Seth Woodbury MacFarlane was born in the quaint New England town of Kent, Connecticut, where he resided with his mother, Ann Perry (Sager),a diligent worker in the admissions office, his father, Ronald Milton MacFarlane, a dedicated teacher at a prestigious prep school, and his sister, Rachael MacFarlane, a talented voice actress and singer. His ancestry is a rich blend of English, Scottish, and Irish heritage, and he is proud to descend from passengers who set sail on the iconic Mayflower.
Seth's artistic inclinations led him to attend and graduate from the esteemed Rhode Island School of Design, where he honed his skills in animation. Following his graduation, he was recruited by the renowned Hanna-Barbera Productions, now known as Cartoon Network Studios, to work as an animator and writer on the popular TV series Johnny Bravo (1997) and Cow and Chicken (1997). His talent and versatility also earned him a position as a writer on the Walt Disney Animation TV series Jungle Cubs (1996).
MacFarlane's creative vision was first showcased in The Life of Larry (1995),a project that was initially intended to be used as an in-between on Mad TV (1995). Although the deal ultimately fell through, a few months later, executives at FOX offered him a $50,000 grant to develop a pilot for what would eventually become the beloved animated series Family Guy (1999).
Since Family Guy's debut, MacFarlane has gone on to create two more television shows, American Dad! (2005) and The Cleveland Show (2009). Throughout his illustrious career, he has established himself as a multifaceted artist, exceling as an actor, voice actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. MacFarlane has also written, directed, and starred in the films Ted (2012) and its sequel Ted 2 (2015),as well as A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014). His impressive voice acting credits include the role of Mike, a charming mouse, in the animated musical Sing (2016).