Scott Grimes reveals why his TED character is far from superficial, interview

The new Peacock series, TED steps back into 1993 and a world where a wise-cracking teddy bear and John navigate the tumultuous high school world. Scott Grimes plays Matty Bennet, the patriarch who has some opinionated views on the world. During a conversation with Grimes, he believes that underneath the character’s tough exterior, there is something more.

Over the years, Scott Grimes has worked on many Seth McFarlane projects. The well-known actor has a way of delivering the witty lines in a way that just hits the timing right. When asked about working with Seth McFarlane, “I always want to work with Seth. I get him and he gets me. I would work with him every time that I could.”

When the opportunity to join TED became available, Grimes shared that he jumped at the chance. He felt that he could bring the Matty character something unique. As he said during the interview being from the Boston area he could see the character. Building on physical appearance, Matty, the character, grew and became what people see on screen.

Since TED is set in the early 90s, the conversation can be different. From the language to the topics, that timeframe allows the storylines and the characters to tackle subjects that might not be as easy in today’s world.

At the same time, Grimes made it clear that Matty is not a character that people should feel sorry for. He admitted that the character is a “tough blue-collar guy” that has a hard-to-crack exterior but there is a sensitive side underneath that. For him, it was important to show that the character grew up differently. In addition, it was vital that no one truly hates Matty as a character.

Grimes referenced a scene where Matty speaks to Blair where it seems to capture that sentiment. He said, “if you grow up that way, you learn from your father and your father’s father and you speak about people that way. That’s clearly taught, and it can be untaught.” People can disagree with that mentality, but the character is open to learn and change.

While that behavior raises eyebrows, Grimes believes that the 1993 setting allows for some teachable moments. Specifically, he said that setting is telling viewers, “these people existed and some lines might offend.” At the same time, the character is not necessarily a horrible person. He might not be the brightest person, but it seems like he is willing to evolve.

Although there are unbelievable moments, TED is a show that is designed to make people laugh while they are compelled to think. The topics might not necessarily be politically correct or topics that are discussed with strangers, the reality is that these moments engage people to think. Sometimes that nervous laughter can be a lightbulb moment.

What is one of the most memorable moments from TED for Grimes? The episode where Matty fears saying something under anesthesia brought up an idea that was never on his radar. Grimes mentioned it was totally from the mind of Seth McFarlane but it is a concept that has left him wondering and preparing for that moment where his mouth might utter something he should not.

TED the series can be streamed on Peacock. In addition, the two movies can be streamed on the platform as well.