Personagens de “The Orville” Interpretados pelos Atores de “Ted” de Seth MacFarlane

Seth MacFarlane created  “Family Guy” and “American Dad,” both of which have remained on air for more than 20 seasons. He later directed, co-wrote, and starred in the 2012 film “Ted” as the foul-mouthed titular teddy bear, which he followed three years later with “Ted 2.” From 2017 through 2022, he also led “The Orville,” a sci-fi comedy series that both parodies and pays tribute to classic space exploration shows.

MacFarlane’s penchant for creating worlds and characters has earned him film and TV credits for writing, producing, directing, and acting — and he did all four on “The Orville.” When developing the “Ted” prequel series, which debuted on Peacock in 2024, MacFarlane understandably turned to several performers he had previously worked with on “The Orville.” Here are the other characters from the sci-fi series who were played by cast members of “Ted” as well — see how many you spotted before reading.

It’s common practice for Seth MacFarlane to take lead roles in projects he creates, and he cast himself as Captain Ed Mercer, commander of the titular exploratory vessel on “The Orville.” He also played Ted the bear in both films and the prequel series via voiceover and motion capture, while writing, directing, and producing.

In an interview with The Talks, MacFarlane said off-screen performances like on “Ted” allow him some freedom as an actor he can’t enjoy while playing Capt. Mercer. “There’s just a million hooks to lock on to when you’re doing voiceover,” he said. “It’s like wearing a piece of prosthetic makeup — which I did once for ‘The Orville’ and again, found that very liberating because I didn’t have to hold back. I didn’t have to worry about going too big or too broad. I could do it because I was under a piece of make up.”

Ted the bear’s best friend is John Bennett, who was played by Mark Wahlberg in both films. Max Burkholder took on the role of younger John for the prequel series; he was already well-known from his starring roles in the original “The Purge” film and on the “Parenthood” TV series. Burkholder also appeared on “The Orville” in Season 1, Episode 4, “If the Stars Should Appear.” His character, Tomilin, belongs to a dogmatic society living on a gigantic spacecraft unaware that it is not terra firma. 

In the episode, Liam Neeson plays the ship’s captain in a recorded video message, and the teenage Tomilin serves as a liaison between the crew of the Orville and a progressive group on the ship known as the Reformers. Viewer ratings at IMDb average 8.2/10, making “If the Stars Should Appear” the 10th-best episode of “The Orville” by that metric. In a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Seth MacFarlane praised Burkholder’s work ethic and natural fit for the part of John Bennett. 

“As a director, my favorite thing … is when an actor comes in already having done the work, and all I’ve got to do is set up the shots,” MacFarlane said. “Max is a perfect example of that. He came in, and his audition was so right on the money. Every joke was pitch-perfect … We saw a lot of terrific actors who auditioned for the part, but it was just a no-brainer.”

Seth MacFarlane voiced Kevin Swanson on “Family Guy” for the show’s first nine seasons, then handed the role over to Scott Grimes when Kevin resurfaced after a falsified death. Grimes later starred on “The Orville” as Lt. Gordon Malloy, while continuing his long-running work voicing Steve Smith on “American Dad,” before reuniting with MacFarlane on the “Ted” series. In 2022, Grimes talked with Cinemablend about his collaborations with MacFarlane.

“He hears the way things should be said,” Grimes said, “and if you can get that, you can rise to whatever that is for him, you’ll work for him forever. He is great at all of this.” Grimes made 36 appearances on “The Orville” as Malloy, and sported a thick red mustache to play John’s father Matty Bennett on all 15 episodes of “Ted.”

Giorgia Whigham starred on “Ted” as John’s cousin Blaire Bennett, and appeared on “The Orville” twice as Lysella, a barista on the planet Sargus 4. The crew of the Orville arrives there in Season 1, Episode 7, to find a society that overvalues social media engagement and clout. Orville Lt. Cmdr. John LaMarr (J. Lee) earns a whole bunch of downvotes for dancing on a statue of a Sargus 4 cultural icon, and Lysella helps him return safely to the ship. 

She remains aboard the Orville long enough to steal a communications scanner, which she uses to call for help in the Season 3 finale, “Future Unknown.” In that episode, Lysella is given asylum on the ship; she ultimately decides to join the crew and leave her dysfunctional society behind. In a 2024 interview with Out In Jersey, Whigham talked about Seth MacFarlane’s actor-friendly process. 

“When Seth MacFarlane has a concept for a character,” she said, “he knows exactly what he is looking for. I sent in one single tape for the role [of Blaire]. I then received a personal call from Seth himself informing me I got the part. I have worked with Scott Grimes previously on ‘The Orville’ and it was great to witness him in such a completely different element.”

Two prominent characters on “The Orville” were played by actors who had small roles on “Ted”: Peter Macon and Penny Johnson Jerald. Macon played Lt. Cmdr. Bortus on “The Orville,” and his deep voice and imposing figure made him a respected authority figure. Macon brought that same dynamic to a single appearance on “Ted” as Avery Lawrence in the Season 2 premiere, “Talk Dirty to Me.” The episode also featured Jerald in one of her three “Ted” appearances as Principal Bernard. Jerald starred on “The Orville” as Dr. Claire Finn, the trusted and level-headed Lt. Cmdr. and Chief Medical Officer for the ship’s crew. Jerald and Macon aren’t the only actors who worked on both “Ted” and “The Orville,” though.

Season 2, Episode 2 of “Ted” featured Michaela McManus as Mrs. Robichek, a married woman who seduces Ted into a hilarious tryst that paid homage to the 1967 film “The Graduate.” McManus also appeared on five episodes of “The Orville” as Telaya, a Krill who later returns to the ship disguised as a new officer, Janel Tyler. While he wasn’t part of the “Ted” prequel series, Patrick Warburton appeared in both films as John’s co-worker Guy and on two episodes of “The Orville” as security officer Lt. Tharl.