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- On a recent "Jimmy Kimmel" appearance, "Ted Lasso" actor Cristo Fernández described meeting Tim Cook.
- Fernández said he met the Apple CEO at the show's red carpet premiere and had no idea who he was.
- "No no no, don't applaud," he said, laughing. "I was so embarrassed. I wanted to die."
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Tim Cook may oversee one of the most valuable companies in the world, but sometimes, even his own employees don't recognize him.
Such was the case for Cristo Fernández, the actor who plays Dani Rojas on "Ted Lasso," the critically acclaimed Apple TV Plus series. The show follows an American college football coach, played by Jason Sudeikis, who moves to England to coach a professional soccer team. Fernández's character, Rojas, is a perpetually optimistic star player who lives by the mantra "football is life."
Season two of "Ted Lasso" premiered on the tech giant's streaming service in July, and during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last week, Fernández described meeting Cook on the red carpet before the premiere – and having no idea who he was.
Fernández said the cast was taking photos with a man who then approached him and complimented his performance on the show. Fernández said he thanked him, then turned to his publicist and asked, "Who was that lovely man? He was amazing," he told "Jimmy Kimmel" guest host Niall Horan, a former member of the band One Direction.
Fernández said he was immediately shushed by his publicist.
"I didn't realize it was Mr. Apple Man himself. It was Tim Cook," Fernández said, laughing, before adding: "No no no, don't applaud, I was so embarrassed. I wanted to die."
You can hear the whole story - and watch Fernández show off his real-life soccer skills - below: