“Cleveland was somebody who was a very rich, textured character who could sustain stories of his own. A lot of that had to do with Mike, and Mike’s performance.” —Seth MacFarlane
After several years of doing stand-up, improv and commercials, Mike Henry met Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy, in 1995 while acting in his brother’s student films at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Henry went on to become a writer on Family Guy for the series’ first six seasons. He voices many of the characters he created, including Cleveland, Cleveland Jr., Herbert, Consuela, the Performance Artist, and the Greased-Up Deaf Guy.
His next venture began in fall 2009, when Henry created his own Family Guy spin-off, The Cleveland Show, where he stars as the voice of Cleveland, Rallo, Wally and others. The Cleveland Show instantly developed a cult following, as audiences couldn’t get enough of Cleveland, the well-meaning, likable leading man that Henry said in an interview with The New York Times, “is the closest he’s come to playing himself.” Variety praised the show’s first season as “a running commentary on all things pop culture — riotous fun.”
Henry’s additional acting credits include Scrubs, Gilmore Girls, Yes, Dear, American Dad and Robot Chicken. Henry and his brother are the creators of the internet-based hidden-camera parody series Kicked in the Nuts.
At the podium, Henry takes audiences behind the scenes of Family Guy and The Cleveland Show with never-before-seen clips and hilarious outtakes. He also shares in how he developed some of the programs’ funniest characters. Included in his presentation are talks about his personal road to success via “cutting his own path” and never giving up on the unconventional dream of pursuing a career in comedic writing. With humorous video clips and anecdotes about making the show, Henry’s presentation is entertaining, inspiring and truly comedic.
Henry lives in Los Angeles and hails from Richmond, VA.
