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 multifaceted American entertainer recognized for his work in animation, acting, writing, producing, directing, comedy, and music. He is the creator of the animated sitcom Family Guy and the science fiction comedy-drama The Orville. MacFarlane also co-created American Dad! and The Cleveland Show. He has extended his creative reach to film, writing, directing, and starring in the Ted movies and A Million Ways to Die in the West, demonstrating his diverse talents and impact on popular culture.
1997: King of the Hill Success
After the success of "King of the Hill" in 1997, Seth MacFarlane contacted Leslie Kolins about a possible second pitch for Family Guy.
July 1998: Family Guy Purchase Announcement
In July 1998, Fox announced the purchase of "Family Guy", which was scheduled for a January 1999 debut.
January 1999: Family Guy Debut
In January 1999, "Family Guy" was intended to debut, with the original concept being a series of shorts on MADtv.
January 31, 1999: Family Guy First Aired
On January 31, 1999, Family Guy first aired, marking the beginning of MacFarlane's success in prime-time animation.
1999: Family Guy Debut
In 1999, Seth MacFarlane created and began starring in the television series "Family Guy", which would become his most well known show.
2000: Primetime Emmy Award Win
In 2000, Seth MacFarlane won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on Family Guy.
2002: Appearance in Gilmore Girls
In 2002, Seth MacFarlane appeared in the Gilmore Girls episode "Lorelai's Graduation Day".
2002: Primetime Emmy Award Win
In 2002, Seth MacFarlane won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on Family Guy.
April 26, 2005: Family Guy: Live in Vegas Release
On April 26, 2005, Seth MacFarlane and Walter Murphy released "Family Guy: Live in Vegas", featuring a Broadway show tune theme. MacFarlane voiced Stewie on "Stewie's Sexy Party".
2005: American Dad! Co-Creation
In 2005, Seth MacFarlane co-created the television series "American Dad!", adding another successful show to his repertoire.
April 16, 2006: Address at 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: "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. He spoke as himself, and also as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin and Glenn Quagmire.
November 5, 2006: Guest Starring on The War at Home
On November 5, 2006, Seth MacFarlane guest starred on Fox's "The War at Home" as "Hillary's Date," a 33-year-old man who secretly dates teenaged Hillary in the episode "I Wash My Hands of You."
November 11, 2006: Appearance 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, expanding the franchise.
March 24, 2007: Interview and Performance on Talkshow with Spike Feresten
On March 24, 2007, Seth MacFarlane was interviewed on Fox's "Talkshow with Spike Feresten", and he sang the Frank Sinatra song "You Make Me Feel So Young" to close the show.
July 22, 2007: Possible Family Guy Feature Film Announcement
On July 22, 2007, Seth MacFarlane announced he might start work on a "Family Guy" feature film.
August 2007: Digital Content Production Deal with AdSense
In August 2007, Seth MacFarlane closed a digital content production deal with AdSense.
September 2007: Script Work Begins
In September 2007, Ricky Blitt confirmed he had begun working on the script for a "Family Guy" movie.
2007: Writers Guild of America Strike
During its sixth season, episodes of "Family Guy" and "American Dad!" were delayed due to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, in which Seth MacFarlane participated.
February 12, 2008: End of Writers Guild Strike
On February 12, 2008, the Writers Guild of America strike ended, and "Family Guy" resumed airing regularly.
May 4, 2008: $100-Million Agreement with Fox
On May 4, 2008, after lengthy negotiations, Seth MacFarlane reached a $100-million agreement with Fox to continue "Family Guy" and "American Dad!" until 2012, making him the highest-paid television writer at the time.
July 18, 2008: Plans to Produce Theatrically Released Family Guy Movie
In TV Week on July 18, 2008, Seth MacFarlane confirmed plans to produce a theatrically released "Family Guy" movie.
2008: Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Creation
In 2008, Seth MacFarlane created the online series "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy".
2008: Donation to Democratic Party
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: Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy Webisodes Release
In 2008, Seth MacFarlane released a series of webisodes known as "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy", with animated shorts sponsored by Burger King.
2008: Voice Role in Hellboy II: The Golden Army
In 2008, Seth MacFarlane voiced Johann Kraus in the film "Hellboy II: The Golden Army".
2008: Statement on Gay Rights
In 2008, prior to the Obergefell v. Hodges case, Seth MacFarlane expressed his strong support for gay rights and criticized the discriminatory treatment of gay couples.
