It is a privilege to welcome actor and composer Stephen Manas to The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.

While growing up in the small French town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Stephen Manas wanted to work in the film industry once he saw Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone. He loved the cinema and had the first chance to act when he was recruited for a small tole in an independent film in Lyon, France.

His life changed for the better when a talent agency in India cold-called him and invited him to work there. Stephen left his corporate marketing job and headed to India, where he worked on various Bollywood projects. In 2018, Stephen Manas returned home to France to work in the French cinema industry.

He booked the lead role in the award-winning short film OUT OF FRAME/HORS CHAMP, for he won several acting awards, including Actors Awards-Los Angeles' "Best Performance of Fest," Alternative Film Festival's "Best Actor," and Top Shorts Film Festival's "Best Actor." Stephen also starred in the film La Bonheur Des Uns (A Friendly Tale) opposite actor Vincent Cassel (Black Swan and Westwood) and Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG Award-nominated actress Bérénice Bejo (The Artist).

Recently, Stephen Manas joined the cast of Apple TV's Ted Lasso. The sports comedy show follows American football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) as he coaches the English Premier League team, the AFC Richmond, despite having no experience in coaching soccer. Stephen portrays Richard Montlaur, a French footballer who struggles to understand his new coach's thick American access.

In this edition of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Stephen talked about getting started in Bollywood and spoke about what audiences can expect from Ted Lasso.