Seth MacFarlane, creator of the Ted franchise and Family Guy sitcom has a reason why his sarcastic stuffed bear and lovable schlub Peter Griffin sound so much alike. MacFarlane created Family Guy in 1999 and has voiced the head of the Griffin clan for 21 seasons, and has voiced Ted, a man's (Mark Whalberg) talking childhood toy in the movie Ted and its sequel Ted 2 in 2012 and 2015. Both combine politically incorrect and awkward humor with heart and a sense of whimsy, but with MacFarlane using a similar sounding accent for both characters, they sound too similar to be distinct.
Aside from their voices sounding alike, Ted and Peter share a lot of other similarities too, including a love of beer, a penchant for reckless driving, and the distinction of knowing Tom Brady intimately. As rumors circulate about whether Ted 3 is happening and a Ted prequel series wraps production, MacFarlane has addressed the fact that Ted and Peter really aren't very different. At the time he was developing Ted and Peter, it all came down to where MacFarlane got his inspiration for the characters, and how that informed his vocal performance.
Ted And Peter Griffin Sound Similar Because Of Location
As it turns out, Ted and Peter's similar-sounding voices are a matter of location. When asked to address their accents, MacFarlane explained, "All my relatives are from the Massachusetts area. As I was coming up with the voice for Ted, I kept trying to veer away. I finally said, 'He's a Boston guy, and this is me doing a Boston accent' which is not that far removed from me doing a Rhode Island accent for Peter." (via Los Angeles Times) In the end, MacFarlane, who grew up in Connecticut, just ended up with an amalgamation of the two, and sometimes Ted even has a little bit of Brian as well.
Bostonians and Rhode Islanders may sound similar, but it's their distinct pronunciation of vowels and the removal of certain letters that can help differentiate the two. For example, both are known for r-dropping, but Bostonians follow it with an "h" sound, whereas Rhode Islanders round out the absence of the consonant with a "w" sound. If anything, MacFarlane might have had an easier time with Ted's Boston accent had he not been doing Peter's Rhode Island accent for so many years beforehand. Even Mark Whalberg, born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, doesn't always have a strong accent in the Ted films.
Seth MacFarlane Admitted Peter Griffin And Ted Sound Similar
Fortunately, not only has MacFarlane admitted that Peter and Ted sound similar, but he also found a way to reference the similarities with a meta-joke involving Ted saying, "I do not sound that much like Peter Griffin." The gag is a fun way for MacFarlane to be in on the joke as well as remind fans of his vocal talents in the animated series. MacFarlane's voice work on Family Guy is well known because his characters sound unique from one another; Peter is his Rhode Island accent, Quagmire is a higher pitched version, Brian is his normal speaking voice, and Stewie is his best Rex Harrison impression.
Coming up with an entirely different voice for Ted was always going to be tough, but at least the writer and comedian found a clever way to reference the fact that Ted and Peter sound alike. Not does Ted reference Peter in Ted, Ted 2 features a public brawl in which eagle-eyed fans can spot a live-action version of Peter Griffin and The Chicken punching each other just like in Family Guy's famous rivalry. In the Ted prequel series, fans should expect a few more Family Guy references and maybe the return of an alum after Mila Kunis passed on Ted 2.
Source: Los Angeles Times