Seth MacFarlane

Seth Woodbury MacFarlane(/məkˈfɑːrlɪn/; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television seriesFamily Guy(since 1999) andThe Orville(2017–2022), and co-creator of the television seriesAmerican Dad!(since 2005) andThe Cleveland Show(2009–2013). He also co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in the filmsTed(2012) and its sequelTed 2(2015), andA Million Ways to Die in the West(2014).
MacFarlane is a graduate of theRhode Island School of Design(RISD), where he studied animation.He was recruited to Hollywood as an animator and writer forHanna-Barbera's television seriesJohnny Bravo,Cow and ChickenandDexter's Laboratory; during this time, he created the animated shortLarry & Steve—a loose precursor ofFamily Guy—forWhat a Cartoon!. In 2008, he created the online seriesSeth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. MacFarlane has also made guest appearances as an actor on live action shows includingGilmore Girls,Star Trek: Enterprise,The War at Home, andFlashForward. MacFarlane has won several awards for his work onFamily Guy, including fivePrimetime Emmy Awards. In 2009, he won theWebby Awardfor Film & Video Person of the Year.
MacFarlane has performed as a vocalist at theHollywood Bowl,Carnegie Hall, and theRoyal Albert Hall. He has released eight studio albums, in the vein ofFrank Sinatra, with influences fromjazz orchestrations, andHollywood musicalsbeginning withMusic Is Better Than Wordsin 2011. MacFarlane has received fiveGrammy Awardnominations for his work.He has frequently collaborated with artists such asSara Bareilles,Norah Jones, andElizabeth Gillieson his albums.He hosted the85th Academy Awardsin 2013 and was nominated forBest Original Songfor "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" fromTed.
MacFarlane was executive producer of theNeil deGrasse Tyson-hostedCosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, an update of the 1980sCosmosserieshosted byCarl Sagan.He received a star on theHollywood Walk of Famein 2019 and was inducted into theTelevision Hall of Famein 2020.
MacFarlane was born and raised inKent, Connecticut.His parents, Ronald Milton MacFarlane (b. 1946) and Ann Perry (née Sager; 1947–2010), were born inNewburyport, Massachusetts.His younger sisterRachaelis also a voice actress. His maternal grandfather,Arthur Sager, competed in the1928 Summer Olympicsintrack and field. MacFarlane's parents met in 1970 when they lived and worked inBoston, and married later that year.They moved to Kent in 1972, where Ann began working in the admissions office atSouth Kent School. She later worked in the college guidance and admissions offices at theKent School, a selectivecollege preparatory school, where Ronald was a teacher.
As a child, MacFarlane developed an interest in illustration, and at the age of two he began drawingcartooncharacters such asFred FlintstoneandWoody Woodpecker.By age five, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in animation, and began by creatingflip booksafter his parents found a book on the subject for him.Four years later, at nine, he began publishing a weekly comic strip,Walter Crouton, forThe Kent Good Times Dispatch, the local newspaper; it paid him five dollars per week.MacFarlane said in an October 2011 interview that as a child he was always "weirdly fascinated by theCommunionceremony". He created a strip with a character kneeling at the altar taking Communion and asking "Can I have fries with that?" The paper printed it and he got an "angry letter" from the local priest; it led to "sort of a little mini-controversy" in the town.MacFarlane received his high school diploma in 1991 from the Kent School.While there, he continued experimenting with animation, and his parents gave him an8 mmcamera.
After graduating from high school, MacFarlane attended theRhode Island School of Design(RISD), where he majored in animation. As a student, he intended to work forDisney, but changed his mind after seeingThe Simpsons.During his time at RISD, he performed stand-up comedy.He also starred in many student films, meeting futureFamily Guycast memberMike Henry, whose brother Patrick was MacFarlane's classmate.In his senior year, he made his thesis film,The Life of Larry, which became the inspiration forFamily Guy.A professor submitted his film to the animation studioHanna-Barbera, where he was later hired.He graduated in 1995 with aBachelor of Fine Artsdegree.
MacFarlane was recruited during the senior film festival by development executive Ellen Cockrill and PresidentFred Seibert.He went to work at Hanna-Barbera (then Hanna-Barbera Cartoons) based on the writing content ofThe Life of Larry, rather than on his drawing abilities. He was one of only a few people hired by the company solely based on writing talent.He worked as an animator and writer for Cartoon Network'sCartoon Cartoonsseries.He created a sequel toThe Life of LarryentitledLarry & Steve, featuring a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. The short was broadcast as one ofCartoon Network'sWorld Premiere Toons. He described the atmosphere at Hanna-Barbera as resembling an "old-fashioned Hollywood structure, where you move from one show to another or you jump from a writing job on one show to a storyboard job on another". MacFarlane worked on three television series during his tenure at the studio:Dexter's Laboratory,Cow and Chicken, andJohnny Bravo.Working as both a writer andstoryboard artist, MacFarlane spent the most time onJohnny Bravo. He found it easier to develop his own style atJohnny Bravothrough the show's process of scriptwriting, whichDexter's LaboratoryandCow and Chickendid not use.As a part of theJohnny Bravocrew, he met actors and voiceover artists such asAdam WestandJack SheldonofSchoolhouse Rock!fame. These meetings later became significant to the production and success of hisFamily Guyseries.
