Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. An anthropomorphic dog, he is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself. MacFarlane was asked to pitch a pilot to the Fox Broadcasting Company based on The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve, two shorts made by MacFarlane (the second one at Hanna-Barbera for Cartoon Network's "What-A-Cartoon" project) which featured a middle-aged character named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. After the pilot was given the green light, the Griffin family appeared on the episode "Death Has a Shadow".
Brian is a member of the Griffin family. He primarily works in the series as a struggling writer attempting essays, books, novels, screenplays and newspaper articles. His appearance was a redesign of the protagonist Steve from MacFarlane's previous animated short films, The Life of Larry & Steve. He has been featured in much of the Family Guy merchandise, including toys, t-shirts, and video games, and has made crossover appearances in the other MacFarlane-produced shows, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.
Read more about Brian Griffin: Role in Family Guy, Reception, In Other Media
Famous quotes containing the words brian and/or griffin:
“Brian O’Linn was a gentleman born,
He lived at a time when no clothes they were worn.”
—Unknown. Brian O’Linn (l. 1–2)
“...I want men
to take us seriously.
I am tired wanting them to think
about right and wrong.
I want them to fear.”
—Susan Griffin (b. 1943)