Career Timeline of Seth MacFarlane: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Seth MacFarlane made an impact.
Seth MacFarlane is a multi-talented American entertainer renowned for his work in animation, comedy, and music. He's the creator of the animated sitcom Family Guy and co-creator of American Dad! and The Cleveland Show. MacFarlane has also ventured into live-action, writing, directing, producing, and starring in films like Ted and A Million Ways to Die in the West. Besides his television and film work, he is a singer and has released several albums.
1997: King of the Hill Success
In 1997, after the success of "King of the Hill", Seth MacFarlane called Leslie Kolins to pitch "Family Guy" again.
July 1998: Family Guy Purchase Announced
In July 1998, Fox announced the purchase of "Family Guy" for a January 1999 debut after MacFarlane presented a crudely animated pilot to the executives.
January 1999: Family Guy Debut
In January 1999, "Family Guy" was set to debut, marking Seth MacFarlane's breakthrough into television.
January 31, 1999: Family Guy First Aired
On January 31, 1999, "Family Guy" first aired, influenced by Jackie Gleason, Hanna-Barbera, "The Simpsons", and "All in the Family".
1999: Family Guy Debut
In 1999, Seth MacFarlane created and starred in the animated television series "Family Guy", marking a significant moment in his career.
September 10, 2001: Gave a speech at Rhode Island School of Design
On September 10, 2001, Seth MacFarlane gave a speech at his alma mater, the Rhode Island School of Design.
2002: Appeared in Gilmore Girls
In 2002, Seth MacFarlane appeared in the Gilmore Girls episode "Lorelai's Graduation Day".
April 26, 2005: Family Guy: Live in Vegas Release
On April 26, 2005, Seth MacFarlane and composer Walter Murphy created "Family Guy: Live in Vegas", a soundtrack featuring a Broadway show tune theme.
2005: American Dad! Co-Creation
In 2005, Seth MacFarlane co-created the animated television series "American Dad!", adding another significant project to his television portfolio.
April 16, 2006: Addressed Stanford University
On April 16, 2006, Seth MacFarlane was invited by Stanford University's ASSU Speakers' Bureau to address an audience of over 1,000 at Memorial Auditorium.
June 7, 2006: Delivered class day address at Harvard University
On June 7, 2006, Seth MacFarlane was invited by Harvard University's class of 2006 to deliver the "class day" address, speaking as himself, Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin and Glenn Quagmire.
November 5, 2006: Guest Starred on The War at Home
On November 5, 2006, Seth MacFarlane guest starred on Fox's The War at Home as "Hillary's Date", an unnamed 33-year-old man who secretly dates teenaged Hillary in the episode "I Wash My Hands of You".
November 11, 2006: Appeared on MADtv
On November 11, 2006, Seth MacFarlane appeared on Fox's comedy show MADtv.
2006: Family Guy Video Game Release
In 2006, a "Family Guy" video game was released, further expanding the franchise.
March 24, 2007: Interview on Talkshow with Spike Feresten
On March 24, 2007, Seth MacFarlane was interviewed on Fox's Talkshow with Spike Feresten, and closed the show by singing the Frank Sinatra song "You Make Me Feel So Young".
July 22, 2007: Possible Family Guy Movie
On July 22, 2007, Seth MacFarlane mentioned the possibility of starting work on a "Family Guy" feature film.
August 2007: Digital Content Deal with AdSense
In August 2007, Seth MacFarlane closed a digital content production deal with AdSense, branching out into online content creation.
September 2007: Script Work Begins
In September 2007, Ricky Blitt confirmed he had already started working on the script for a "Family Guy" movie.
2007: Writers Guild of America Strike
In 2007, episodes of Family Guy and American Dad! were delayed from regular broadcast due to the Writers Guild of America strike, with MacFarlane participating in support of the writers.
February 12, 2008: Writers Guild Strike Ends
On February 12, 2008, the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike ended, and "Family Guy" and "American Dad!" resumed airing regularly.
May 4, 2008: $100-Million Agreement with Fox
On May 4, 2008, after 2+1⁄2 years of negotiations, Seth MacFarlane reached a $100-million agreement with Fox to keep "Family Guy" and "American Dad!" until 2012, making him the world's highest paid television writer.
July 18, 2008: Family Guy Film Confirmed
On July 18, 2008, Seth MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce a theatrically released "Family Guy" feature film, envisioning it as an old-style musical.
2008: Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
In 2008, Seth MacFarlane created the online series "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy".
2008: Donated to Democratic committees and Obama's campaign
In 2008, Seth MacFarlane donated over $200,000 to various Democratic congressional committees and to the 2008 presidential campaign of then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama.
2008: Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy
In 2008, Seth MacFarlane released Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, a series of webisodes sponsored by Burger King.
2008: Spoke Out in support of gay rights
In 2008, Seth MacFarlane spoke out in support of gay rights, calling it "infuriating and idiotic" that gay partners "have to go through this fucking dog and pony act when they stop at a hotel and the guy behind the counter says, 'You want one room or two?'"
2008: Voiced Johann Kraus in Hellboy II: The Golden Army
In 2008, Seth MacFarlane voiced Johann Kraus in the film Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
May 3, 2009: Cleveland Show Renewed for Second Season
On May 3, 2009, before the first season even premiered, Fox picked up "The Cleveland Show" for a second season consisting of 13 episodes.