He also did freelance work forWalt Disney Television Animation, writing forJungle Cubs, and forNelvana, where he wrote forAce Ventura: Pet Detective. Through strict observation of writing elements such as story progression, character stakes and plot points, MacFarlane found the work for Disney was, from a writing standpoint, very valuable in preparation for his career (particularly onAce Ventura).He also created and wrote a short titledZoomatesforFrederator Studios'Oh Yeah! CartoonsonNickelodeon.Executives at theFox Broadcasting Companysaw bothLarryshorts and negotiations soon began for a prime-time animated series.
Although MacFarlane enjoyed working at Hanna-Barbera, he felt his real calling was for prime-time animation, which would allow a much edgier style of humor.He first pitchedFamily Guyto Fox during his tenure at Hanna-Barbera. A development executive there, who was trying to get back into prime-time business, introduced MacFarlane to Leslie Kolins and Mike Darnell, heads of the alternative comedy department at Fox. After the success ofKing of the Hillin 1997, MacFarlane called Kolins once more to ask about a possible second pitch for the series. Fox offered the young writer a strange deal: They gave him a budget of $50,000 (equivalent to $95,000 in 2023) to produce a pilot that could lead to a series (most episodes of animated prime-time productions cost at least $1 million).Recalling the experience in an interview withThe New York Times, MacFarlane said: "I spent about six months with no sleep and no life, just drawing like crazy in my kitchen and doing this pilot."
After six months, MacFarlane returned to Fox with a "very, very simply, crudely animated film—with just enough to get the tone of the show across" to present to the executives, who loved the pilot and immediately ordered the series.In July 1998, they announced the purchase ofFamily Guyfor a January 1999 debut.Family Guywas originally intended to be a series of shorts onMADtv, much in the same wayThe Simpsonshad begun onThe Tracey Ullman Showa decade earlier. Negotiations for the show'sMADtvconnection fell through early on as a result of budgetary concerns.At age 24, MacFarlane was television's youngest executive producer.
Family Guyfirst aired January 31, 1999.MacFarlane's work in animatingFamily Guywas influenced byJackie Gleasonand Hanna-Barbera along with examples fromThe SimpsonsandAll in the Family.In addition to writing three episodes, "Death Has a Shadow", "Family Guy Viewer Mail 1", and "North by North Quahog", MacFarlane voicesFamily Guy's main male characters ofPeter Griffin,Stewie Griffin,Brian Griffin, andGlenn Quagmire, as well as Tom Tucker, his son Jake Tucker, and other characters. Bolstered by high DVD sales and fan loyalty,Family Guydeveloped into a $1-billion franchise.On May 4, 2008, after approximately2+1⁄2years of negotiations, MacFarlane reached a $100-million agreement with Fox to keepFamily GuyandAmerican Dad!until 2012. It made him the world's highest paid television writer.
MacFarlane's success withFamily Guyopened doors to other ventures relating to the show. On April 26, 2005, he and composerWalter MurphycreatedFamily Guy: Live in Vegas. The soundtrack features a Broadway show tune theme, and MacFarlane voiced Stewie in the track "Stewie's Sexy Party".A fan of Broadway musicals,MacFarlane comments on using musicals as a component ofFamily Guy:
AFamily Guyvideo gamewas released in 2006.Two years later, in August 2007, MacFarlane closed a digital content production deal with AdSense.He takes cast members on the road to voice characters in front of live audiences.Family Guy Liveprovides fans with the opportunity to hear future scripts. In mid-2007, Chicago fans had the opportunity to hear the then upcoming sixth-season premiere "Blue Harvest". Shows have played inMontreal, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
On July 22, 2007, in an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, MacFarlane announced that he might start work on a feature film, although "nothing's official".In September 2007,Ricky BlittgaveTV.coman interview confirming that he had already started working on the script.Then inTV Weekon July 18, 2008, MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce a theatrically releasedFamily Guyfeature film sometime "within the next year".He came up with an idea for the story, "something that you could not do on the show, which [to him] is the only reason to do a movie". He later went on to say he imagines the film to be "an old-style musical with dialogue" similar toThe Sound of Music, saying that he would "really be trying to capture, musically, that feel".On October 13, 2011, MacFarlane confirmed that a deal for aFamily Guyfilm had been made, and that he would write it with series co-producer Ricky Blitt.On November 30, 2012, he confirmed plans for the project.The project was put on hold while MacFarlane worked onTed 2.In 2018, Fox announced that a live-action/animated film based on the series is in development.MacFarlane stepped away from the series in 2011 to work onTedand other projects, and has only been associated with the show as a voice actor since then.
