Ted actor Scott Grimes thinks about Matty

Scott Grimes delivers one of his most interesting performances in Peacocks Ted Prequel. As stubborn patriarch Matty Bennett, it’s Grimes who provides some of the most controversial and frustrating moments in the entire TV series. Matty has a very narrow-minded view that leads to conflict with other members of the Bennett family – and society as a whole. But Scott has an impressive ability to take a potentially one-dimensional character and show why Matty is the way he is.

With Ted Season 1 is finished and the streamer has confirmed Ted Season 2 is on the way. CBR caught up with Grimes to talk about how he found the role of Matty Bennett and what it was like for him to play some of those jaw-dropping scenes. The actor revealed how much his amazing work was influenced by his co-stars and series creator Seth MacFarlane. And why does he enjoy the challenge of taking on roles like Matty?

CBR: In our interview before Ted In Season 1, you were thinking about succeeding Ralph Garman, who played John’s father (then Steve) in the first season. Ted Film. When did you get into the role of Matty?

Scott Grimes:
I didn’t discover the character Matty in a particular episode. I discovered Matty long before that because I was just lucky enough to be part of the process,
Ted
early on – even when I wasn’t even involved yet.
Seth (MacFarlane) showed me auditions for other actors because I didn’t want to do it.
And as time went on, my competitive spirit came out and I thought, I really want to play this role because I know this guy.

I grew up in a small town outside of Boston and unfortunately knew some of those people. Not my dad — my dad was the opposite (and) I don’t want him to think this (show) is about him. (But) I found the character very early on, which rarely happens to an actor, just by accident. It was pure luck that I found Matty and when I auditioned, I knew him very well.

You had a great mid-season episode, “Loud Night,” where Matty kind of implodes and has to confront his beliefs. What was your reaction when you read the script, and how did you figure out how to tackle such a harsh turn for his character without alienating the audience?

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Every script I read, I would usually call my mom and say, “Hey, mom, is my career over? You need to read this.” (Laughs.) I always thought that was either taken (in the wrong way) or the way Seth wanted it to be, that a guy has to be like that to teach others and himself. When I read this particular script, it was no different.
I knew we had to go this far and then come back, and maybe he’d have a moment.

And I think that moment comes from Giorgia Whigham’s acting. When you see her and her reaction to this kind of inequality that he treats everyone with, it has to get to me because Giorgia is that kind of actress.

And then for me there’s that one line in that script where he says I was raised differently. I love that line because it says that Matty is so entrenched in his father’s ways and it’s going to take him a while (to change).

I never thought we would alienate the audience because I always knew we would need a joke afterward. He’s back to his nonsense and then we’ll just work through it over time. I don’t want that to happen quickly.

What were the biggest challenges or successes for you in Ted Season 1? Were there any scenes where you couldn’t keep yourself together, or was it the more dramatic material?

The scene that I couldn’t get over because of Seth’s writing and comedic timing is basically any scene where he’s playing Ted right in front of you. The older I get, the less I laugh at my friends like I used to…
He always makes me laugh. It’s more about the way he says things than what is said. So it’s very difficult to act when he’s around.
And then Alanna Ubach comes along and blows me away. I’m having a hard time keeping myself together.

I play a scene where he talks about having a dog and something I have to do with the dog. That was very hard to pull off because of the context of the story. You have to stay serious the whole time, so that was tough. But when you play with (Seth) playing Ted, (when he) improvises a little bit and throws in those lines, we just fall over.

My favorite episode is definitely “Loud Night” because of the transformation that Matty goes through and has to go through to make the character watchable. He says something like, “I was raised differently,” and that says everything to me.
When I said that, I said, “Okay, everyone will forgive him because that’s just how he was raised and he’s willing to learn.”

The truck scene (when Matty’s childhood toy truck Dennis comes to life) was the hardest for me because you’re playing next to the truck, which doesn’t really move. It’s not real. That was difficult for me.

I love playing exaggerated people… I’m a loud person anyway, I think my personality is big, but you can tell I’m being real with someone. So for me, I like that better. I think it’s funny. I think it’s difficult to play someone who’s big and real, so
I love that challenge and I think that’s what Seth writes for me because that really shows who I am as a person.

They have perfected the art of giving characters that are supposed to be funny a serious undertone, be it Matty Bennett in Ted or Gordon Malloy in The Orville. How do you find that extra depth in so many roles you play?

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That’s absolutely true. My whole adult career has been – I got to play this doctor (Archie Morris) in ER who is also kind of funny and stupid, and then Gordon in Orville who is funny and stupid but also has to figure out scientific things and fly the ship. It’s written in those characters and it was able to be written because it’s something I’m quite good at. I
I was a comedy actor for the first part of my career as a child and then became a theater actor, and I think the combination of those two skills is what makes a person.

And I also think there is a certain responsibility – as a little red-headed guy, I’m not going to play the lead. My job is to be short and funny and then bring a little emotion to the things that are written. That’s the job of an actor. And I will also tell you,
Directing was a gift from Seth MacFarlane… He’s a great guy and one of my best friends, and you want to do the best job you can for him because he works 20 times harder than any of us.
I really care about him, and playing alongside Alanna Ubach is a gift and it makes you want to elevate your performance.

Season 1 of Ted is now streaming on Peacock.

Ted

In this prequel to Seth MacFarlane’s Ted films, the sentient teddy bear Ted lives with the family of his owner, John Bennett, who gave him life.

Release date

January 11, 2024

Pour

Seth MacFarlane, Scott Grimes, Alanna Ubach, Max Burkholder, Giorgia Whigham

Main genre

comedy

Seasons

1 season

Studio

peacock

Creator

Seth MacFarlane

Number of episodes

7 episodes

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