Seth MacFarlane

Seth MacFarlane

Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (/ˈsɛθ ˈwʊdbɛri mɪkˈfɑrlən/; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, voice actor, animator, screenwriter, comedian, television producer, director, and singer. He is the creator of Family Guy (1999–present) and as 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, and The Cleveland Show in 2009 for Fox. He also went on to serve 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. For several years, Family Guy has been the subject of criticism from television watchdog groups, such as the Parents Television Council, who regularly condemn it for its alleged indecency. He occasionally speaks at universities and colleges throughout the United States, and 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.

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.

On October 1, 2012, it was announced that MacFarlane will host the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, 2013.