Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, and singer, working primarily in animation and comedy, as well as live-action and other genres. MacFarlane is the creator of the TV series Family Guy (1999-2003, 2005-present) and The Orville (2017-present), and co-creator of the TV series American Dad! (2005-present) and The Cleveland Show (2009-2013).
MacFarlane was born and raised in Kent, Connecticut. His parents, Ronald Milton MacFarlane (born 1946) and Ann Perry (nee Sager; 1947-2010), were born in Newburyport, Massachusetts. His sister is voice actress Rachael Ann MacFarlane (born 1976). He has roots in New England going back to the 1600s, and is a descendant of Mayflower passenger William Brewster. MacFarlane's parents met in 1970, when they both lived and worked in Boston, Massachusetts, and married later that year. The couple moved to Kent in 1972, where Ann began working in the Admissions Office at South Kent School. She later worked in the College Guidance and Admissions Offices at the Kent School, a selective college preparatory school, where Ronald was a teacher. During his childhood, MacFarlane developed an interest in illustration and began drawing cartoon characters Fred Flintstone and Woody Woodpecker, as early as two years old. By the age of five, MacFarlane knew that he would want to pursue a career in animation, and began by creating flip books, after his parents found a book on the subject for him. Four years later, aged nine, MacFarlane began publishing a weekly comic strip titled "Walter Crouton" for The Kent Good Times Dispatch, the local newspaper in Kent, Connecticut, which paid him five dollars per week. In one anecdote from the time, MacFarlane said in an October 2011 interview that as a child he was always "weirdly fascinated by the Communion ceremony". He created a strip with a character kneeling at the altar taking Communion and asking "Can I have fries with that?" The paper printed it and he got an "angry letter" from the local priest; it led to "sort of a little mini-controversy" in the town. MacFarlane received his high school diploma in 1991 from the Kent School. While there, he continued experimenting with animation, and his parents gave him an 8 mm camera. MacFarlane went on to study film, video and animation at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. As a student, he had originally intended to work for Disney, but changed his mind upon graduating. At RISD MacFarlane created a series of independent films, eventually meeting future Family Guy cast member Mike Henry, whose brother Patrick was MacFarlane's classmate. During his time at RISD, MacFarlane performed stand-up comedy. In his senior year at RISD MacFarlane created a thesis film titled The Life of Larry, which eventually would become the inspiration for Family Guy. MacFarlane's professor submitted his film to the animation studio Hanna-Barbera, where he was later hired.

Q: Where was Seth born?
A: MacFarlane was born and raised in Kent, Connecticut.

Q: Who was his father?
A: Ronald Milton MacFarlane (born 1946)

Q: Who was his mother?
A: Ann Perry (nee Sager; 1947-2010),

Q: Where did he go to school?
A: MacFarlane received his high school diploma in 1991 from the Kent School.

Q: Did he have any brothers or sisters?
A: His sister is voice actress Rachael Ann MacFarlane (born 1976).

Q: Did he go on to college?
A: MacFarlane went on to study film, video and animation at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD),
What work did he do in his early life?
During his time at RISD, MacFarlane performed stand-up comedy. MacFarlane's professor submitted his film to the animation studio Hanna-Barbera, where he was later hired. At RISD MacFarlane created a series of independent films, During his childhood, MacFarlane developed an interest in illustration and began drawing cartoon characters aged nine, MacFarlane began publishing a weekly comic strip titled "Walter Crouton" for The Kent Good Times Dispatch,
aged nine, MacFarlane began publishing a weekly comic strip titled "Walter Crouton" for The Kent Good Times Dispatch,