In a recent interview with GQ, Matt Damon revealed that he almost accepted the role of John Bennett in Seth MacFarlane’s 2012 comedy Ted – and why he didn’t.

“I don’t want to live with the regret, but I can tell you that I passed on Ted, and I’ve never had this experience where I laughed so hard reading a script,” Damon said. “I literally took it to dinner and was reading parts of it out to my friends at dinner. And then I just got too clever by half. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was like, Well, maybe the teddy bear’s actually the best part.…”

The Odyssey star explained to GQ his reason for passing on the role. “I overthought it, and I talked myself out of it,” he said. “And because it shot in Boston, it would’ve been a chance for me to be home — my father’s passed away now, and I look back, and I go, Man, that would’ve been six months back [home].”

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The character John Bennett is the best friend of the crude-humoured teddy bear, Ted. The role ultimately went to Mark Wahlberg, with McFarlane voicing Ted.

Damon praised Wahlberg’s performance. He said the “right actor” got the part and that the movie turned out great, adding “I wouldn’t have made it any better”.

Wahlberg and McFarlane returned in 2015 for Ted 2, and in 2024, a Ted prequel series aired on Peacock. Its second season premiered this year on March 5th.

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year, McFarlane teased a third film.I’ve thrown the idea out that maybe we do a direct-to-Peacock Ted feature with this cast. That might be something that’s kind of fun…He’s a character we can bring back at any time.” Watch this space…

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