Seth MacFarlane Biography: 'Family Guy' to 'Ted'
Early Years
Top 10 Early Season RuPaul's Drag Race Queens: Where Are They Now?
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane was born October 26th, 1973 in Kent, Connecticut. At age two, he began sketching beloved characters like Woody Woodpecker and Fred Flintstone and soon, his hometown paper ran an original cartoon strip he created.
“The Life of Larry”
Top 10 Family Guy Marathon
After high school, MacFarlane followed his dream by enrolling in film, video and animation at one of the country’s top art schools, the Rhode Island School of Design. While there, he produced the animated short “The Life of Larry” in 1995, and this served as both his thesis and as a prototype for the show that eventually made him famous.
Hanna-Barbera
The powers-that-be at the legendary animation house Hanna-Barbera got hold of “Larry” and were so impressed with MacFarlane’s skills, they hired him to work on shows like “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Johnny Bravo.”
FOX
The Best Family Guy Episode of Each Season
MacFarlane then produced a follow-up to “Larry,” which got the attention of Fox: after a failed attempt to hire him to create animated skits for “MADtv,” network execs gave MacFarlane $50 thousand for an animated pilot. Six months of hard work, hand-drawing and channeling his edgy humor paid off when Fox picked up MacFarlane’s show.
“Family Guy”
Top 20 Best Family Guy Episodes
“Family Guy”’s debut episode got a plum spot right after Super Bowl XXXIII, when 22 million people tuned in to see the show’s wealth of pop culture references and its crude, politically-incorrect humor.
The Voice Behind the Characters
Top 20 Major Family Guy Characters Who Tragically Died
Not only was MacFarlane the creative mind behind the project; he was also the voice of many of the shows main characters. In 2000, he took home a Primetime Emmy for his voice-over work.
“Family Guy” Cancelled
Family Guy vs American Dad
Unfortunately, the network tossed the show from timeslot to timeslot. This cost the series valuable followers, and eventually “Family Guy” was officially cancelled in 2002. That was the same year MacFarlane won an Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.
Break from Cartoons
Top 10 Best Spring Break Episodes
But, life after “Family Guy” was not dull for this up-and-comer: MacFarlane lent his voice to a few other animated shows, and appeared on-screen in programs like “Gilmore Girls” and “Star Trek: Enterprise.” He also began developing a new adult-oriented cartoon series.
“Family Guy” Comeback
Top 10 Funniest Family Guy Cutaways
Meanwhile, just because “Family Guy” was off the air did not mean people stopped watching: the show won legions of fans through reruns and DVD sales. This renewed interest resuscitated the show, and Fox made the shocking move to bring new episodes of the series to TV in 2005.
“American Dad”
Top 10 Darkest American Dad Episodes
MacFarlane also unveiled a new show that year: “American Dad” eventually became a success, with MacFarlane again taking on voice roles and skewering right-wing politics.
Change of Pace
With two hit cartoons, MacFarlane set out to do something different. In 2007, he served as executive producer on the Rob Corddry series “The Winner,” but it failed after just six episodes. The next year, he made a splash online with the webseries “Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy.”
“The Cleveland Show”
Why Ted Is The Funniest Show on TV Right Now
But MacFarlane had more hit cartoon ideas up his sleeve: the “Family Guy” spinoff “The Cleveland Show” began in 2009, and MacFarlane became the highest-paid TV producer to that point with a $100 million, three-year deal for his three shows.
Singing Career
Top 10 Over the Top Singing Performances in TV Shows
In 2010, he appeared in the critically-panned but commercially successful comedy “Tooth Fairy,” and began serving as host of various Comedy Central Roasts. MacFarlane then showed off his impressive musical talent by releasing “Music is Better Than Words” in 2011, where he sang big band, jazz and traditional standards.
“Ted” and “Cosmos”
Top 10 Times Peter Griffin Got What He Deserved on Family Guy
He branched out in 2012 by making his feature-length directorial debut with “Ted,” where he also voiced the title character. But perhaps his most atypical project was a revival of Carl Sagan’s popular show “Cosmos,” in an effort to underscore the importance of science.
Scandal
The Untold Story of the Jerry Falwell Jr. Sex Scandal
As a comedian, MacFarlane’s humor has sometimes gotten him into trouble: he has been named in various lawsuits and his sometimes offensive shows have been the subject of boycott attempts. However, MacFarlane has offered his support for issues like gay rights and marriage equality.
Legacy
Top 10 Scariest Kaiju On Monarch Legacy of Monsters
Despite the controversy, MacFarlane has led the charge for “Animation Domination,” and has become a star in the process. With his quick wit, talent and trademark voice, Seth MacFarlane became one of the most important names in cartoon history.
0
1
flagged