Matt Damon Says He Overthought His Decision to Pass on ‘Ted’
WHO:
Variety - Matt Damon said he passed on playing John, the best friend of the foul-mouthed teddy bear in *Ted*; Mark Wahlberg later played John.
Deadline - Matt Damon discussed passing on Seth MacFarlane’s comedy *Ted*.
NY Post - Matt Damon said he talked himself out of taking the role in the film.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - Matt Damon said he laughed so hard reading the *Ted* script that he read parts aloud to his friends at dinner.
The Hollywood Reporter - Damon praised Mark Wahlberg as the “right actor” for the role and said, “I wouldn’t have made it any better.”
The Hollywood Reporter - The two *Ted* films spawned a prequel series on Peacock, which ran for two seasons.
Variety - Damon confirmed that he passed on starring in *Ted*.
Deadline - Damon said that he loved the script but ultimately moved on from the role.
NY Post - The film went on to spawn a franchise.
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - Damon said filming in Boston would have given him a chance to be home with his father for six months.
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - Damon said the possibility of spending six months at home in Boston with his father would have mattered to him; his father has since died.
Variety - Damon said, “I don’t want to live with the regret,” while discussing his decision to pass on *Ted*.
Deadline - Damon said, “I overthought it and talked myself out of it.”
NY Post - Damon attributed his decision to overthinking the role.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - Seth MacFarlane said a third *Ted* film would depend on Universal and Peacock, and floated making a direct-to-Peacock feature with the series cast.
Deadline - Damon explained his decision in a new interview reflecting on his career.
(UPDATED November 6, 2026 07:02 UTC)
Matt Damon passed on starring in “Ted,” though he loved the script and laughed reading it aloud to friends at dinner. He overthought the role, missing a chance to film in Boston and spend six months with his father. Mark Wahlberg played John, and Damon praised him as the right actor.
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(UPDATED November 6, 2026 01:11 UTC)
Matt Damon says he passed on playing John, the best friend of the foul-mouthed teddy bear in *Ted*, despite loving the script. He overthought the role, talked himself out of taking it, and said he did not want to live with regret. Mark Wahlberg later played John, and the comedy spawned a franchise.