, Waddingham will serve as one of the show’s executive producers.

Her role in Ted Lasso, with co-star Juno Temple, has pushed Hannah Waddingham’s career to even greater heights. Photo: Getty

“I’m not gonna lie, a few expletives fell out of my face at the prospect of working with the magnificent Ms Spencer, Tessa Coates’ hugely energetic, exhilarating script, [and production companies] Skydance and Double Dream,” Waddingham said.

“To then see the immediate excited response from a mighty beast like Amazon … It’s all just incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait to get our collective teeth into it.”

Spencer was similarly enthusiastic, as she said, “To be able to dive into a role like Debbie is rare, and working with Hannah to bring this unique friendship to life is a dream.”

The Prime Video series seems like a promising launch to Waddingham’s next era as leading lady, and comes as the actor’s career momentum soared this year.

A year of highs

Before Ted Lasso, Waddingham had a long list of TV, film and theatre credits to her name.

But her role as poised and assertive football boss Rebecca Welton fully brought her into the world’s spotlight – and helped her nab an Emmy.

The show’s final season, which aired this year, fanned the flames of her burgeoning fame even higher.

In March, the actor was revealed to have scored a role in the upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, alongside Tom Cruise and is set for a 2025 release.

Waddingham’s engaging turn as co-host of the Eurovision Song Contest in May helped her win over even more fans, leaving the actor’s star threatening to outshine the musicians actually competing in the competition.

Hannah Waddingham stole the show at Eurovision. Photo: Getty

In November, she released her debut album, Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas; a live recording of the show of the same name for Apple TV+.

Next year will see the release of adventure flick The Fall Guy, which will have Waddingham star alongside the likes of Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Stephanie Hsu and Winston Duke.

She will also lend her voice to animated comedy The Garfield Movie, along with Chris Pratt in the titular role, Samuel L Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Harvey Guillén and Bowen Yang.