Seth MacFarlane talks ‘Ted,’ the evolution of a voice, and his top five cinematic stoners

Adam Pockross

Seth MacFarlane is a man of many talents. The 38-year-old is the driving force behind three animated TV series -- "Family Guy" (1999), "American Dad!" (2005), and "The Cleveland Show" (2009) -- making MacFarlane the highest paid writer working on TV today. He's also, oddly enough, a Grammy-nominated big-band crooner. And most recently, he's causing a bevy of belly laughs as the writer, director and voice of the titular talking teddy bear in the hilarious new R-rated comedy "Ted" opening this weekend.

[Related: 'Ted' previewed in our Summer Movie Guide]

The film also stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, who has worked with MacFarlane as the voice of Meg Griffin on "The Family Guy" since 1999. Wahlberg plays John Bennett, who while in the midst of a tough and lonely childhood wishes that his teddy bear, Ted, could talk. Miraculously, the next morning, Ted speaks!

What's great about this flick is that it's not just John who can hear Ted, but everyone. And since he's a talking Teddy Bear, the world takes note. Ted becomes a child (cubby) star. But as young stars tend to do, Ted's star fades right around the time his voice changes. And then he finds drugs. And that's when the real trouble starts.

[Related: Get local showtimes and tickets for 'Ted']

Of course, Ted's voice -- and the profanity laced, politically incorrect drivel that voice expresses -- is what makes the film so funny. I asked MacFarlane how the voice of Ted came to be, from the germ of an idea to the full-fledged expression of raunchy comedy it became (watch video above). And while I was at it, I asked MacFarlane to use the voice of Ted to tell me who his top five cinematic stoners are, since Ted is officially one of mine.

See a clip from 'Ted':

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