Despite a healthy career that includes parts in "The Rum Diary" and the in-production "Gangster Squad," Giovanni Ribisi started a company with William Sherak, son of Tom Sherak, and J. Christopher Mallick called Stereo D in 2009.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Fox’s upcoming Dads series is staging a Ted reunion.
Giovanni Ribisi has been tapped to replace Tommy Dewey as the star of the comedy from Seth MacFarlane and the creative team behind Ted, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
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The comedy — from Ted writers Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild and exec producer MacFarlane — revolves around two successful guys (Ribisi and Seth Green) in their 30s who have their lives turned upside down when their nightmare dads unexpectedly move in with them.
Following the pilot taping last week, the role is being reimagined, and it made the most sense to recast the part. Ribisi will take over the role of Warner, co-owner of a successful video game company and a family man with a wife and two young children. Martin Mull will play Warner’s father.
The casting reunites Ribisi with Sulkin, Wild and MacFarlane after he co-starred as Ted’s kidnapper, Donny, in the 2012 Mark Wahlberg feature. The primarily feature actor also lent his voice to an episode of MacFarlane’s Family Guy this season. On the TV side, Ribisi’s credits include Entourage and Friends. He also is attached to reunite with the trio for their upcoming Western comedy feature.
STORY: TV Pilots 2013: The Complete Guide
Ribisi marks the second role recast in the series; Vanessa Lachey was recast for the part of Warner’s wife (previously played by Erin Pineda) following the table read. Brenda Song, Peter Riegert and Tonita Castro co-star in the 20th Television and Fuzzy Door multicamera comedy that was picked up straight to series earlier this pilot season.
He’s repped by CAA and Management 360.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
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