He’s creator and star behind some of television’s biggest and funniest series! Seth MacFarlane was born on October 26, 1973, and he is celebrating his 50th birthday today.
The actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer is the mastermind behind the animated television series Family Guy (since 1999) and The Orville (since 2017), and co-creator of the animated series American Dad! (since 2005) and The Cleveland Show (2009–2013). He also wrote, directed, and starred in the films Ted (2012), its sequel Ted 2 (2015), and A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014).
The Life of Seth MacFarlane
MacFarlane was born in Kent, Connecticut. His family roots go back to the 1600s, with Seth being a descendant of Mayflower passenger William Brewster. He began drawing cartoons such as Fred Flintstone and Woody Woodpecker at a very young age and developed an interest in animation. At the age of five, he began creating animated flip books, and by the age of nine, he began to publish a weekly comic strip, Walter Crouton, for The Kent Good Times Dispatch newspaper.
After graduating from high school, he studied animation at the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating from RISD in 1995, Hanna-Barbera Productions hired MacFarlane as an animator and writer. He worked on several cartoons for Hanna-Barbera, including Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, and Dexter’s Laboratory.
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TV Shows and Movies
In 1999, MacFarlane created Family Guy for Fox. The show is a sarcastic, but hilarious, animated sitcom that follows the Griffin family, a dysfunctional family living in Quahog, Rhode Island. Family Guy has been one of Fox’s most popular shows for close to 25 years now.
MacFarlane created American Dad! for Fox in 2005. The show is a spin-off of Family Guy and follows the Smith family, a dysfunctional family living in Langley Falls, Virginia. American Dad! has also been a critical and commercial success, and it is currently in its 19th season. New episodes air on TBS.
In 2009, MacFarlane created The Cleveland Show for Fox. The show was another spin-off of Family Guy and follows the Brown, another dysfunctional family living in Stoolbend, Virginia. The Cleveland Show, though a favorite of mine, was not as successful as Family Guy or American Dad!, and it was cancelled after four seasons.
In 2012, MacFarlane wrote, directed, and starred in the film Ted. The film is about a man whose childhood teddy bear comes to life. Ted was a critical and commercial success, and it grossed over $549 million worldwide.
MacFarlane followed up Ted with a sequel, Ted 2, in 2015. Ted 2 was also a critical and commercial success, and it grossed over $215 million worldwide.
Two years later, MacFarlane wrote, directed, and starred in the film A Million Ways to Die in the West. The film is a western comedy set in the frontier town of Old Stump, Arizona. A Million Ways to Die in the West was not as successful as Ted or Ted 2, but it was still a moderate box office success doubling their initial budget of $40 million.
MacFarlane created The Orville for Fox in 2017. The show is a science fiction comedy about a starship crew exploring the galaxy. The Orville has aired three seasons so far.
In addition to his work in television and film, MacFarlane is also a successful singer. He has released seven studio albums, all of which heavily influenced by “Old Blue Eyes” Frank Sinatra. MacFarlane performed as a singer at Carnegie Hall in New York City and Royal Albert Hall in London.
Seth has also been nominated for an Oscar and five Grammy awards for his work. Look for Seth’s new Christmas album with Liz Gillies, We Wish You the Merriest, due out next week.
Happy 50th Birthday to one of the funniest dudes on television, Seth MacFarlane!
