Last Updated on February 22, 2024
Who Is Seth MacFarlane?
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American screenwriter, film producer & director, television producer & director, actor, animator, singer, and comedian.
MacFarlane is best known for being the creator of the television series Family Guy (1999 – present). He’s also the creator of the television series The Orville (2017 –present), as well as a co-creator of the series American Dad! (2005–present) and The Cleveland Show (2009–2013).
Other notable television works by MacFarlane include serving as an animator and writer for various television series by the animation studio and production company, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. Examples include Johnny Bravo, Dexter’s Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, and Larry & Steve. He has also made guest appearances on several television programs over the years, including Gilmore Girls, Star Trek: Enterprise, The War at Home, and FlashForward.
In the film industry, Seth MacFarlane is most noted for writing as well as directing and starring in the films Ted (2012) and Ted 2 (2015). MacFarlane was also the screenwriter, director, and star in the 2014 film, A Million Ways to Die in the West.
And as a musician, MacFarlane has released six studio albums to date. Many of his albums have registered moderate success.
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Seth Woodbury MacFarlane |
Popular Name: | Seth MacFarlane |
Gender: | Male |
Birth Date: | October 26, 1973 |
Age: | 49 years |
Parents: | Ronald Milton MacFarlane and Ann Sager Perry |
Siblings: | Rachael MacFarlane |
Birth Place: | Kent, Connecticut, United States |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | Mixed (English and Scottish) |
Education: | Kent School and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) |
Marital Status: | Unmarried |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Wife/Spouse: | N/A |
Children: | None |
Dating: | N/A |
Net Worth: | USD 320 million |
Source of Wealth: | Screenwriting, Film Production & Directing, Television Production & Directing, Acting, Animation, Singing, Comedy, and Other Ventures |
Height: | 5′ 10″ (1.78 m) |
Weight: | 83 kg; In pounds: 183 lbs. |
Early Life
Seth MacFarlane was born on October 26, 1973, in Kent, Connecticut, United States, to Ronald Milton MacFarlane and Ann Sager Perry.
MacFarlane developed an interest in animation during his childhood. He could draw cartoon characters like Woody Woodpecker and Fred Flintstone as early as two years old.
By his fifth birthday, MacFarlane already knew that he was destined for a career in the animation industry. He began honing his animation skills by creating flip books.
At the age of nine, Seth MacFarlane became a contributor for The Kent Goo Times Dispatch, a local newspaper in Kent. He published a weekly comic strip called Walter Crouton, earning $5 weekly from his endeavors.
MacFarlane continued nurturing his animation ambitions while in high school. After graduating from high school in 1991, he proceeded to Rhode Island School of Design, eventually earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the institution.
Television Career
Seth MacFarlane created a number of independent films while still in college. He also performed stand-up comedy shows. It’s also during this period that he met future Family Guy cast member Mike Henry, through Henry’s brother Patrick who happened to be MacFarlane’s classmate.
In his senior year, MacFarlane made a thesis film titled The Life of Larry. The film became the primary inspiration behind the Family Guy series.
Seth MacFarlane began pitching the idea of Family Guy to Fox executives, Larry & Steve, after leaving college. The channel initially turned him down but eventually offered him a $50,000 budget to use in producing the series’ pilot.
MacFarlane spent the next six months creating the pilot for Family Guy. Larry & Steve were impressed with the pilot and immediately ordered a full season.
Family Guy debuted on January 31, 1999 and has been airing to date, with MacFarlane retaining his role as the show’s creator.
In 2007, Seth MacFarlane created yet another sensational series, The Orville. MacFarlane is also the co-creator of American Dad! (2005–present) and The Cleveland Show (2009–2013).
Film Career
Seth MacFarlane wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film, Ted. He was also the film’s director as well as one of its stars. He would later reprise his three roles in the movie’s sequel, Ted 2 (2015).
A Million Ways to Die in the West is MacFarlane’s other notable film project. Seth wrote the film’s screenplay, in addition to serving as its director and one of the lead actors.
