Seth Macfarlane

Seth MacFarlane developed his animation skills at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he conceived the concept for Family Guy in 1995. During his studies, he created his thesis film The Life of Larry, which impressed his professor enough to submit it to Hanna-Barbera, resulting in MacFarlane's hiring by the studio. In 1996, he produced a sequel short, Larry & Steve, featuring a middle-aged character and his intellectual dog; this was broadcast on Cartoon Network's World Premiere Toons in 1997. MacFarlane redesigned these characters into Peter Griffin and Brian Griffin, pitching a 15-minute Family Guy pilot to Fox in May 1998, which was greenlit for production. The success of Family Guy established MacFarlane as a major force in adult animation. He serves as creator, executive producer, and primary voice actor, voicing characters like Peter, Brian, Stewie, and others. Early episodes centered on Stewie's supervillain antics, including world domination plots and matricide attempts, but the writing evolved to modernize his character as the series progressed. MacFarlane collaborated with RISD acquaintance Mike Henry, who joined as a writer and voice actor for characters like Cleveland Brown (until 2021), Herbert, and others. MacFarlane expanded his portfolio with American Dad!, featuring the alien character Roger, whose psychology blends growth, regression, and self-awareness for comedic effect. He has voiced roles in guest spots, such as on Crank Yankers, and hosted events like the Oscars. Recently, he starred in and produced the Ted prequel series on Peacock (premiered January 2024), voicing the foul-mouthed teddy bear, with Season 2 set for March 5, 2026. MacFarlane is also producing the Naked Gun reboot directed by Akiva Schaffer.