Despite its popularity,Family Guyhas often beencriticized.TheParents Television Councilhas been a frequent critic. It organized a letter-writing campaign to remove it from Fox's lineup,and filed complaints with theFederal Communications Commissionalleging that some of its episodes contained indecent content.MacFarlane has responded to the PTC's criticism by saying, among other things: "That's like getting hate mail fromHitler. They're literally terrible human beings."
Family Guyhas been cancelled twice, although strong fan support and DVD sales have caused Fox to reconsider.MacFarlane mentioned how these cancellations affected the lineup of writers: "One of the positive aspects ofFamily Guyconstantly being pulled off [the air] is that we were always having to re staff writers."
During its sixth season, episodes ofFamily GuyandAmerican Dad!were delayed from regular broadcast due to the2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. MacFarlane participated in the strike to support the writers, and Fox aired threeFamily Guyepisodes without his permission. The strike ended on February 12, 2008,and the series resumed airing regularly, beginning with "Back to the Woods".
MacFarlane has a second long-running, successfuladultanimated seriesinAmerican Dad!which has been in production since early 2005. To date, it is his only animated series that has never been cancelled, though it did undergo a network relocation from Fox toTBSon October 20, 2014, following its11th season. TBS announced on July 16, 2013, that they had picked up the series for a 15-episode12th season. The purpose of the network relocation was originally to make room for new comedies on FOX, such asMulaneyand another animated series from Seth MacFarlane calledBordertownon Fox's now-defunct "Animation Domination" programming block.
While MacFarlane does extensivevoice actingwork forAmerican Dad!, he has left much of itscreative directionup toMatt WeitzmanandMike Barker, feeling it helps give the series its own voice and identity.It was announced on November 4, 2013, that Barker would departAmerican Dad!after 10 seasons as producer/co-showrunner.
American Dad!was first shown afterSuper Bowl XXXIX, debuting with the episode "Pilot", which MacFarlane co-wrote. This February 6, 2005, series premiere was somewhat of an early sneak preview as the program did not begin airing regularly until May 1, 2005.Because of atypical scheduling of the show'sfirst 7 episodes,American Dad!has a controversialseason number discrepancyin which many are divided as to how many seasons the program has had. Beyond division between media journalists and fans, there have been conflicting reports as to what season the show is in even betweenAmerican Dad!creators and the show's official website—both from its original Fox website and now from TBS website.AtSan Diego Comic-Conin 2013, Barker hinted that anAmerican Dad!movie—centering on the Roger character and set from his birth planet—is in the works and partially written. However, at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, Weitzman revealed plans for the film were scrapped.
MacFarlane has described the initial seasons ofAmerican Dad!as being similar toAll in the Family, likeningtitle characterStan Smith's originallybigotedpersona toArchie Bunker.MacFarlane has also stated that his inspiration to createAmerican Dad!derived from his and Weitzman's exasperation withGeorge W. Bush's policies as former United States President.After the early couple of seasons however, the series discontinued using these elements ofpolitical satireand began to serve up its own brand of entertainment and humor.MacFarlane was described as having difficulty understanding the series in its early going; however, he heavily warmed up to the series after its early seasons once he felt the show truly came into its own. His fellow co-creators have sensed this through MacFarlane's greatly increased attention to the series after its early seasons. MacFarlane has also revealed he is anAmerican Dad!fan himself. He has taken note of the positive reaction to the "Roger" character by fans via his Twitter.
The show focuses on the Smith family: Stan Smith, the endangering,dog-eat-dog, rash and inconsiderate head of the household. He has an exaggeratedly large chin and masculine manner about him. As the family'sbreadwinner, he works as aCIAofficer and was initially portrayed in the series as an old-fashioned conservative bigot but has since grown out of these traits (the show is known for itsstory arcelements and otherdistinguishing plot techniques); Stan'sparadoxicallymoralistic yet simultaneously inappropriate, corrupt wife,Francine; and their two children, new-age hippie daughterHayleyand nerdy sonSteve. Accompanying the Smith family are three additional main characters, two of which belong tonon-humanspecies: zany, shocking, blithely cruel and rascally alien Roger, who'sfull of disguises/alter egosand has few if any limits on his behaviors. He was rescued by Stan fromArea 51;Klaus, the man-in-a-fish-body pet. Klaus's unenviable situation came about from the brain of an East GermanOlympicskier being shrunk and transplanted into a fish body; andJeff Fischer, Hayley's boyfriend turned "whipped" husband, known for his infatuation with Hayley's mom, Francine.Together, the Smiths and their three housemates run what is only at a first glance the typicalmiddle-class Americanlifestyle, but is anything but.
