Summary

• Family Guy is a pop-culture phenomenon that launched Seth MacFarlane's successful career in TV series, films, and music.
• Seth MacFarlane's inventive voice acting brings iconic characters like Peter Griffin to life with humor and relatability.
• Characters like Dr. Hartman and Seamus are portrayed with unique voices that add depth and humor to the show's dynamics.

Few shows have enjoyed the same longevity as Family Guy. Despite two cancelations and its share of controversies, Family Guy is still going strong after 25 years. Not only has Family Guy been a success for Fox, it launched Seth MacFarlane's career, allowing him to create other popular projects like American Dad, The Orville, and Ted. Seth MacFarlane has become something of a household name over the past 25 years, with several successful TV series and films to his name, as well as a thriving music career.

Through it all, MacFarlane remains faithful to the series that launched his career. It's hardly a stretch of the imagination to say MacFarlane wouldn't be where he is had it not been for Family Guy. Then again, Family Guy wouldn't exist without him – not just because he helped to create it, but because he voices more characters than anyone else on the series.

10 Peter Griffin is Still Likable Despite His Selfishness

Peter Griffin is one of many TV dads who don't seem to know what's going on most of the time. Much like his "Homerian" counterpart in Fox's other long-running sitcom,The Simpsons, Peter isn't especially bright. In earlier seasons, this was explained by revealing that Peter had an intellectual disability. More recent seasons have focused more on his selfishness and ignorance.

Basing the look and voice on the Director of Safety at his alma mater, Seth MacFarlane imbues Peter Griffin with an affable, easygoing demeanor and a nasally, Rhode Island accent. Using his upper vocal range, MacFarlane makes Peter the kind of blue-collar Everyman that the audience can still root for, even when he's being completely selfish. MacFarlane's inventive voice acting helps convey Peter's capriciousness, immaturity, and indifference to the feelings of others.

9 Tom Tucker Delivers the News in a 'Soothing Baritone'

Local Channel 5 news anchor Tom Tucker is the man Quahog residents turn to for their news and information. As part of the Channel 5 News Team, Tom's calm, steady voice seldom changes, even when he's taking cheap shots at his co-anchors.

Seth MacFarlane plays Tom Tucker as a veteran TV journalist, employing a pleasing baritone with crisp, perfect diction. When Tom's off-camera, MacFarlane adds depth to this usually one-note character by portraying his insecurities, endowing him with endearing uncertainty while maintaining his clear, precise broadcast journalist's voice.

8 Dr. Hartman Sounds Confident Despite His Professional Shortcomings

Since Family Guy's earliest episodes, Dr. Elmer Hartman has been the Griffins' family physician, despite his consistent lack of professionalism. Perhaps it's because he's the only doctor who will put up with Peter that the Griffins have come to rely on Dr. Hartman over the years while overlooking his hippocratic shortcomings.

Utilizing a gruff, gravelly lower octave baritone, Seth MacFarlane provides Dr. Hartman with an air of gravitas and expertise that belies some of his inadequacies as a medical practitioner. As Dr. Hartman, MacFarlane often rumbles his way through medical jargon with grave concern, only to end his scenes with a lighter voice as he gets to the punchline.

7 God

As an atheist who was raised Catholic, Seth MacFarlane often treats religious figures as he does celebrities and politicians; objects of satire. This is especially evident in his portrayal of God, who has appeared multiple times on Family Guy to make various points about religion and the nature of faith.

When the Almighty shows up on Family Guy, the audience gets to hear Seth MacFarlane's satirical take on religion through God's voice. Though MacFarlane occasionally performs the part with an air of majesty, most of the time he plays God as a regular guy, an absentee father, or a high-powered executive, but always with a deep, resonant voice befitting a deity.

6 Seamus Is a True Salty Sea Dog

Starting as a visual gag about seafarers of a bygone era, Seamus Levine is one of the most visually unique characters on Family Guy, thanks to his trademark eye patch and wooden peg limbs. Though he sometimes appears on the show for other purposes, if an episode has anything to do with sailing, Seamus is almost certain to show up for some saltwater humor.

Seth MacFarlane regularly plays Seamus as the sort of pirate popularized by old movies. MacFarlane gives Seamus' voice a gravelly, sea-hardened quality, yet sometimes adds a lilt of melancholy to let the audience know just how lonely a sailor's life can be.

5 Carter Pewterschmidt Embodies the Worst of the Wealthiest

Carter Pewterschmidt is Peter Griffin's nightmare of a father-in-law. Carter is a blue-blooded elitist who sees his blue-collar son-in-law as beneath him, and absolutely unworthy of his daughter Lois.

Carter's elitism and love of money are a clear parody of America's wealthy business class. Portraying him with a voice that's remarkably similar to Dr. Hartman – a fact that was pointed out in Season 6 – albeit gruffer and harsher, MacFarlane gives Carter an edge of callousness in most of his appearances.

4 Brian Griffin Has Become Seth MacFarlane's Family Guy Avatar

Of all the characters Seth MacFarlane has voiced for Family Guy, the co-creator and star of the Peacock comedy series, Ted, has said Brian is the one who's the most like himself. While the two share similarities in their personal outlook, it's clear that Brian is often a reflection of the darker side of MacFarlane's personality.

As the series progressed past the first few seasons, Brian's voice – which was initially very deadpan and flat – started sounding more like Seth MacFarlane's natural baritone. MacFarlane plays the talking canine as a pretentious, haughty intellectual with an overinflated sense of ego. Yet MacFarlane also voices Brian with a sense of vulnerability and a desire for validation, allowing the audience to sympathize with the poor mutt.

3 Santa Claus Isn't Always So Jolly

In the fantastic reality-bending world of the Griffin family, it makes sense that Santa Claus would make semiregular appearances. Whenever Old St. Nick shows up on Family Guy, he's not always the symbol of holiday cheer people might expect.

Though his most famous Family Guy appearance was voiced by another actor in Season 9, Episode 7, "Road to the North Pole," Santa Claus is usually voiced by Seth MacFarlane. When MacFarlane plays Santa, he uses his lower register, giving Mr. Claus' voice a resonant sound that can be pleasing when he's overseeing his elves, but terrifying when he shows up in Stewie's nightmare or any other time he's punishing the naughty.

2 Glenn Quagmire Takes His Interests to Extremes

In the early seasons of Family Guy, Glenn Quagmire started out as a shallow creep. Over many years, however, he's evolved as more of his personal life has been revealed. While his defining characteristic is his lechery, it's clear that Quagmire is a man of many passions, and he approaches them all with gusto.

When Seth MacFarlane plays Quagmire, he goes high into his upper register, adding a nasally quality to his voice for good measure. This can be heard especially when Glenn is excited or agitated, which happens fairly often. From sex, to flying, to cats, MacFarlane portrays Glenn Quagmire as a man of overpowering enthusiasm when his interests get the better of him.

1 Stewie Griffin Has Evolved Considerably Over the Years