Career
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, voice actor, animator, screenwriter, comedian, producer, director, and
singer. He is the creator of the show Family Guy (1999–2002, 2005–present) and co-creator of American Dad! (2005–present) and The Cleveland Show (2009–present), for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.
A native of Kent, Connecticut, MacFarlane is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design where he studied animation, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He was
an animator and writer for Hanna-Barbera for several television shows, including Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, Dexter's Laboratory and I Am
Weasel before creating his own series for 20th Century Fox called Family Guy in 1999. MacFarlane went on to co-create American Dad! in 2005 with Mike
Barker and Matt Weitzman for the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox. Also for the same network lineup, he co-created The Cleveland Show in 2009. He later served
as executive producer on the Fox sitcom The Winner.
As an actor, he has made guest appearances on shows such as Gilmore Girls, The War at Home and FlashForward. MacFarlane's interest in
science fiction and fantasy has led to cameo and guest appearances on Star Trek: Enterprise and voicing the character of Johann Kraus in Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy
II: The Golden Army. In 2008, he created his own YouTube series entitled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. As a singer MacFarlane has performed at several
venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. MacFarlane has won several awards for his work on Family Guy, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Annie Award. In 2009 he won the Webby Award for Film & Video Person of the Year. He occasionally speaks at universities and colleges throughout the United States, and he is a supporter of gay rights.
On an episode of Conan that aired on February 10, 2011, MacFarlane announced that he was directing his first feature-length comedy film, Ted. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as an adult who, as a kid, wished his teddy bear would come to life. MacFarlane voiced and provided motion capture for the bear. It was released on June 29, 2012, and went on to become the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time. In September 2011, MacFarlane released a debut album of American standards, Music Is Better Than Words. Also in 2011 he began a revival of Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones for the Fox network. The first episode was due to air in the U.S. in 2013, but production has been indefinitely delayed due to MacFarlane's schedule.
singer. He is the creator of the show Family Guy (1999–2002, 2005–present) and co-creator of American Dad! (2005–present) and The Cleveland Show (2009–present), for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.
A native of Kent, Connecticut, MacFarlane is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design where he studied animation, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He was
an animator and writer for Hanna-Barbera for several television shows, including Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, Dexter's Laboratory and I Am
Weasel before creating his own series for 20th Century Fox called Family Guy in 1999. MacFarlane went on to co-create American Dad! in 2005 with Mike
Barker and Matt Weitzman for the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox. Also for the same network lineup, he co-created The Cleveland Show in 2009. He later served
as executive producer on the Fox sitcom The Winner.
As an actor, he has made guest appearances on shows such as Gilmore Girls, The War at Home and FlashForward. MacFarlane's interest in
science fiction and fantasy has led to cameo and guest appearances on Star Trek: Enterprise and voicing the character of Johann Kraus in Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy
II: The Golden Army. In 2008, he created his own YouTube series entitled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. As a singer MacFarlane has performed at several
venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. MacFarlane has won several awards for his work on Family Guy, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Annie Award. In 2009 he won the Webby Award for Film & Video Person of the Year. He occasionally speaks at universities and colleges throughout the United States, and he is a supporter of gay rights.
On an episode of Conan that aired on February 10, 2011, MacFarlane announced that he was directing his first feature-length comedy film, Ted. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as an adult who, as a kid, wished his teddy bear would come to life. MacFarlane voiced and provided motion capture for the bear. It was released on June 29, 2012, and went on to become the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time. In September 2011, MacFarlane released a debut album of American standards, Music Is Better Than Words. Also in 2011 he began a revival of Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones for the Fox network. The first episode was due to air in the U.S. in 2013, but production has been indefinitely delayed due to MacFarlane's schedule.
Stewie (voiced by MacFarlane) speaking:
Family Guy
Family Guy first aired January 31, 1999. MacFarlane's work in animating Family Guy has been influenced by Jackie Gleason and Hanna-Barbera along with
examples from The Simpsons and All in the Family. In addition to writing three episodes, "Death Has a Shadow", "Family Guy Viewer Mail 1" and "North by North Quahog", MacFarlane voices Family Guy's main characters – Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin and Glenn Quagmire as well as Tom Tucker, his son Jake and additional
characters. Bolstered by high DVD sales and established fan loyalty, Family Guy developed into a $1-billion franchise. On May 4, 2008, after approximately two and a half years of negotiations, MacFarlane reached a $100-million agreement with Fox to keep Family Guy and American Dad until 2012. The agreement makes him the world's highest paid television writer.
examples from The Simpsons and All in the Family. In addition to writing three episodes, "Death Has a Shadow", "Family Guy Viewer Mail 1" and "North by North Quahog", MacFarlane voices Family Guy's main characters – Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin and Glenn Quagmire as well as Tom Tucker, his son Jake and additional
characters. Bolstered by high DVD sales and established fan loyalty, Family Guy developed into a $1-billion franchise. On May 4, 2008, after approximately two and a half years of negotiations, MacFarlane reached a $100-million agreement with Fox to keep Family Guy and American Dad until 2012. The agreement makes him the world's highest paid television writer.