MacFarlane provides the voices of Stan and Roger, basing Roger's voice onPaul Lynde(who played Uncle Arthur inBewitched).His sister Rachael MacFarlane provides the voice of Hayley.
MacFarlane developed aFamily Guyspin-off calledThe Cleveland Show, which focuses on the character ofCleveland Brownand his family. The idea for the show originated from a suggestion byFamily Guywriter and voice of Cleveland, Mike Henry. Fox ordered 22 episodes and the series first aired on September 27, 2009. The show, which was picked up to air a first season consisting of 22 episodes,was picked up by Fox for a second season, consisting of 13 episodes, bringing the total number to 35 episodes. The announcement was made on May 3, 2009, before the first season even premiered.Due to strong ratings, Fox picked up the back nine episodes of season 2, making a 22-episode season and bringing the total episode count of the show to 44.The series ended on May 19, 2013, with a total of 4 seasons and 88 episodes. The character of Cleveland and his family returned toFamily Guyin the episode "He's Bla-ack!".
This is the only animated series created by MacFarlane that does not have him voicing the main character. MacFarlane did, however, play the character Tim the Bear until season 3 episode 10.Jess Harnellvoiced Tim from season 3 episode 11 onwards.
In 2008, MacFarlane released a series ofwebisodesknown asSeth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedywith its animated shorts sponsored byBurger Kingand released weekly.
In 2016, MacFarlane began producing the sci-fi comedy-drama seriesThe Orville, in which he also stars asCaptain Edward "Ed" Mercer.MacFarlane originally wroteThe Orvilleas aspec script, which was given a 13-episode order by Fox in May 2016, making it the first live-action television series created by MacFarlane.The series premiered on September 10, 2017.Despite the first season receiving negative reviews, it was renewed for a second season.The second season premiered on December 30, 2018, and received better reviews.
The series was renewed for a third season by Fox, however the series would move over toHulu.This season is the show's first on Hulu, after airing its previous two seasons on Fox, as well as the first to premiere since The Walt Disney Company's March 2019acquisition of 20th Century Fox.The season was originally scheduled to premiere in 2020 but was delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.The third season titled asThe Orville: New Horizonspremiered on June 2, 2022.Due to the pandemic, an episode of third season was scrapped, which MacFarlane subsequently turned into a novel, titledThe Orville: Sympathy for the Devil.
MacFarlane was the executive producer of a live-action sitcom starringRob CorddrycalledThe Winner. The plot has a man named Glen discussing the time he matured at 32 and has him pursuing his only love after she moves in next door. Glen meets her son and both become good friends.The show ran on Fox for six episodes in Spring 2007.
In August 2011, Fox ordered a 13-part updated series ofCosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. MacFarlane co-produced the series withAnn DruyanandSteven Soter. The new series is hosted byNeil deGrasse Tysonand began airing on the channel in March 2014, with repeats airing on theNational Geographic Channelon the next night.In addition to serving as one of the executive producers, MacFarlane provided voices for characters during the animated portions of the series. MacFarlane returned to executive produce and provide voices to its sequel series,Cosmos: Possible Worlds, which aired in 2020.
In 2013 and 2014, MacFarlane produced one season of a live-action sitcom calledDads.The series, revolves around Eli, played bySeth Green, and Warner, played byGiovanni Ribisi, two successful guys in their 30s whose world is turned upside down when their dads move in with them. MacFarlane,Alec SulkinandWellesley Wildexecutive-produced the series, with Sulkin and Wild writing.
In 2014, MacFarlane executive produced a two-season, 20-episode series calledBlunt TalkforStarz.The series followed an English newscaster who moves to Los Angeles with his alcoholic manservant and the baggage of several failed marriages to host a sanctimonious talk show.
In 2009, MacFarlane began work on the animated seriesBordertown.The series is set in Texas and follows a border patrol agent and a Mexican immigrant, satirizing America's changing cultural landscape. It ran for 13 episodes in the first half of 2016, on Fox.
MacFarlane has participated in theComedy Central Roasts. MacFarlane is the only person to serve as roastmaster for more than one roast. In 2010, he filled this role for the roast ofDavid Hasselhoff.The following year he was roastmaster at the roasts ofDonald TrumpandCharlie Sheen.
On October 1, 2012, it was announced that MacFarlane would host the85th Academy Awardson February 24, 2013.He also presented the nominees with actressEmma Stone, on January 10, 2013. In addition to hosting, MacFarlane was also nominated in theAcademy Award for Best Original Songcategory for co-writing the theme song "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" for his filmTedwith Walter Murphy.Critical response to MacFarlane's performance was mixed. ColumnistOwen GleibermanofEntertainment Weeklycommented "By calling constant attention to the naughty factor," MacFarlane created "an echo chamber of outrage, working a little too hard to top himself with faux-scandalous gags about race, Jews in Hollywood, and the killing of Abraham Lincoln."Tim Goodman ofThe Hollywood Reporterpraised MacFarlane's performance saying that he did "impressively better than one would have wagered". He also noted that he added "plenty of niceties with a little bit of theRicky Gervaisbite-the-hand-that-feeds-you thing and worked the juxtaposition rather nicely".He stirred up controversy in the form of a musical number titled "We Saw Your Boobs".
