Matt Damon almost starred in Ted and regrets saying no

The actor loved the script of Seth MacFarlane’s comedy. But after asking himself a few too many questions, he passed on the role ultimately won by Mark Wahlberg.

We can’t really imagine him facing the trashiest teddy bear in cinema…

And yet, Matt Damon could have been the best human friend of Ted.

In an interview with GQ, the actor revealed that he refused the role of John in Seth MacFarlane’s comedy released in 2012. A choice that he still regrets today, even though he was particularly excited by the script.

“I don’t want to live with regrets, but I can tell you that I turned down Ted and that I had never laughed so hard while reading a script. I even took the script to a restaurant and read passages to my friends over dinner..”

But Matt Damon ended up overthinking the proposition:

“I thought I was smarter than I was. I don’t know what went through my mind. I thought: What if, in fact, the teddy bear was the best character?“

The actor thus passed up the role in favor of Mark Wahlberg.

A missed opportunity made all the more regrettable as the filming took place in Boston, his hometown:

“I asked myself too many questions and convinced myself not to do it. And since the film was being shot in Boston, I could have gone home. My dad has since died, and when I think about it, I’m like, ‘Damn, I could have spent six months at home.”

However, there is no question of calling into question the result. Matt Damon readily admits that the role went to the right actor: “Mark is great, the movie is great and I couldn’t have made it any better.“

The franchise Ted has since given birth to a cinema sequel, then to a prequel series broadcast on Peacock.