Big Slick quiz: Which celebrity guest is Ted Lasso’s mom? Who owns candy company?
Actress Melissa Peterman, Reba McEntire’s co-star in the NBC comedy, “Happy’s Place,” makes her Big Slick Celebrity Weekend debut this year, joining more than 50 stars coming to Kansas City for the annual Children’s Mercy fundraiser.
This year, Big Slick organizers shared little-known trivia about each celebrity.
Peterman, for instance, has hosted the “Sound Of Music Sing A Long” at the Hollywood Bowl for 20 years. (And coincidentally worked with Big Slick co-host Eric Stonestreet when he made a guest appearance on “Happy’s Place” this season.)
Big Slick Celebrity Weekend kicks off Friday with a private VIP party at Kauffman Stadium, followed by the annual Big Slick party of music and comedy at T-Mobile Center on Saturday. Tickets to both are available at bigslickkc.org.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, always a crowd favorite, returns along with fellow KC sports hero Jeremy Guthrie, former Royals pitcher and 2015 World Series champion.
They will share the T-Mobile stage with the six homegrown celebrities who host: Stonestreet, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Heidi Gardner and David Koechner.
Big Slick has raised more than $30 million for pediatric cancer research at Children’s Mercy.
The quiz answers are below.
Big Slick quiz
1. Who plays the mother of Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso character on his hit Apple TV+ series, which filmed some of its new season in Kansas City last summer?
2. Which guests, who met through Big Slick, have combined their love of gummy candy and started their own candy company?
3. Which Big Slick host already owns a candy store in Rhinebeck, New York?
4. Which news anchor fell in love with a woman from St. Joseph, Mo. and got married in Kansas City?
5. Whose Kansas parents inspired Ma and Pa Kent in director James Gunn’s 2025 “Superman” movie?
6. Who was once a handyman for KISS?
7. Who will premiere their movie in Kansas City in September, a film that stars Riggle?
8. Who once roomed with George Clooney?
9. Who owns a coffee company?
10. Who graduated from college at 17?
11. Who founded the Dear Jack Foundation to help adolescent and young adult cancer patients after he himself battled leukemia as a young man?
12. Who knocked his teeth out skating into a Kansas City swimming pool two months after he got his braces off?
Big Slick 2026 guest list
Becky Ann Baker: Actress. “Freaks and Geeks” and “Girls” and upcoming films “Our Hero, Balthazar,” “Tow” and “There She Goes.”
Dylan Baker: Actor. “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Happiness,” “The Good Wife,” “Homeland,” “Hunters,” and “The Americans.”
Philip Bowen: Recording artist and fiddle player known for debut album, “Old Kanawha.” Released sophomore album, “Appalachia Forever,” last year; touring nationally this year.
Richard Christy: Radio personality (“The Howard Stern Show”), musician/drummer, actor.
David Cook: Singer. “American Idol” winner. Blue Springs native.
David Dastmalchian: Actor. “The Dark Knight,” “Ant-Man” and “The Suicide Squad. Starring in Netflix’s “One Piece.” Originally from Overland Park.
Jay DeMarcus: Founding member of Grammy-winning trio Rascal Flatts. Reunited with group in 2025 for comeback tour.
Adam Devine: Actor, podcast host. ”Pitch Perfect” movies, “Workaholics,” “Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates.”
Chloe Bridges Devine: Actor. “Camp Rock 2,” “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Carrie Diaries.”
Beth Dover: Actor. “Orange is the New Black,” “Another Period” and “Children’s Hospital.”
Rich Eisen: Sportscaster, “The Rich Eisen Show.”
Will Forte: Comedian, actor. ”Saturday Night Live,” “The Four Seasons” and “Win or Lose.”
Bill Glass: Actor. Known for playing Dr. Rick in Progressive commercials.
Jeremy Guthrie: Former MLB pitcher who helped the Royals reach back-to-back World Series in 2014 and 2015.
Seth Herzog: Actor. “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” and 10 years on VH1.
Anthony Hill: Actor. “Grey’s Anatomy,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “This Is Us” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” Overland Park native.
Marc Evan Jackson: Actor. “The Good Place,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Parks & Recreation,” “The Baby-Sitters Club,” “22 Jump Street” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.”
Taran Killam: Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member now appearing in ABC’s “High Potential” and NBC comedy “Stumble.”
Richard Kind: Actor. “Mad About You,” “Spin City” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Johnny Knoxville: Actor and stuntman famous for “Jackass.”
Darren Leader: Drummer known as Stix Zadinia in the parody glam-metal band Steel Panther.
Zachary Levi: Actor. ”Chuck,” “American Underdog,” “Shazam!” franchise, “Sarah’s Oil” and “The Unbreakable Boy.”
Samm Levine: Actor. “Freaks and Geeks” and “Inglourious Basterds.”
Joe Lo Truglio: Actor/comedian/writer/producer. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” “Superbad” “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Universal Basic Guys.”