On October 29, 2014, it was announced that MacFarlane would host theBreakthrough Prizeceremony. The event was held inSilicon Valleyand televised on November 15, 2014, onDiscovery ChannelandScience, and globally on November 22, 2014, onBBC World News.He returned to host the following year.
MacFarlane made his directorial live-action film debut with the release ofTedin 2012. He announced that he was directing it on an episode ofConanthat aired on February 10, 2011. Along with directing the film, he also wrote the screenplay, served as producer, and starred as the title character.
Tedtells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) and his talking teddy bear (MacFarlane) who keeps John and his girlfriend Lori Collins (Mila Kunis) from moving on with their lives. The film received generally favorable reviews from both critics and audiences, and was a box office success, opening with the highest weekend gross of all time for an original R-rated comedy.Internationally, the movie is currently the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time, beatingThe Hangover. A sequel,Ted 2, was released on June 26, 2015.
It was announced in June 2021 thatPeacockhad given a straight to series order for a prequel series. In addition to serving as executive producer for the series, MacFarlane reprises his role as Ted. Due to its prequel nature, Wahlberg and Kunis do not reprise their roles.
MacFarlane co-wrote and starred in his second film,A Million Ways to Die in the West. Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild were also co-writers for the film. The film follows a cowardly sheep farmer (MacFarlane) who loses a gunfight and sees his girlfriend leave him for another man. When a mysterious woman rides into town, she helps him find his courage. But when her outlaw husband arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test.The film was met with mixed to negative reviews from critics.
On January 27, 2014, MacFarlane announced that he wrote acompanion novelbased on the film's script, which was released on March 4, 2014.An audio-book version was also made available, narrated byJonathan Frakes.MacFarlane wrote the book on weekends during shooting for the film, partially due to boredom.
In 2010, MacFarlane signed a record deal withUniversal Republic Records.He released his debut album,Music Is Better Than Words, in 2011. The album is abig band/standardsalbum drawing on his training in and attraction to "theGreat American Songbookand particularly the early- to late-'50s era of orchestration".The album featured duets withNorah JonesandSara Bareilles. It was nominated in theBest Traditional Pop Vocal Albumand theBest Engineered Album, Non-Classicalcategories at the54th Grammy Awards.It received a score of 52 out of 100 onMetacritic's compilation of music critic reviews.In 2014, he released his second studio album and first Christmas albumHoliday for Swing.It received mostly positive reviews.In 2015, his third studio albumNo One Ever Tells Youwas nominated for aGrammy Awardfor Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.In 2016, he was honored byBarbara Sinatraat the 28th annual Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational.
He released his fourth studio album,In Full Swing, in 2017,again featuring songs composed byJoel McNeely.Three singles were released from it: "That Face","Almost Like Being in Love",and "Have You Met Miss Jones?"The album was nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album andBest Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals.In 2019, for his fifth studio albumOnce in a While,MacFarlane worked with composer Andrew Cottee.
In 2020, MacFarlane released his sixth studio album,Great Songs from Stage & Screen,with composerBruce Broughton, who he works with onThe Orville, to compose the album.Like his previous four albums, he recorded a majority of the songs atAbbey Road Studios. However, much of the albums post-production work was done at home due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.In 2022, he released his seventh studio album,Blue Skies.In November 2023, MacFarlane released a collaborative Christmas album with Gillies titledWe Wish You the Merriest. The lead single of the same name was dropped on the day of the announcement.
He was featured on Calabria Foti's 2013 single "Let's Fall in Love".In 2016, he recorded the song "Pure Imagination" as a duet withBarbra Streisandfor her albumEncore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway.MacFarlane sang numerousshow tuneswithAriana Grandeon an episode ofCarpool Karaoke: The Seriesin 2017.
During theCOVID-19 pandemicin 2020, MacFarlane andElizabeth Gilliescollaborated on a series of songs, eight in total, on a playlist entitled,Songs from HomeonSpotify.MacFarlane was featured inMeghan Trainor’s Christmas album,A Very Trainor Christmasand did a cover of "White Christmas". The single debuted at number 24 on theAdult Contemporarychart issued dated November 14, 2020, the third holiday entry for both, and it later peaked at number 1 on the chart.In 2023, MacFarlane was co-featured alongsideRedmanandStatik Selektahon the album track "Self Medication", fromLogic's eighth studio albumCollege Park.
