Seth MacFarlane uses AI to transform into Bill Clinton after prosthetics and CGI failed

Seth MacFarlane Uses AI To Turn Himself Into Creepy Bill Clinton Clone

The "Family Guy" creator has been doing a Clinton impression for years, but told the Associated Press he really wanted to look the part for the latest season of "Ted." The latest installment of the show about everyone's favorite foul-mouthed CGI bear, "Ted," premiered on Peacock on Thursday, and fans noticed a presidential cameo that turned out to be the series creator, Seth MacFarlane, employing the use of AI for one hell of a Bill Clinton impersonation. In the season's fifth episode, entitled "The Sword in the Stoned," the series's out-of-touch, Boston-accented father, Matty Bennett (Scott Grimes) is forced to take a job at local Dunkin' Donuts in Massachusetts. That's when MacFarlane -- as the AI-assisted and creepily accurate incarnation of the 42nd president -- strolls into the store. Watch the clip here. Though AI gave MacFarlane, also the voice of the titular character, the uncanny appearance of Clinton, the voice is very much all him, as he's done the impression for many years. "I've been doing my Bill Clinton impression since the early days of 'Family Guy,'" MacFarlane told the Associated Press. "It's an interesting example of how AI can be used as a tool and not necessarily trample on the art that the rest of the industry is doing. We tried prosthetics, we tried traditional CGI and everything just looked terrifying. So we just said, 'To hell with it, let's try AI.' It worked. It was the only way to look like Bill Clinton." The setting for the show's second season is 1994-1995 (the characters learn about the O.J. Simpson verdict in the season finale), a timeline where Clinton would be firmly established in the Oval Office. In the scene, Clinton asks Matty for a recommendation on what to order, which prompts Matty to let the commander-in-chief know just what he thinks of his job as president. "I would recommend you do a better job," Matty says, nervously stuttering. "You're not doing a very good job." Clinton responds cordially enough before dismissing his Secret Service detail and demanding that Matty "throw some fucking Munchkins in a bag, gimme a cup of coffee and shake my hand and smile to the window, so people know we're having a good fucking time." Many viewers expressed disappointment at the use of AI, which has caused trepidation within the entertainment industry that the technology could replace human artists. "Why not just get a decent Bill Clinton impersonator?" one user on X wrote. "It honestly looks awful. It looks like he is being dubbed over with English, and the face can barely express an emotion. They would be better off just having the actor dress up as him," another wrote. However, others defended the use of the technology. "Using AI like this has never bothered me nor should it to anyone else. They're using a real production crew, writers, lighting, actors, set, etc. and just using a some tools on top to sell the final image. This really is no different than what Photoshop did back in the 90's," one user wrote. "Ted" is a spinoff of the 2012 movie of the same name starring Mark Wahlberg and MacFarlane as John Bennett and the voice of Ted, respectively. It became a surprise hit on Peacock after premiering in 2024, with Max Burkholder taking up Wahlberg's role as the younger version of Bennett.

Seth MacFarlane Used AI to Turn Himself Into a Creepily Realistic Bill Clinton

The Family Guy creator says he used AI to turn himself into the former president in his Peacock comedy series. MacFarlane has performed Clinton's voice many times on Fox's animated hit Family Guy, but this time he managed to pull off an eerily accurate 1990s-era Clinton in a live-action show thanks to the new technology (see the clip below). "I've been doing my Bill Clinton impression since the early days of Family Guy," MacFarlane told the Associated Press. "It's an interesting example of how AI can be used as a tool and not necessarily trample on the art that the rest of the industry is doing. We tried prosthetics, we tried traditional CGI, and everything just looked terrifying. So we just said, 'To hell with it, let's try AI.' It worked. It was the only way to look like Bill Clinton." The footage has really thrown some viewers, such as one who posted, "They had Bill Clinton appear in an episode, and I can't tell if it's a lookalike or some sort of CG or AI deepfake because he looks EXACTLY like the real thing." Another wrote, "It's actually insane how much Seth looks like Bill Clinton here. You could have told me they invented a time machine and kidnapped him from 1995, and I would have believed you." Ted is set in the 1990s. In the scene, Clinton goes on a profane rant against a donut shop employee who's upset about his handling of the economy. Check out the scene for yourself: Based on the 2012 hit comedy film and its sequel, Peacock's Ted follows 16-year-old John Bennett (Max Burkholder) -- a character played by Mark Wahlberg in the film -- and his foul-mouthed teddy bear.