It took Shawn Thornton 11 hours to say, “You’re an [expletive].” 

In 11 hours of hockey, the Bruins enforcer would have accomplished that feat dozens of times and had dozens of scars from the resulting fights, but work in film is different from work on the ice. Such is life as a hockey-turned-movie star. 

Well, maybe star is a stretch. In reality, Thornton’s scene in the new Seth MacFarlane-Mark Wahlberg movie, "Ted," is much like one of his fights: It took up a brief chunk of time compared to more critical events, but it was what the fans would leave talking about afterward.

Thornton talked about the experience with WEEI.com Monday, sharing the interesting story of how he got his role in the movie and where his acting career is (or isn’t) headed next.

Remember how in the last season of "Entourage," there were so many cameos that the show had borderline become about Turtle talking to celebrities on the phone? Well, Thornton could have been one of those celebrities. 

Late in the 2010-11 season he went to the set of "Ted," a comedy set in Boston, to meet Angela Peri, a friend of a friend and the director of Boston Casting, about getting into the "Entourage" series finale. There, he met MacFarlane and others from the movie and despite still having an enormous gash on his forehead from being cut by a skate against the Blackhawks, made a good impression on the "Family Guy" creator.  

“We were in the playoffs when they were filming the end of 'Entourage,' so it couldn't be done,” Thornton said. “I met Seth and [producer] Jason Clark and a couple people there, and they asked if I was interested [in the movie] and wanted to do a cameo. At the time, it was in the playoffs so I had a huge beard, shaved head and a big scar on my forehead still. They were like, 'We might have a role for you,' and I was like 'Yeah! Whatever.'

“After we won, one of Seth's personal assistants reached out to me and said, 'We have this role that we're filming in July if you want to do it,'” Thornton recalled. “I said, 'Yeah, it will be a life experience, so why not? I'd love to.' ”

Thornton’s scene was brief -- to be honest, yours truly had to do a double take to know that it was even him. It was filmed at the Hatch Shell, where Joel McHale’s character had taken Mila Kunis’ character on a date to see a Norah Jones concert. Desperate to win back Kunis’ character, John, played by Wahlberg, gets on stage and sings Rita Coolidge’s "All Time High." 

As the crowd boos, Thornton, one of the angry fans, screams, “You’re an [expletive]!” and jumps onto the stage before being knocked out by the the microphone stand-wielding Wahlberg. Minus losing the fight, that’s the perfect role for Thornton, no?

“I didn't know really what was going to happen, what my scene was going to be until I got there,” he said. “Then they were like, 'Oh you have a line,' and I was like, '[Expletive], I can't act. Don't give me a line!' 

“They were like, 'We're pretty sure you'll be fine with this one.' I read it and I was like, 'Yeah, this is pretty easy.' ”

The line and scene were written perfectly for Thornton, so even if he knew how, he wouldn't have taken any artistic liberties.

“I think that was pretty much verbatim,” he said. “That was there on paper. It might have said, 'This guy's an [expletive],' but I don't even remember. I just yelled it and ran up on stage. It was pretty easy.”

Thornton’s work may have been too easy, as he had a lot of down time while on set. His call time for the scene was 6 p.m., but he says that he “didn’t actually do anything until about 4 in the morning.”

That was fine for Thornton, as he got his makeup done next to the nine-time Grammy-winning Jones and drank wine with Wahlberg and fellow Merlot-liner Daniel Paille in Wahlberg’s trailer as he awaited further instructions. 

Unfortunately for the gentlemanly Paille, no role was thought of to showcase his impeccable manners. Thornton believes that Paille can actually be seen standing with him before he rushes the stage, but he isn't the best person to ask. In the shocker of all shockers (kidding), Thornton -- who doesn't watch other games, standings or scoreboards -- still hasn't seen the movie.

Thornton had a prior commitment visiting a hospital on the day of the big premiere, but he plans to see the movie this week after passing on a local screening.

"They had a cast and crew viewing [in Boston] last Monday, but I'd kind of rather just spend the eight bucks and not have to worry about it," he said. "I'll just sit with a hat on like the rest of the people."

Of course, Thornton isn’t the first local player to make a memorable appearance in a hit comedy. His boss, Bruins president Cam Neely, played the horrifying Sea Bass in the 1994 classic "Dumb and Dumber" during his playing days. While Neely spitting on Jeff Daniels’ character’s burger and “for manly love” scene with Jim Carrey may end up being more memorable, Thornton is at the very least in elite company. 

“He obviously has a big role in that movie, and if you didn’t even know it was me then my role isn't that big,” Thornton said. “I probably wouldn't compare those two, but it was a cool life experience. It was something to say I've done.”

It’s crazy to think that not too long ago, Thornton was bouncing around the AHL and going between the minors and the NHL trying to find a long-term home. Since coming to Boston, he’s been able to win the Stanley Cup while playing, put together a 10-goal season and earn a salary of over a million dollars ($1.1 million in each of the next two seasons). 

Now it’s given him an acting career. 

“Yeah,” he said. “My acting career's really going to take off from yelling, 'You're an [expletive].'”