Ted Johnson

Ted Johnson is one of the two main protagonists of Disney's 1989 live-action film Cheetah, alongside Susan. He is a California student who befriends a Masai boy named Morogo and adopts an oprhaned cheetah named Duma.
He was portrayed by Keith Coogan, who also played Tod's younger self in The Fox and the Hound and Brad Anderson from Adventures in Babysitting.
==Role==
Ted and Susan come for a six-month visit to the Rift Valley of Kenya with their scientist parents. The two meet up with a Masai boy named Morogo and they become best friends. With Morogo as their guide, Ted and Susan are venturing into the bush, eyeing the wildlife and adopting a cheetah cub whom they call "Duma".
Six months later, they realize that they have to release Duma back into the wild before their flight back to California. Before their visit is up, Duma has been captured by an opportunistic gang of poachers who plan to exploit her speed in a race against greyhounds. When the kids realize this, they set out into the wilderness with Morogo's help to find her.
They eventually arrive at the poacher's camp and try to rescue her, but are caught and put in a cage, while the evil poachers start for the race. However, Morogo frees them and they head after the gamblers. However, they are being pursued by the local authorities after their parents have called for them to search for their children, but they eventually manage to arrive at Nairobi Downs, where they find Duma racing with the greyhounds. Duma loses her burst of speed, but Ted grabs his whistle from a security guard and blows it, allowing Duma to gain her speed and win the race. The children are reunited with their parents and Ted informs them about the poacher who killed Duma's mother and they head out to rescue her, while Duma rebels against Abdullah. They find Duma attacking Abdullah and the poacher is arrested, while the parents berate the children for leaving them.
They arrive at Cheetah Valley and release Duma while quotting a Kenyan adage, "Though we are far apart, our spirits share the same earth, and the same sky."
== Trivia ==
* He is based on Aklilu from Alan Caillou's original classic, The Cheetahs.
* Despite being younger than Susan, his actor, Keith Coogan, is a year older than Susan's actress, Lucy Deakins.
==Navigation==
Category:Teenagers
Category:Big Good
Category:Kids
Category:Male
Category:Live Action Heroes
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Nature-Lovers
Category:Good Vs. Good
Category:Wise
Category:Rescuers
Category:Animal Kindness
Category:Successful
Category:Protectors
Category:Genius
Category:Self-Aware
Category:Pure Good
Category:Damsels
Category:Selfless
Category:Honest
Category:Loyal
Category:Siblings
Category:Tricksters