Patrick Mahomes: Super Bowl champ.
Sean Malto: Professional skateboarder. Color broadcaster for Street League Skateboarding and voice of Shingo in EA Skate video game. 2011 SLS Supercrown Champion. Kansas City native.
Andrew McMahon: Vocalist, pianist and songwriter.
Katherine McNamara: Actor. “Shadowhunters,” “Arrow,” the “Maze Runner” trilogy and “Walker Independence.” Kansas City native.
Logan Mize: County artist. Clearwater, Kansas native.
James “Murr” Murray: Actor, comedian, author. Best known for “Impractical Jokers.”
Steel Panther: Comedic parody band of 1980s “hair metal” bands.
Tom Papa: Stand-up comedian, actor, host of “Breaking Bread” podcast.
Michael Pena: Actor. “Crash,” “End of Watch,” “Ant-Man,” “Narcos: Mexico” and “Million Dollar Baby.”
Tom Pestock: WWE star and champion. Lenexa native.
Melissa Peterman: Actor, comedian. Known for role of Barbara Jean on “Reba.”
Kevin Pollak: Actor. “The Usual Suspects,” “A Few Good Men,” “Casino,” “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Tulsa King.”
Potash Twins: Multi-platinum horn players who have collaborated with the Jonas Brothers, John Legend, Snoop Dogg and others.
Brian “Q” Quinn: Actor, comedian. Best known for “Impractical Jokers.”
Kevin Rahm: Actor, former missionary. “Mad Men,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Judging Amy,” “Lethal Weapon” and “Life by Ella.” His eponymous charity golf tournament has raised more than $8 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Adam Ray: Comedian, actor. ”Young Rock,” “Hacks,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and star of “Dr. Phil LIVE!”
Andy Richter: Comedian, long-time Conan O’Brien comedy partner.
Jordan Claire Robbins: Actor. “The Umbrella Academy,” “Escape The Field,” “12 Monkeys” and “Dead Man’s Wire.”
Al Roker: “Today” show weather anchor
Adam Scott: Actor. “Parks and Recreation,” “Step Brothers,” “Party Down,” “Severance.” “Hokum” and “Severance.”
Martin Starr: Actor. “Freaks & Geeks,” “Spider-Man,” “Party Down” and “Tulsa King.”
Steel Panther: Comedic parody band of 1980s “hair metal” bands.
Jake Tapper: CNN anchor, chief Washington correspondent and author. Host of “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and co-host, “State of the Union.”
Sarah Tiana: Comedian and writer. “Reno 911,” “Roast Battle” and “Lights Out With David Spade.” Host of ESPN’s “Women’s Sports Now.”
Blake Vogt: Magician.
Sal Vulcano: Comedian. Known for “Impractical Jokers.”
David Wain: Comedian and writer. Emmy winner and co-creator of “Wet Hot American Summer,” “Children’s Hospital,” “Role Models,” MTV’s “The State” and upcoming “Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass.”
Stephen Wilson Jr.: Country singer, recent winner of ACM award.
Calum Worthy: Actor. “Austin & Ally,” “American Vandal” and “The Act.”
Quiz answers:
- Becky Ann Baker plays folksy Dottie Lasso, coach Lasso’s mother. Her guest performance in Season 3 earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
2. The Potash twins — Ez and Dee — and Martin Starr launched Nebraska-based Sweet Stash together last year. They sell “cleaner” gummies with no high fructose corn syrup. A portion of proceeds go to arts and music education. The candy is available online and in stores across the Midwest and select stores nationwide.
3. Paul Rudd co-owns Samuel’s Sweet Shop, which carries Sweet Stash candy.
4. Jake Tapper. He met his wife, University of Missouri-Kansas City graduate Jennifer Marie Brown, in 2004 during the Iowa caucuses. The parents of two celebrate their 20th anniversary this year.
5. Richard Christy’s parents, Kansas natives Tom and Pat Christy, inspired the characters Ma and Pa Kent — Clark Kent’s parents in James Gunn’s 2025 “Superman” film. The actors who played the Kents studied audio recordings of Tom and Pat’s voices to perfect their Midwestern accents.
6. Darren Leader.
7. James “Murr” Murray. His horror movie, “Don’t Move,” based on a novel he co-wrote, premieres September 8 at The Midland Theatre. It stars Riggle and Big Slick guest Brian “Q” Quinn.
8. Richard Kind. He and Clooney lived together in Los Angeles early in their careers in the late 1980s where they played elaborate practical jokes on each other that are now the stuff of Hollywood legend. (See: Clooney once “used” Kind’s cat litter box.)
9. Tom Pestock. His Open Air Coffee company sources coffee from small farms around the world. A one-year monthly delivery of his roasted coffee is one of this year’s Big Slick auction items.
10. Katherine McNamara. The actress, who grew up in Lee’s Summit, graduated summa cum laude from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business with a bachelor of science degree when she was 17.
11. Andrew McMahon.
12. Sean Malto.
.jpg)