ted

Who Voices Ted? Meet the Cast and What to Expect in Season 2

by Amber Dowling

If you’ve ever watched ted and thought the stuffed bear’s voice sounded familiar, you’re not alone. The foul-mouthed plushie has been a pop-culture menace for more than a decade, and part of the fun is realizing the same guy has been behind the character from the beginning, back when ted was a 2012 big screen movie.

With season 2 of ted the TV series now out on STACKTV, we wanted to revisit who is behind the voice and who makes up the rest of the cast, plus why this bizarre but loveable prequel keeps working.

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Let’s start with the obvious question.

Who voices Ted?

Ted is voiced by Seth MacFarlane, the creator of the franchise and the same person who voiced the bear in the original films. Seth doesn’t just provide the voice though. He’s also the show’s creator, a writer, director and executive producer, much like he is on many of his other series, like Family Guy and American Dad. That explains why Ted still sounds exactly like the character fans remember from the movies, not to mention a bit like Peter Griffin. It’s a unique mix of sarcasm, deadpan delivery and wildly inappropriate commentary that just stays with you.

What is ted the TV series actually about?

If you missed the first season, this TV show is actually a prequel to the original movies. It’s set in the early ’90s after the bear’s moment of fame has fizzled out. Here, Ted lives with teenage John Bennett (Max Burkholder) and his family in Framingham, Massachusetts, where he’s a terrible influence but loyal BFF. There’s plenty of high school shenanigans, family arguments and awkward teen moments to drive the comedy, not to mention the talking bear at the centre of it all.

Who else stars in ted?

The main reason this show works is because the cast surrounding Ted is just as magnetic as he is. Keep scrolling for the complete breakdown.

Max Burkholder as John Bennett

Burkholder plays the teenage version of John, a role that Mark Wahlberg handled in the films. Here, John navigates school, friends and family, with plenty of advice from a bear that isn’t exactly equipped to offer any.

Scott Grimes as Matty Bennett

John’s dad is a loud and stubborn type, and someone who always thinks he’s right even when he isn’t. That should make him unlikeable, but Grimes says the trick is to exaggerate those flaws.

“If you make him too real, like he’s scary, he’s mean,” he tells STACKTV. “People will recognize that too much. So we exaggerated his humour, emotion, and how dumb and loud he is. You gotta be loud so that people think it’s funny.”

Alanna Ubach as Susan Bennett

John’s mom is usually the voice of reason in this series, but even she has been known to become unhinged at times.

Giorgia Whigham as Blaire Bennett

Blaire is John’s outspoken cousin who lives with the family while attending college. She’s often dragged into the action, even when she doesn’t want to be, and serves as the show’s moral centre.

What’s new in ted season 2?

John begins his senior year of high school in season 2, so the stories shift to things like dating, grad and figuring out the future. Of course, Ted has irresponsible advice for all of it, which leads to plenty of memorable moments. Expect more teen chaos and drama, not to mention the ongoing challenges of living with a bear who has no business hanging out with high schoolers.

On the home front, watch for Matty to finally begin to understand his wife through the power of romcoms.

“There’s a great episode about romcoms and watching romcom and he finally watches Ghost and Pretty Woman and Steel Magnolias and he gets in touch with his heart and starts to cry,” Scott Grimes teases. “That was important for him to let that out. Matty grows up a little more.”

Does Seth MacFarlane ever act out Ted?

Here’s a fun detail that fans might not know. MacFarlane performs the motion capture for Ted, which means he helps bring the physical comedy to life before the visual effects team turns him into a bear. So those temper tantrums and wild gestures? Yeah, that’s probably MacFarlane acting it out first!

Why does ted work so well as a TV show?

One of the best things about ted is that a half-an-hour with this crew feels like hanging out with actual friends or people you know. Sure, Ted is crude and his style of shock humour keeps us entertained. But there’s a surprising warmth to this series that’s undeniable. Friends aren’t perfect, but sometimes that’s exactly why they’re the best people in your life.

“In season 2, everybody just upped to their game,” says Scott. “It’s louder, it’s better, it’s funnier, but it also really has more heart this season. There’s so much love in this show, even when people are yelling at each other. We care about each other and we’d love to do it again with season 3.”

At the end of the day, ted is still about the same thing it was in the movies: a guy and his best friend who happens to be a magical teddy bear. The difference now is they’re dealing with teenage life in the ’90s. And, if you ask us, that’s the perfect mix of nostalgia and friendship that we want from our situational comedies these days.

Catch up on season 1 and 2 of ted on STACKTV. Try it free today!