Meet the cast of Ted
Seth MacFarlane is back as the foul-mouthed teddy bear.
Seth MacFarlane’s Ted series is about to land in the UK on Sky Max.
The show acts as a prequel to the two movies in the Ted franchise, and tells the story of Ted's first time in high school, along with his best friend John, featuring an all-new cast.
Max Burkholder (Family Guy) takes over the role of John, who was originally played by Mark Wahlberg, while Euphoria's Alanna Ubach plays John's mother, Susan, and American Dad's Scott Grimes portrays his father, Matty.
Meanwhile, MacFarlane returns to voice the titular, foul-mouthed teddy bear.
So, who else stars in the show, and who do they all play? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Ted.
Who's in the cast of Ted alongside Seth MacFarlane?
Here are the main cast members and characters in Ted. Read on below for more info about who they are and where you've seen the actors before.
- Seth MacFarlane as Ted
- Max Burkholder as John Bennett
- Alanna Ubach as Susan Bennett
- Scott Grimes as Matty Bennett
- Giorgia Whigham as Blaire Bennett
- Penny Johnson Jerald as the Principal
- Marissa Shankar as Sarah
- Jack Seavor McDonald as Clive
- Julius Sharpe as Mr George
- Ara Hollyday as Andrew
- Liz Richman as Polly
- Jacob Zelonky as Derek
- Dustin Wayne as Mike
- Josh Stamberg as Lucas Damon
- Sir Ian McKellen as narrator
Seth MacFarlane plays Ted
Who is Ted? Ted is a toy teddy bear who was brought to life after his owner, a little boy called John, made a wish. Since growing up, he has become foul-mouthed and a layabout.
Where have I seen Seth MacFarlane? MacFarlane is best known for creating and starring as a voice actor in adult animated comedy series Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show. In live-action, he has also appeared in films such as A Million Ways to Die in the West and Logan Lucky, and created and starred in sci-fi comedy-drama The Orville.
Max Burkholder plays John Bennett
Who is John Bennett? John is a teenage boy who is best friends with Ted, having wished him to life. John was played by Mark Wahlberg in the Ted films.
Where have I seen Max Burkholder? Burkholder has had voice roles in animated shows including MacFarlane's Family Guy and American Dad!, as well as My Friends Tigger & Pooh and Invincible. His live-action roles have included films such as The Purge, and series including Parenthood and The Orville.
Alanna Ubach plays Susan Bennett
Who is Susan Bennett? Susan is John's naive mother. In the first film, John's mother was played by Alex Borstein.
Where have I seen Alanna Ubach? Ubach is known for appearing in films including Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Legally Blonde, Meet the Fockers, Rango, Bad Teacher, Coco and Bombshell. She has also had roles in series such as Beakman's World, Teamo Supremo, Pound Puppies, See Dad Run, Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce, Snowfall, Welcome to the Wayne, Monsters at Work, Guilty Party, Euphoria, The Flight Attendant and American Dad!.
Scott Grimes plays Matty Bennett
Who is Matty Bennett? Matty is John's father and Susan's wife. He is a Vietnam veteran, and is prone to irrational fears. In the Ted film, John's father was played by Ralph Garman.
Where have I seen Scott Grimes? Grimes is best known for starring in series including Party of Five, Band of Brothers, ER, The Orville and American Dad!, and appearing in other shows such as Family Guy and Justified, and films such as Robin Hood and Oppenheimer.
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Giorgia Whigham plays Blaire Bennett
Who is Blaire Bennett? Blaire is John's liberal cousin, and Matty and Susan's niece.
Where have I seen Giorgia Whigham? The daughter of actor Shea Whigham and his wife Christine, Giorgia Whigham has appeared in Son of Zorn, 13 Reasons Why, The Punisher, Scream: The TV Series, The Orville and Waco: The Aftermath.
Penny Johnson Jerald plays the Principal
Who is the Principal? Jerald plays the principal at John Bennett’s school.
What else has Penny Johnson Jerald been in? Fans will recognise the actress from the hit shows 24, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and The Orville.
Marissa Shankar plays Sarah
Who is Sarah? One of Blaire’s friends.
What else has Marissa Shankar been in? Previous credits include Athena, Expunged: A Harold Hall and Nighthawk.
Sir Ian McKellen plays narrator
Who is the narrator? Sir Ian McKellen narrates the series. His X-Men co-star Patrick Stewart narrated both of the Ted films.
Where have I seen Sir Ian McKellen? McKellen has had a long and storied career on stage and screen, and is known for his roles as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, as well as Magneto in the X-Men films.
He has also starred in movies including Six Degrees of Separation, Richard III, The Da Vinci Code, Flushed Away, Stardust, The Golden Compass, Mr Holmes, Beauty and the Beast and The Good Liar, and series such as Extras, Doctor Who and Vicious.
Who else stars in Ted?
The cast is rounded out by Jack Seavor McDonald (Young Sheldon) as Clive, Julius Sharpe (United We Fall) as John's teacher, Mr George, and Francesca Xuereb (The Sex Lives of College Girls) as John's classmate, Erin.
Meanwhile, Ara Hollyday (Asteroid City) and Liz Richman (Little America) play John's classmates, Andrew and Polly, respectively, while Jacob Zelonky (Suspended) and Dustin Wayne (Dumb Money) feature as Derek and Mike, two bullies at the school.
Josh Stamberg (The Affair) also appears as Blaire's English literature professor, Lucas Damon.
Ted premieres on Sky Max and NOW on Friday 9th February 2024. Check out Sky deals here. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