May 3, 2009: Second Season Pick-Up of The Cleveland Show
On May 3, 2009, before the first season even premiered, Fox picked up "The Cleveland Show" for a second season.
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, first aired on Fox.
2009: Vocalist at the BBC Proms with the 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 Cleveland Show", further expanding his presence in television animation.
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: Reappearance 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 Confirmation
On October 13, 2011, Seth MacFarlane confirmed that a deal for a "Family Guy" film had been made, and he would write it with Ricky Blitt.
2011: Music Is Better Than Words Album Release
In 2011, Seth MacFarlane released his first studio album, "Music Is Better Than Words", beginning his foray into jazz-influenced music.
September 15, 2012: Hosts Saturday Night Live
On September 15, 2012, Seth MacFarlane hosted the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live", with musical guest Frank Ocean, marking his first appearance on the show.
November 30, 2012: Family Guy Movie Plans Confirmation
On November 30, 2012, Seth MacFarlane confirmed plans for the Family Guy movie project.
2012: Ted Film Release
In 2012, Seth MacFarlane co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in the film "Ted", marking his venture into feature films.
2012: Donation to Library of Congress
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: Agreement with Fox Ends
In 2012, Seth MacFarlane's $100-million agreement with Fox to keep Family Guy and American Dad! ended.
2012: Appearance at the Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra
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.
May 19, 2013: The Cleveland Show Series Finale
On May 19, 2013, "The Cleveland Show" ended its run with a total of 4 seasons and 88 episodes, with Cleveland and his family later returning to "Family Guy".
November 12, 2013: Opening of Collection at Library of Congress
On November 12, 2013, The Seth MacFarlane Collection of the Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan Archive opened at the Library of Congress.
2013: The Cleveland Show Ended
In 2013, "The Cleveland Show", co-created by Seth MacFarlane, concluded its run.
2013: Cameo in Movie 43
In 2013, Seth MacFarlane had a cameo in the film "Movie 43".
2013: 85th Academy Awards Hosting and Nomination
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".
2014: A Million Ways to Die in the West Release
In 2014, Seth MacFarlane co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in the film "A Million Ways to Die in the West".
2015: Vocalist at The Proms with the John Wilson Orchestra
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 his successful film "Ted".
2015: Endorsement of Bernie Sanders
In 2015, Seth MacFarlane endorsed Bernie Sanders for the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and introduced Sanders onstage at a Los Angeles rally.
2016: Support for Hillary Clinton
After the primaries in 2016, Seth MacFarlane supported Hillary Clinton for president during the general election.
2016: Voice Role and Soundtrack Work in Sing
In 2016, Seth MacFarlane had a voice role in the animated film "Sing", and he also performed on the film's soundtrack.
2016: Primetime Emmy Award Win
In 2016, Seth MacFarlane won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on Family Guy.
2017: Appearance in Logan Lucky
In 2017, Seth MacFarlane appeared in Steven Soderbergh's heist comedy "Logan Lucky", alongside Channing Tatum and Adam Driver.
2017: The Orville Series Debut
In 2017, Seth MacFarlane created and starred in the television series "The Orville".
2017: Primetime Emmy Award Win
In 2017, Seth MacFarlane won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on Family Guy.
2018: Live-Action/Animated Film Development Announcement
In 2018, Fox announced that a live-action/animated film based on the "Family Guy" series was in development.
2019: Appearance in The Loudest Voice
In 2019, Seth MacFarlane appeared in the Showtime limited series "The Loudest Voice".
2019: Support for Pete Buttigieg
In 2019, Seth MacFarlane supported Pete Buttigieg in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
2019: Primetime Emmy Award Win
In 2019, Seth MacFarlane won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on Family Guy.
2020: Endorsement of Joe Biden
After the primaries in 2020, Seth MacFarlane endorsed Joe Biden for president during the general election.
2022: The Orville Ended
In 2022, the television series "The Orville", created by Seth MacFarlane, ended.
2023: Donation to Support Film and Television Workers During Strikes
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 the strikes.
April 20, 2024: Partnership 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. MacFarlane and Scorsese funded the restoration and worked with various archives.
2024: $50,000 in 1997 Equivalent to $98,000 in 2024
In 1997, Fox gave Seth MacFarlane a budget of $50,000, which is equivalent to $98,000 in 2024, to produce a pilot for Family Guy.
2024: Endorsement of Kamala Harris
In 2024, after Biden withdrew his candidacy, Seth MacFarlane endorsed Kamala Harris.
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