Seth MacFarlane Explains How He Ended up on ‘Gilmore Girls’
Seth MacFarlane is famous for his work in comedy and animation. In fact, his career goes back as far as when he was only nine years old and got a newspaper cartoonist job. However, in the early 2000s, he appeared on a show that was very different from the work he’s now known for. How did MacFarlane turn up on Gilmore Girls? Recently, he explained the relationships that brought him there.
Seth MacFarlane on appearing on ‘Gilmore Girls’
In 2000, Gilmore Girls debuted, and soon TV viewers were fans of the show. It followed the lives of single mom Lorelai and her teenage daughter, Rory. They lived in the fictional town of Stars Hollow and kept fans’ attention with their witty banter and close relationship.
In the second season, Lorelai graduated from business school. She’d gone back to college after abandoning it as a young adult so she could raise Rory. However, she encountered a fellow graduate who was a truly obnoxious man at her graduation. That character was played by Seth MacFarlane, and he wasn’t nice to Lorelai at all.
In a recent episode of the YouTube series Wired Autocomplete Interview, MacFarlane answered the question, “Who was Seth MacFarlane on Gilmore Girls?
“I think I was a graduating college student,” he replied. “I was literally just taking, taking shots at Lorelai Gilmore.”
He also seemed to have a vague memory of singing “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore” but finished that memory up by saying, “I think that was the extent of my Gilmore Girls tenure.”
However, it turns out that his credits on the show extend a little further than he remembers. What did he do, and how did he end up on the series in the first place?
‘A little bit of nepotism’ is how MacFarlane made an appearance
Seth MacFarlane has made a name for himself for his work in animation and comedy. Biography reports that the year before Gilmore Girls began, the animated series Family Guy debuted. MacFarlane was the executive producer for the show, even though he was only 24 years old. He also voiced three of the main characters.
There was a connection between his show and Gilmore Girls that led him to his unlikely cameo. Amy Sherman-Palladino was the creator, executive producer, showrunner, and one of the writers for Gilmore Girls. Her husband, Dan Palladino, also worked on the series as an executive producer. He had also previously helped to produce Family Guy.
“I was friends with Amy Palladino and Dan Palladino,” MacFarlane said. “So, it was a little bit of nepotism. Dan Palladino used to run Family Guy with me, and so, when he left to do Gilmore Girls, he took me with him, I guess.”
Two other ‘Gilmore Girls’ credits for Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane only appeared on screen in a single episode in the second season, but it wasn’t the only time he lent his talents to the show. The producers also brought him onboard twice to take advantage of his extensive experience as a voice actor.
In the third season, MacFarlane voiced Bob Merriam, a lawyer. During the fourth season, he provided the voice of a folk singer. Rory reviewed his performance of the “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” song for the newspaper she worked for.
MacFarlane didn’t make much of an impact on Gilmore Girls in the long run, but that didn’t seem to be his intent. Instead, he participated a handful of times because of his connection to the producers. Then, when he was done, he turned his attention back to his first love, the animated series he poured his heart into.