May 8, 2009: Guest on Real Time with Bill Maher
On May 8, 2009, Seth MacFarlane was a guest on Real Time with Bill Maher.
September 27, 2009: The Cleveland Show First Aired
On September 27, 2009, "The Cleveland Show", a "Family Guy" spin-off focusing on Cleveland Brown and his family, first aired on Fox.
2009: Vocalist at BBC Proms with John Wilson Orchestra
In 2009, Seth MacFarlane appeared as a vocalist at the BBC Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra in Prom 22, A Celebration of Classic MGM Film Musicals.
2009: The Cleveland Show Co-Creation
In 2009, Seth MacFarlane co-created the television series "The Cleveland Show", expanding his involvement in animated television production, which lasted until 2013.
August 2010: Guest voice-over in Phineas and Ferb
In August 2010, Seth MacFarlane appeared as a guest voice-over in a sci-fi themed episode of Disney's Phineas and Ferb entitled "Nerds of a Feather".
2010: Reappeared at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra
In 2010, Seth MacFarlane reappeared at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra in a Christmas concert special.
October 13, 2011: Family Guy Film Deal
On October 13, 2011, Seth MacFarlane confirmed that a deal for a "Family Guy" film had been made, and that he would write it with series co-producer Ricky Blitt.
2011: Music Is Better Than Words Album
In 2011, Seth MacFarlane released his first studio album, "Music Is Better Than Words", beginning his venture into music influenced by jazz orchestrations and Hollywood musicals.
September 15, 2012: Hosted Saturday Night Live
On September 15, 2012, Seth MacFarlane hosted the season premiere of Saturday Night Live.
November 30, 2012: Family Guy Film Plans Confirmed
On November 30, 2012, Seth MacFarlane confirmed plans for a "Family Guy" film project.
2012: Ted Film Release
In 2012, Seth MacFarlane co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in the film "Ted", marking a move into feature film production.
2012: Donated to create The Seth MacFarlane Collection
In 2012, Seth MacFarlane donated money to create The Seth MacFarlane Collection of the Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan Archive at the Library of Congress.
2012: Appearance at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra announced
In 2012, it was announced that Seth MacFarlane would again appear at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra in a concert celebrating Broadway musicals.
2012: End of Fox Agreement
In 2012, the $100-million agreement between Seth MacFarlane and Fox, ensuring "Family Guy" and "American Dad!" remained on air, concluded.
May 19, 2013: The Cleveland Show Series Finale
On May 19, 2013, "The Cleveland Show" ended with a total of 4 seasons and 88 episodes, after which Cleveland and his family returned to "Family Guy".
2013: Cameo in Movie 43
In 2013, Seth MacFarlane had a cameo in the film Movie 43.
2013: Academy Awards Host
In 2013, Seth MacFarlane hosted the 85th Academy Awards and was nominated for Best Original Song for "Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from the movie "Ted".
2013: The Cleveland Show Ends
In 2013, Seth MacFarlane's television series "The Cleveland Show", which he co-created, ended its run.
2014: A Million Ways to Die in the West Film
In 2014, Seth MacFarlane co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in the film "A Million Ways to Die in the West".
2015: Appeared at The Proms as a vocalist
In 2015, Seth MacFarlane again appeared at The Proms as a vocalist with the John Wilson Orchestra, this time in a Sinatra program.
2015: Ted 2 Film Release
In 2015, Seth MacFarlane co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in "Ted 2", the sequel to the original "Ted" film.
2016: Voice role in Sing and film soundtrack
In 2016, Seth MacFarlane had a voice role in the animated film Sing, as well as serving as a major performer on the film's soundtrack.
2017: Appeared in Logan Lucky
In 2017, Seth MacFarlane appeared in Steven Soderbergh's heist comedy Logan Lucky.
2017: The Orville Series
In 2017, Seth MacFarlane created and starred in the television series "The Orville", which ran until 2022, showcasing his versatility in creating and leading television projects.
2018: Live-Action/Animated Film in Development
In 2018, Fox announced that a live-action/animated film based on the series "Family Guy" is in development.
2019: Appeared in The Loudest Voice
In 2019, Seth MacFarlane appeared in the Showtime limited series The Loudest Voice.
2022: The Orville Ends
In 2022, Seth MacFarlane's television series "The Orville", which he created and starred in, ended its run.
2022: Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei
In 2022, a newly discovered species of Hyloscirtus frog (Hyloscirtus sethmacfarlanei) from Ecuador was named after Seth MacFarlane.
2023: Donated to The Entertainment Community Fund
During the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Seth MacFarlane donated $1 million to The Entertainment Community Fund to Support Film and Television Workers During Strikes.
April 20, 2024: Partnered with Martin Scorsese to showcase restored animated shorts
On April 20, 2024, Seth MacFarlane partnered with Martin Scorsese to showcase Back from the Ink: Restored Animated Shorts at the 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival.
2024: Dollar Value Equivalent
In 2024, $50,000 in 1997 is equivalent to $98,000, which was the budget Fox provided MacFarlane to produce the pilot for "Family Guy".
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