Seth MacFarlane

Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (/ˈsɛθ ˈwʊdbɛri məkˈfɑːrlɪn/; born on October 26, 1973) is an American television producer, filmmaker, actor, and singer, working primarily in animation and comedy, as well as live-action and other genres. He is the creator of the TV series Family Guy (1999–2003, 2005–present), co-creator of the TV series American Dad!(2005–present) and The Cleveland Show (2009–13), and writer-director of the films Ted (2012), its sequel Ted 2 (2015), and A Million Ways to Die in the West(2014).

MacFarlane is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied animation. Recruited to Hollywood, he was an animator and writer for Hanna-Barbera for several television series, including Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, Dexter's Laboratory, I Am Weasel, and Larry & Steve. As an actor, he has made guest appearances on series, such as Gilmore Girls, The War at Home and FlashForward. In 2008, he created his own YouTube series titled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. He 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. He occasionally speaks at universities and colleges throughout the United States, and he is a supporter of gay rights.

His first feature-length comedy film Ted also features MacFarlane's voice acting and performance-capture as the titular walking and talking teddy bear, and became the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy. As a singer MacFarlane has performed at several venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. MacFarlane has released three studio albums, in the same vein of his musical idol Frank Sinatra, beginning with Music Is Better Than Words in 2011. He wrote the lyrics for the Academy Award-nominated song "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" for Ted.

MacFarlane served as executive producer of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, an update of the 1980s Carl Sagan–hosted Cosmos series, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. MacFarlane was instrumental in providing funding for the series, as well as securing studio support for it from other entertainment executives.

He provides the voice of Mike in the North American release of Sing.