The following are other notable movies that MacFarlane has contributed to:
• Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005)
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
• Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009)
• The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! (2010)
• Tooth Fairy (2010)
• Movie 43 (2013)
• Sing (2016)
• Logan Lucky (2017)
Music Career
Seth MacFarlane has released six studio albums. They include:
• Music Is Better Than Words, released on September 27, 2011
• Holiday for Swing, released on September 30, 2014
• No One Ever Tells You, released on September 30, 2015
• In Full Swing, released on September 15, 2017
• Once in a While, released on April 19, 2019
• Great Songs from Stage & Screen, released on August 28, 2019
Awards and Honors
Seth MacFarlane has been feted with numerous prestigious awards for his contribution to the television and film industries.
The following are the most notable awards the Family Guy creator has received to date:
• 1 MTV Movie & TV Award
• 1 People’s Choice Award
• 1 Producers Guild of America Award
• 1 St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award
• 1 TCA Award
• 1 Writers Guild of America Award
• 2 Critics Choice Television Awards
• 2 Saturn Awards
• 4 American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Awards
• 5 Emmy Awards
• 6 Teen Choice Awards
Seth MacFarlane’s Net Worth
Seth MacFarlane has a net worth of $320 million, as of 2023. MacFarlane has earned his millions from his various duties on television and film, which include screenwriting, directing, producing, and acting. Music has also contributed significantly to MacFarlane’s net worth.
MacFarlane was paid $2 million annually by Fox between 2005 and 2008 for his various show-running endeavors. In 2009, Seth negotiated a record-breaking 5-year, $100-million-dollar contract to run his animation ventures. This was the most lucrative deal in television history at that time. And in the interest of full disclosure, the deal excluded DVD and merchandise rights, which reportedly earn MacFarlane north of $20 million annually.
The Family Guy television series is arguably MacFarlane’s most commercially successful television project so far. The show raked in upwards of $1 billion in gross revenue between 2005 and 2008 alone. $400 million of that amount came from syndication deals, $400 million from DVD sales and the remaining amount was attributed to merchandise sales. Today, Family Guy makes upwards of $2 million per syndicated episode. The show easily generates more than half a billion dollars annually in ad revenue.
Lessons from Seth MacFarlane
1. Start early
Seth MacFarlane began experimenting with various illustrations as soon as he knew he was destined for a career in the animation industry.
2. Make the most of every opportunity you get
After successfully pitching the Family Guy idea to Fox, MacFarlane was given $50,000 to use in producing the show’s pilot. This was a measly amount considering that most animated prime shows had a budget of $1 million per episode then. However, Seth made a good account of himself with the little money.
3. Never compromise your ideals despite the circumstances you find yourself in
Seth MacFarlane is an outspoken supporter of the Democratic Party. He has widely criticized the Republicans through his various shows, including Family Guy that’s aired on Fox, a Republican channel.
Famous Quotes by Seth MacFarlane
• I’m wide open to getting married, but actors are not easy people to date. You end up sharing that person with this other mistress that is their career. I very much like the traditional courtship method of making a date. That’s what they do in normal places, but Hollywood’s not normal.
• On a certain day, I will tweet five times, and then I’ll go four days without tweeting at all. It really depends on what time allows. Twitter, priority-wise, has to come after the work is done.
• There are things about the single lifestyle that are very appealing.
• Believe it or not, I have about the same success rate as anyone else. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss.
• Everybody in my family had a real sick, twisted sense of humor. Most of the jokes we make in our house, we would just never even dream of making anywhere else. Just sick, horrible stuff. That wasn’t anything new to college.
Conclusion
Seth MacFarlane is an accomplished screenwriter, director, producer, actor, and musician with a net worth of $320 million.
MacFarlane earned his fame and fortune courtesy of his syndicated television series, Family Guy. He has also created, produced, directed, and starred in a series of other films and television shows.