MacFarlane was executive producer of a 2020 feature film adaptingClive Barker’s novelBooks of Bloodfor Hulu, directed byBrannon Braga.
In 2020, he signed a $200 million deal withNBCUniversalto develop television projects for both internal and external networks, including the company’s then-developing streaming service Peacock.Among these projects isThe End is Nye, hosted byBill Nye, a six episode series exploring and explaining six apocalyptic scenarios. MacFarlane is executive producer and will make small appearances in each episode. It premiered on the service on August 25, 2022.
In January 2021, it was announced that MacFarlane had been hired to develop a reboot ofThe Naked Gun. After MacFarlane had previously expressed interest in castingLiam Neesonas Frank Drebin Jr. in 2015, the filmmaker was hired by the studio. Neeson revealed that the filmmaker alongside Paramount Pictures had approached him with a pitch to star in the movie.In June of the same year, Neeson stated that MacFarlane was working on a new draft of the script, with the studio additionally negotiating the filmmaker's potential role as director. He expressed excitement for the project and the opportunity to explore a more comedic role, should he decide to star in the movie; while stating that development on the project is ongoing.In October 2022, the film was officially greenlit with Neeson in the lead role. The film will be directed byAkiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand were hired to write a new draft of the script, from a previous draft with contributions fromMark Hentemann, Alec Sulkin and MacFarlane himself. MacFarlane and Erica Huggins will serve as producers.
MacFarlane has appeared in sitcoms, comedy and news programs, independent films, and other animated shows. In 2002, MacFarlane appeared in theGilmore Girlsepisode "Lorelai's Graduation Day".On November 5, 2006, MacFarlane guest starred on Fox'sThe War at Homeas "Hillary's Date", an unnamed 33-year-old man who secretly dates teenaged Hillary in the episode "I Wash My Hands of You".MacFarlane also appeared as the engineer Ensign Rivers onStar Trek: Enterprisein the third-season episode "The Forgotten" and the fourth-season episode "Affliction". During 2006, MacFarlane had a role in the independent filmLife is Short.He has been a frequent guest on the radio talkshowLoveline, hosted by Dr.Drew Pinsky.
MacFarlane appeared on the November 11, 2006, episode of Fox's comedy showMADtv.MacFarlane has also appeared on news shows and late night television shows such asJimmy Kimmel Live!andLate Show with David Letterman.Three months later on March 24, 2007, MacFarlane was interviewed on Fox'sTalkshow with Spike Feresten,and closed the show by singing the Frank Sinatra song "You Make Me Feel So Young".He also provided Stewie's voice when he appeared as abrain tumor-induced hallucination toSeeley Boothin an episode ofBones, writing his own dialogue for the episode.On May 8, 2009, MacFarlane was a guest onReal Time with Bill Maher.
Other thanFamily GuyandAmerican Dad!, MacFarlane voices characters in other cartoon shows and films. He voiced Wayne "The Brain" McClain in an episode ofAqua Teen Hunger Force.He has also voiced various characters onAdult Swim'sRobot Chicken, including a parody ofLion-OandEmperor Palpatineas well as Peter Griffin in the Season 2 premiere – he even parodied himself in the Season 4 premiere, in which he renewed the show simply by mentioning it in aFamily Guy-like cutaway after its fictitious cancellation at the end of Season 3. He also played the villain "The Manotaur" inBob Boyle's animated kids seriesYin Yang Yo!.In addition, MacFarlane voiced Johann Kraus in the 2008 filmHellboy II: The Golden Army.He also had a guest appearance in the animated filmFuturama: Into the Wild Green Yonderwhere he sings "That Was Then (And This is Too)", the opening theme.He had also starred in a commercial for Hulu in which he plays an alien presenting Hulu as an "evil plot to destroy the world", progressively as his famousFamily GuyandAmerican Dad!characters. He also lent his voice to the series finale movie of the Comedy Central series,Drawn Together.
MacFarlane played Ziggy in the 2010 filmTooth Fairy. In August 2010, he appeared as a guest voice-over in a sci-fi themed episode of Disney'sPhineas and Ferbentitled "Nerds of a Feather".On September 15, 2012, MacFarlane hosted the season premiere ofSaturday Night Live, with musical guestFrank Ocean.The episode was MacFarlane's first appearance on the show. MacFarlane had a cameo in the 2013 filmMovie 43.MacFarlane collaborated withMatt Groeningon an episode ofThe SimpsonsandFuturama.In 2016, he had a voice role in the animated filmSing, as well as serving as a major performer on the film's soundtrack.In 2017, he appeared inSteven Soderbergh's heist comedyLogan Lucky, alongsideChanning TatumandAdam Driver.In 2019, MacFarlane appeared in theShowtimelimited seriesThe Loudest Voice.
MacFarlane has abaritonevoice.He is a pianist and singer who, in his early years, trained withLee and Sally Sweetland, the vocal coaches of Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. In an interview withNPR, he commented on their training style: "They really drill you. They teach you the old-style way of singing, back when you had no electronic help ... [They teach you to] show your teeth. If you look at old photos of Sinatra while he's singing, there's a lot of very exposed teeth. That was something Lee Sweetland hit on day in and day out, and correctly so, because it just brightens the whole performance."In 2009, MacFarlane appeared as a vocalist at theBBC Promswith theJohn Wilson Orchestrain Prom 22,A Celebration of Classic MGM Film Musicals.In 2010, he reappeared at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra in a Christmas concert special. In 2012, it was announced he would again appear at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra in a concert celebrating Broadway musicals.In 2015, MacFarlane again appeared at The Proms as a vocalist with the John Wilson Orchestra, this time in a Sinatra program.Regarding his musical passion, MacFarlane has said, "I love and am fascinated by exciting orchestration—what you can do with a band that size—and I think in many ways it's a lost art."His music is predominantlyvocal jazz, show tunes andswing.He also usesmusical comedyin his shows and movies.
MacFarlane has said that his comedy influences includeWoody Allen,Jackie Gleason,Mel Brooks,Monty Python,Matt Groening, andNorman Lear;while his musical influences include Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin,Vic Damone,Johnny Mercer,Bing Crosby,Bobby Darin,Gordon MacRaeand theRat Pack.
MacFarlane is a supporter of theDemocratic Party.He has donated over $200,000 to variousDemocratic congressional committeesand to the2008 presidential campaignof then-U.S. SenatorBarack Obama.He has stated that he supports thelegalization of cannabis.
In 2015, MacFarlane endorsedBernie Sandersfor the2016 U.S. presidential election, and he introduced Sanders onstage at a Los Angeles rally.After the primaries, he supportedHillary Clintonfor president during the general election.In 2019, he supportedPete Buttigiegin the2020 U.S. presidential election.After the primaries, he endorsedJoe Bidenfor president during the general election.He endorsed Biden again for the2024 U.S. presidential election.After Bidenwithdrew his candidacy, MacFarlane endorsedKamala Harris.
MacFarlane is a supporter ofgay rights. In 2008, prior to the holding of theObergefell v. Hodgescase by theUnited States Supreme Court, MacFarlane called it "infuriating and idiotic" that two gay partners "have to go through this fuckingdog and pony actwhen they stop at a hotel and the guy behind the counter says, 'You want one room or two?'" He went on to say: "I'm incredibly passionate about my support for thegay communityand what they're dealing with at this current point in time."
In recognition of "his active, passionate commitment tohumanistvalues, and his fearless support of equal marriage rights and other social justice issues", MacFarlane was named the Harvard Humanist of the Year in 2011.
MacFarlane is a frequent speaking guest on college campuses.On April 16, 2006, he was invited byStanford University's ASSU Speakers' Bureau to address an audience of over 1,000 at Memorial Auditorium.He was invited byHarvard University's class of 2006 to deliver the "class day" address on June 7, 2006. He spoke as himself, and also as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin and Glenn Quagmire.He has also spoken atGeorge Washington University,Washington University in St. Louis,theUniversity of Texas at Austin,theUniversity of Missouri,Bowling Green State University,Loyola Marymount University,andUniversity of California, Los Angeles.
During the2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, MacFarlane publicly sided with the Writers Guild, and fully participated in the strike.Official production ofFamily Guywas halted for most of December 2007 and various periods afterwards. Fox continued producing episodes without MacFarlane's final approval, and although he refused to work on the show during the strike, his contract with Fox required him to contribute to any episodes it subsequently produced.Rumors of continued production onFamily Guyprompted the statement from MacFarlane that ".....it would just be a colossal dick move if they did that".During the strike, MacFarlane wrote an inside joke into an episode ofFamily GuyaboutJon Stewart's choice to return to the air and undermine the writers ofThe Daily Show, causing Stewart to respond with an angry phone-call, harassing MacFarlane and arguing his point.The strike ended on February 12, 2008.
During the2023 Writers Guild of America strikeand the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, MacFarlane donated $1 million to The Entertainment Community Fund to Support Film and Television Workers During Strikes. The Entertainment Community, formerly The Actors Fund, is there to help provide financial assistance for industry workers during theSAG-AFTRAandWGAstrikes.
In 2012, MacFarlane donated money to create The Seth MacFarlane Collection of theCarl Saganand Ann Druyan Archive at theLibrary of Congress. MacFarlane said, "The work of Carl Sagan has been a profound influence in my life, and the life of every individual who recognizes the importance of humanity's ongoing commitment to the exploration of our universe [...] The continuance of our journey outward into space should always occupy some part of our collective attention, regardless of whateverSnookidid last week."The collection opened on November 12, 2013.
On April 20, 2024 MacFarlane partnered withMartin Scorseseto showcaseBack From the Ink: Restored Animated Shortsat the2024 TCM Classic Film Festival. MacFarlane and Scorsese funded the restoration, and worked with theUCLA Film and Television ArchiveandThe Film FoundationwithParamount Pictures Archives.
MacFarlane lives inBeverly Hills, California.He is not married and has no children.
In a 2004 interview, he noted his similarities to Brian Griffin fromFamily Guy: "I have some Brian type issues from time to time—looking for the right person—but I date as much as the next guy."
MacFarlane gave a speech at his alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design, on September 10, 2001;the next morning he was scheduled to return to Los Angeles onAmerican Airlines Flight 11, one of the planes hijacked in theSeptember 11 attacks. Due to ahangoverafter the previous night's celebrations and an incorrect departure time (8:15 a.m. instead of 7:45 a.m.) from histravel agent,he arrived atLogan International Airportabout ten minutes too late to board the flight, as the gates had been closed.Speaking of his experience of missing the fatal trip, MacFarlane said:
TheFamily Guyepisode "Boy (Dog) Meets Girl (Dog)" references the incident.
On July 16, 2010, MacFarlane's mother, Ann Perry Sager, died from cancer. Her death was reported byLarry Kingon his showLarry King Live, who acknowledged a conversation he had with her during an interview with MacFarlane in May 2010.
From 2012 to 2013, MacFarlane was in a relationship with the British actressEmilia Clarke.
MacFarlane is anatheist, explaining his beliefs, "I do not believe in God. I'm an atheist. I consider myself a critical thinker, and it fascinates me that in the 21st century most people still believe in, asGeorge Carlinputs it, 'the invisible man living in the sky'."
On October 3, 2007,Bourne Co. Music Publishersfiled a lawsuit accusingFamily Guyofinfringing its copyrighton the song "When You Wish Upon a Star", through a parody song titled "I Need a Jew" appearing in the episode "When You Wish Upon a Weinstein". Bourne Co., which holds the copyright, alleged the parody pairs a "thinly veiled" copy of their music withanti semiticlyrics. Named in the suit were MacFarlane, 20th Century Fox Film Corp., Fox Broadcasting Co., Cartoon Network and Walter Murphy; the suit sought to stop the program's distribution and asked for unspecified damages.Bourne argued that "I Need a Jew" uses the copyrighted melody of "When You Wish Upon a Star" without commenting on that song, and that it was therefore not aFirst Amendment-protected parody per the ruling inCampbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.On March 16, 2009, United States District JudgeDeborah Battsheld thatFamily Guydid not infringe on Bourne's copyright when it transformed the song for comical use in an episode.
In December 2007,Family Guywas again accused of copyright infringement when actorArt Metranofiled a lawsuit regarding a scene inStewie Griffin: The Untold Story, in which Jesus performs Metrano's signature magic parody act, involving absurd faux magical hand gestures while humming the distinctive tune "Fine and Dandy".MacFarlane,20th Century Fox,Steve Callaghan, and Alex Borstein were all named in the suit.In July 2009, a federal district court judge rejected Fox's motion to dismiss, saying that the first three fair use factors involved—"purpose and character of the use", "nature of the infringed work", and "amount and substantiality of the taking"—counted in Metrano's favor, while the fourth—"economic impact"—had to await more fact-finding. In denying the dismissal, the court held that the reference in the scene made light of Jesus and his followers—not Metrano or his act.The case was settled out of court in 2010 with undisclosed terms.
On July 16, 2014, MacFarlane was served with a lawsuit from the production company of a series of Internet videos calledCharlie the Abusive Teddy Bearclaiming thatTedinfringes on the copyright of its videos due to the Ted bear largely matching the background story, persona, voice tone, attitude, and dialogue of the Charlie bear.The suit was dismissed with prejudice on March 23, 2015, after the plaintiffs conceded Ted was independently created and withdrew the suit.
MacFarlane has been nominated for twenty-fourPrimetime Emmy Awardsfor his work onFamily Guyand has won five times, in 2000, 2002, 2016, 2017 and 2019.He has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for his work inFamily Guy: Live in Vegas,Music Is Better Than Words,Family Guy,No One Ever Tells YouandIn Full Swing.He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for co-writing the opening song, "Everybody Needs a Best Friend", from his filmTedwith the film's composer Walter Murphy.
He has received numerous awards from other organizations, including theAnnie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Productionand theSaturn Award for Best Television Presentationfor theFamily Guyepisode titled "Blue Harvest", theMTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duoand theEmpire Award for Best ComedyforTed.In 2019, MacFarlane received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 6259 Hollywood Blvd.In 2020, he was inducted into theTelevision Hall of Fame.
In 2022, a new species ofHyloscirtusfrog(Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei) was described fromEcuadorand named after him.