Seth MacFarlane is known as the creator of animated comedy Family Guy. Since 1999 he has helped write the scripts and provide the voices for many of the characters. If you’ve seen the show then you’ve definitely heard his voice as he is the only actor to have appeared in every single episode. But do you know all of the characters this actor has portrayed?
Peter Griffin
The main character of the entire series is played by MacFarlane. Peter Griffin is the head of the family household and is very much in the mold of Homer Simpson in terms of the crazy stunts he gets involved with. Family Guy is meant for a more mature audience than The Simpsons though, so often Peter Griffin’s exploits tend to get very out of hand and often involve adult themes.
Stewie and Brian Griffin
Perhaps the most famous duo in the show and MacFarlane voices them both. Stewie Griffin is the family’s baby, but with a twist, he’s an evil genius! His partner in crime is the family’s dog, Brian who himself is a genius, considering he’s a dog. Brian speaks perfect English and is often the voice of reason for many of the dysfunctional family’s exploits.
Glenn Quagmire
Another of MacFarlane’s famous voice roles in Family Guy is Glenn Quagmire. Quagmire is the Griffin’s neighbor and is known for his promiscuity and pretty crass sense of humor. If you have seen the show then the phrase “Giggity” will be pretty familiar to you, typically spoken after he’s said something derogatory.
Tom Tucker
One of the more notable minor characters voiced by MacFarlane is the newsreader Tom Tucker. Tucker can be seen in many episodes, usually following some crazy storyline involving Peter. Tucker’s son, Jake, is also played by MacFarlane. Jake is most famous in the show for being the boy with an upside-down face!
Seamus
Seamus is a very unfortunate pirate. If you were to draw a pirate, you might draw them with a wooden leg, but Seamus has two wooden legs and two wooden arms. He is a recurring character who, despite not having any fingers is a skilled pianist. He’ll often crop up to provide the gang somebody to laugh at when they are tired of laughing at each other.
Carter Pewterschmidt
MacFarlane plays Peter Griffin and one of Peter’s biggest naysayers in his father-in-law, Carter Pewterschmidt. Pewterschmidt is a wealthy man who looks down on Peter for taking away his precious daughter and tying her down to a life of mediocrity. Over time, Pewterschmidt comes to like Peter after he realizes he knows how to have fun, something that the rich man is fond of having at the expense of his billionaire friends.
Dr. Hartman
Dr. Hartman is the family doctor, and with Peter and co being so accident prone, we get to meet him quite a lot. He’ll often be the bearer of bad news for the Griffins, but he’ll always deliver their bad news with a smile on his face. He was the groundbreaking surgeon who managed to give wheelchair-bound Joe Swanson a new set of working legs until it all ended up in disaster for Joe and he became disabled all over again.
Various others
Being the creator of the show and having a chameleon-like voice means that MacFarlane has given his voice to many characters who only appear in one or two scenes. Some of his most memorable characters are Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Kool-Aid Man, Jaws, Inspector Gadget, Ronald McDonald, and Wile E. Coyote.
Seth MacFarlane has a very distinctive voice, so it made sense that he would have such a good career from using it. A well as creating and starring in Family Guy, MacFarlane has created American Dad, the movie Ted, and The Cleveland Show as well as appearing in animated series Robot Chicken.
