Chris’ voice on Family Guy is actually inspired by The Silence of the Lambs

There's no arguing that Family Guy is an all-time comedy classic with some of the most loved characters in animated TV.

From the dumb but hilarious antics of Peter Griffin to heavily mistreated Meg, Family Guy really does have it all.

Another much-loved character is the family's middle child Chris. In the many series of Family Guy, he displays a frequent lack of intelligence and just generally no common sense - but we wouldn't change him for the world.

Chris is arguably the most relatable Griffin, too.

In a show that provides pure carnage, he can often be the one to try and do right by his family.

PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

He struggles with body confidence issues and self-image, alongside looking for love - most people can find something to relate to.

But for those unaware, Chris is voiced by American actor and producer Seth Green.

The actor is known for acting in shows such as Austin Powers and films like Old Dogs, The Italian Job, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and America's Sweethearts.

However, he is arguably best known for his comedy sketch series Robot Chicken, which he also produces and acts in.

But Green obviously played a huge role in Family Guy, and decided to make Chris a very unique character.

Series creator Seth MacFarlane also wanted Chris to be very different to the rest, and his voice was certainly something that needed to be mastered by any voice actor, too.

Speaking on a virtual Comic-Con panel from 2020, Green explained where the voice started and how it evolved over time.

He said: "It was originally a sort of play on Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs.

Eugene Powers / Alamy Stock Photo

Green continued: "And the original pitch was just so weird I guess everybody liked it."

Buffalo Bill is one of the most famous characters to come out of the 1991 thriller classic, The Silence of Lambs - alongside Hannibal Lecter, of course.

The actor then explained how Chris' voice has evolved over the years, doing a quick impression of what the teenager sounded like in the early years of Family Guy, compared to what he sounds like now.

MacFarlane - who was also on the panel - added: "Everyone was coming in, doing surfer dude voices based on the look of the design.

"Seth was the only one who came in and did something way off the rails."

However, his impression had originated pre-Family Guy, as the Buffy star previously explained in another interview that he started doing it as an inside joke with his Can't Hardly Wait co-star, Charlie Korsmo.

He told The People's Party: "One of the riffs that we got into was Buffalo Bill, and how did that guy earn a living?"

I guess sometimes the best ideas can come from the strangest places?

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