Seth MacFarlane

Background

Seth MacFarlane was born to Ronald Milton MacFarlane and Ann Perry in Kent, Connecticut. He enjoyed illustration as a child and began drawing cartoon characters when he was two. He moved on to flip books and then began creating weekly comic strips, which were published in the local paper. He enrolled at the Kent School and received his high school diploma in 1991. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design (R.I.S.D.).

He handed in a thesis film titled “The Life of Larry” in his senior year, and his professor, in turn, submitted it to Hanna-Barbera, an animation studio. He was recruited by the studio based on his writing talent. Though he enjoyed working for Hanna-Barbera, he had a longing to create prime-time animation. He pitched “Family Guy” to Fox twice and was given a budget to create the pilot for the series. He delivered, and production began. Over the years, he has successfully pioneered several long-running series, including “Family Guy” (1999 — present), “American Dad!” (2005 — present), “The Orville” (2017 — present), and “The Cleveland Show” (2009 — 2013). He’s hosted several T.V. shows, including Comedy Central Roasts, and the Canadian Awards for the Electronic & Animated Arts. He also voices characters in other cartoons and films, including “Robot Chicken” and “Yin Yang Yo!”

He is also a proud supporter of gay rights and the L.G.B.T.Q. community. He was in a relationship with Emilia Clarke for a year in 2012 and is currently “looking for the right person.”