Across his various movies and TV shows, Seth MacFarlane has played a bunch of different characters. Unlike live-action, animation allows for each actor to play an inordinate number of roles. Just like The Simpsons’ Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer; and South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone before him; MacFarlane plays a wide range of characters across Family Guy, American Dad!, and his other animated projects.
From major characters who have become icons to supporting roles that have become fan favorites to one-off cameos that made a big impression, MacFarlane is recognizable as some of the funniest characters in film and on TV.
Carter Pewterschmidt
Many Family Guy characters can be compared to Simpsons characters. Outside the obvious parallels in the Griffin family, Seamus is Family Guy’s Sea Captain, Mayor West is Family Guy’s Mayor Quimby, and Carter Pewterschmidt is Family Guy’s Mr. Burns.
The unique twist on the last one is that the wealthy right-wing industrialist tycoon character isn’t the blue-collar suburban dad protagonist’s boss, but rather his father-in-law. Carter has been used to represent every corrupt business mogul and political influencer in America.
Greg Corbin
Across the street from the Smiths in American Dad! lives a gay couple that anchors the local news together. Mike Barker plays Terry, while Seth MacFarlane plays Greg.
In the season 3 episode “Lincoln Lover,” Stan’s homoerotic play about Abraham Lincoln makes him popular among the Log Cabin Republicans (gay right-wingers) and he learns that Greg is a Republican, which puts a lot of strain on his relationship with his liberal partner Terry.
Albert Stark
The premise for A Million Ways to Die in the West grew out of Seth MacFarlane riffing on the dangers of life in the Old West that western movies never address. In his first live-action leading role, MacFarlane plays Albert Stark, the everyman protagonist who brings a modern perspective to historical problems.
There are plenty of flaws in MacFarlane’s western homage— it’s certainly no Blazing Saddles— but his hilariously dry lead performance is one of the few areas where the movie really shines.
Tom Tucker
While Family Guy’s news gags often copy The Simpsons’ Kent Brockman formula of a newscaster who’s easily angered by unprofessional co-workers, Tom Tucker shines as a character when he’s shown off-camera.
In recent seasons as Tom Tucker has been fleshed out significantly, he’s been involved in a few great storylines, like when Peter took him to Hollywood to pursue an acting career or when he got overshadowed by Dallas Portland.
Peter Griffin
Although he was conceived as a thinly veiled carbon copy of Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin has evolved into the dark counterpoint to Homer. Like Homer, Peter is a hard drinker, a negligent parent, an insensitive husband, and an incompetent employee.
But the writers of Family Guy have gone to much darker places with these character traits than The Simpsons’ writers ever have. He’s also, against all odds, even dumber than Homer.
Ted
In his directorial debut Ted and its sequel, Seth MacFarlane voiced the titular talking teddy bear, who was brought to life by his best friend John Bennett’s childhood wish.
With deadpan line delivery, motion-capture physicality, and an even treaclier New England accent than Peter Griffin’s, MacFarlane made Ted an unforgettable character.
Brian Griffin
Brian was initially characterized as Family Guy’s voice of reason. As a left-wing creative, he’s the character that MacFarlane most closely identifies with, so it’s no surprise he’s also the one he uses his normal speaking voice for.
In recent seasons, Brian has become even funnier as the show has pointed out his hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness. His smug, self-righteous personality has resulted in some hilarious episodes.
Stan Smith
In American Dad!’s early days as a soft Bush-era political satire, Stan Smith was characterized as a thinly veiled mouthpiece for conservative ignorance, just like his daughter Hayley was characterized as a thinly veiled mouthpiece for the far-left.
But in the years since Seth MacFarlane handed over creative control of the show to his co-creators Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, American Dad! has eradicated its political agenda and ramped up its weirdness, and Stan has evolved into a well-meaning sociopath, who will put his family’s lives at risk just to save face. He always learns the right lesson, but only after many inane decisions when it’s far too late.
Stewie Griffin
The Griffins’ baby was an evil, matricidal genius in the early seasons of Family Guy, but he’s become infinitely funnier and more nuanced since the writers softened this aspect of his character and made him more camp.
Stewie is responsible for some of Family Guy’s most iconic moments and storylines. Season 16’s “Send in Stewie, Please” offered up whole new dimensions of his characterization.
Roger The Alien
In the early seasons of American Dad!, Roger couldn’t leave the house, so he was just a stay-at-home wino. When the writers came up with the idea that Roger could wear disguises, they blew the character’s storytelling possibilities wide open.
Roger’s gleefully sociopathic behavior, endless supply of personas, and penchant for taking things way too far have made him the best character on the show– and the best role played by Seth MacFarlane.