The VFX team behind Peacock's 'Ted' series deployed AI technology to digitally transform Seth MacFarlane into Bill Clinton for the show's second season. According to Variety, the creative choice capitalized on the former president's cultural resonance — the series is set in the '90s, and the production team identified Clinton as quintessentially emblematic of that decade. While the AI-assisted transformation streamlined MacFarlane's appearance, animating the show's central character, a photorealistic talking bear, remains one of television's most technically demanding challenges.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton