Seth MacFarlane

Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television series Family Guy and the live-action series The Orville, as well as the co-creator of American Dad! and The Cleveland Show. In film, MacFarlane co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in Ted, its sequel Ted 2, and A Million Ways to Die in the West.

MacFarlane was born on October 26, 1973, in Kent, Connecticut. He developed an interest in illustration as a child, drawing cartoon characters at age two and creating a weekly newspaper comic strip called Walter Crouton at age nine. He graduated from the Kent School in 1991 and subsequently attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he majored in animation and created his thesis film, The Life of Larry.

After graduating in 1995, MacFarlane was recruited by Hanna-Barbera as a writer and animator. There, he worked on television series including Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, and Dexter's Laboratory. He also created the animated short Larry & Steve—a loose precursor to Family Guy—for Fred Seibert's What a Cartoon!. Additionally, he performed freelance writing work for Walt Disney Television Animation and Nelvana, and created the short Zoomates for Frederator Studios.

In 1998, Fox purchased Family Guy, which premiered in January 1999. At age 24, MacFarlane became television's youngest executive producer. Beyond writing and directing early episodes, he provides the voices for main characters Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, and Glenn Quagmire. MacFarlane also co-created American Dad!, which began production in 2005, voicing Stan Smith and Roger. Later television work includes executive producing the science documentary series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.

In addition to his television and film work, MacFarlane has established a career as a vocalist, performing in the vein of Frank Sinatra with influences from jazz orchestrations and Hollywood musicals. Beginning with his 2011 debut album, Music Is Better Than Words, he has released ten studio albums and performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Royal Albert Hall. He hosted the 85th Academy Awards in 2013, where he was nominated for Best Original Song for "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from Ted.

Over his career, MacFarlane has received numerous honors and awards. For his work on Family Guy, he has won five Primetime Emmy Awards, and he was named Film & Video Person of the Year at the 2009 Webby Awards. His musical recordings have earned him five Grammy Award nominations. MacFarlane received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019 and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2020.