# Family Guy - How does Seth MacFarlane do the voices? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901 "2008-12-05T19:41:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/41 "2008-12-06T16:55:42Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > You’re right, Warburton pretty much does the same voice, but if another actor did Brock Samson, no matter how well, it just wouldn’t be the same. Warburton owns that role. I love Warburton. Love him to death in anything he shows up in. But I have to say that’s because he’s Warburton, and not necessarily that he can tailor his voice to a character the way other VAs can. Really, I’m sure studios hire Warburton simply because they want _that_ particular voice. Michael Dorn gets work in a similar way. Their naturally distinct and awesome voices are what sell them, so they’re a little different from traditional VAs like Castallaneta and Shearer who can disappear into a role. ---
**Author:** ![Rattlehead02](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rattlehead02/32/3944_2.png) [@Rattlehead02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattlehead02)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/42 "2008-12-06T18:35:46Z")
This seems like a good time to mention Phil Hendrie. He had a radio show where he would voice “guest” callers who would come up with some ludicrous stories. Then real callers, not realizing Phil was voicing the “guests” would be legitimately outraged. It took me a couple shows to realize it was indeed Phil doing the voices in real time. Though if you caught the beginning and end of each show he’d say that all voices were him. Except the real callers. Here’s a great clip of him in action: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajtG5MeXQhs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajtG5MeXQhs) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/43 "2008-12-06T21:41:11Z")
Joe Alaskey is another versatile voice artist and one of my favorites. Although he can do other characters, such as Grandpa Lou from Rugrats or Boris Badenov, most of his work has been with Warner Brothers, where he has done not only work for Tiny Toons (as Plucky Duck) and Loonatics Unleashed, but he has also done most of the classic Looney Tunes characters. He was Yosemite Sam in “Who Framed Roger Rabbit;” he played the title characters in “The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries;” was the voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck in “Looney Tunes: Back in Action;” and played Daffy and Marvin the Martian in “Duck Dodgers in the 24th 1/2 century.” Here’s some video of Joe [in action](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MCq5SXWBsU) showcasing a few of his voices. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/44 "2008-12-06T21:45:59Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > You’re right, Warburton pretty much does the same voice, but if another actor did Brock Samson, no matter how well, it just wouldn’t be the same. Warburton owns that role. Agreed. The reason he keeps getting asked to do that kind of part is that he’s perfect for it. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/45 "2008-12-07T00:28:38Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > For more about Billy West, consult your local library - or Howard Stern’s show, or Porky Pig, or the Cheerios Honeybee, who sounds suspiciously like Fry did in the first couple of Futurama episodes (or the little Neptunians in later episodes). 😉 Yeah - The first time I heard his Larry Fine impression, I was like “Hey, that’s the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee!” He was the BEST on Stern - after he left, it took a loooong time for the show to recover - some people think it hasn’t recovered at all. Joe ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/46 "2008-12-07T01:00:55Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Yeah - The first time I heard his Larry Fine impression, I was like “Hey, that’s the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee!” The first time I heard the _real_ Larry Fine, I was like “So _that’s_ who’s Stimpy’s voice is based on!” Billy West does great impressions of all three Stooges (Dr. Zoidberg’s Curly yelps are a great example). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/47 "2008-12-07T02:56:37Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > The first time I heard the _real_ Larry Fine, I was like “So _that’s_ who’s Stimpy’s voice is based on!” Billy West does great impressions of all three Stooges (Dr. Zoidberg’s Curly yelps are a great example). _sigh_ I can remember when the Three stooges were still active. It was near the end of their careers. Moe and Larry were teamed with Curly Joe DeRita. Their final movie was a Western comedy called “The Outlaws Is Coming,” and co-starred a pre-Batman Adam West. Ah, the good old days. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/48 "2008-12-07T18:27:55Z")
Another Billy West example I just remembered, and I’m sure most of you posting in this thread are aware of. If you remember the Pinky and the Brain episode “Pinky and the Brain…and Larry” (and who doesn’t?), Billy West played the voice of the third mouse, Larry, who obviously was modeled after Larry Fine. They even did the “Moe, Larry, the cheese” skit when hanging paper in the White House. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/49 "2008-12-07T19:37:42Z")
Speaking of voices, although it’s not quite the same thing, I once saw the late, great Phil Hartman on Letterman talking about doing impressions. Letterman mentioned that Hartman had X number of voices in his arsenal, Hartman agreed and asked if Letterman would like to hear one. Dave said sure, how about voice 1. Phil just looked him straight in the eye and said drolly, in his normal voice, “That would be me Dave, my voice”. Cracked me up. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/50 "2008-12-07T19:49:38Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > If you remember the Pinky and the Brain episode “Pinky and the Brain…and Larry” (and who doesn’t?), Billy West played the voice of the third mouse, Larry, who obviously was modeled after Larry Fine. They even did the “Moe, Larry, the cheese” skit when hanging paper in the White House. Ah, yes. Besides being a spoof of the Three Stooges, this was also meant to poke fun at the network’s insistance to add another character (Elmyra from _Tiny Toon Adventures_, which _was_ actually done at the end of the show’s run- the theme song even included the lyric “It’s what the network wants, why bother to complain?”). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/51 "2008-12-07T21:20:18Z")
Since the thread title mentions Seth MacFarlane, it may not be out of place to mention that he was #1 on the list of “The 25 Smartest People in TV” in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/52 "2008-12-08T05:59:11Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > Does anyone else find Seth McFarlane strangely attractive? Being worth well over 100 million dollars usually makes people attractive 🙂 Actually he reminds me of the guy who played Peter Brady ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/53 "2008-12-08T06:33:26Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > Does anyone else find Seth McFarlane strangely attractive? Not attractive enough to switch teams (what, you didn’t hear about the semi-annual Hetero-Homosexual baseball match and barbecue?) for, but yeah, he’s one of the few guys I can look at and just say without thinking “wow, he’s actually kinda hot…” ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/54 "2008-12-08T10:29:00Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > (what, you didn’t hear about the semi-annual Hetero-Homosexual baseball match and barbecue?) No, and now I’m pissed as I’ve clearly been deliberately excluded by not getting an invite. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/55 "2008-12-08T10:37:41Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > No, and now I’m pissed as I’ve clearly been deliberately excluded by not getting an invite. :mad: Check behind the refrigerator, we like to hide it there because you’re not REALLY a ninja (did I mention it was ninja only?) if you don’t routinely check back there. Or maybe it’s a trap, never know unless you try. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/56 "2008-12-08T14:16:10Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > (did I mention it was ninja only?) There are gay ninjas? 😕 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/57 "2008-12-08T15:59:18Z")
> [@Illuminatiprimus](#): > > There are gay ninjas? 😕 > > 😛 Yes, but you never see them coming. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/58 "2008-12-08T16:30:49Z")
That song that Brian sang last night made me just a little more swoony for Seth. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/59 "2008-12-08T17:33:45Z")
> [@Anonymous\_Coward](#): > > Yes, but you never see them coming. Because they enter from the rear? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901/60 "2008-12-08T17:37:34Z")
It’s been pointed out before that none of the Simpsons actors “owns” their character’s voices and they cannot use them for commercial gain with the consent of Groening’s company. That seems awfully weird to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/family-guy-how-does-seth-macfarlane-do-the-voices/475901.md?page=4)