Mike Henry (voice actor)

{{short description|American voice actor}} {{Infobox person | name = Mike Henry | image = Mike Henry by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg | alt =  | caption = Henry at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con | birth_name = Michael Robert Henry | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|11|7}} | birth_place = Pontiac, Michigan, U.S. | education = Collegiate School | alma_mater = Washington and Lee University (BA) | occupation = {{hlist|Voice actor|comedian|writer|animator}} | years_active = 1989–present | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Linda Murray|2002|2005|reason=divorced}} * {{marriage|Sara Voelker|2007}} }} | children = 2 | website = {{Official URL}} }} '''Michael Robert Henry'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://directories.wga.org/member/michaelrhenry|title=Michael R. Henry|publisher=Writers Guild of America West|access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref> (born November 7, 1965)<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/arts/television/30itzk.html|title=Spinning Off Into Uncharted Cartoon Territory|first=Dave|last=Itzkoff|authorlink=Dave Itzkoff|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 27, 2009|access-date =June 29, 2020|quote=Now a 43-year-old comedy producer and performer, Mr. Henry is…}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://people.com/tv/family-guy-mike-henry-no-longer-voice-cleveland-brown/|title=Family Guy's Mike Henry Says He'll No Longer Voice Cleveland Brown Character|magazine=People.com|first=Gabrielle |last=Chung|date=June 26, 2020|access-date =June 29, 2020|quote=Henry, 54…}} Note: Birthdate given as March 25, 1964, at {{cite magazine|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mike-henry/bio/166655/|title=Mike Henry Biography|magazine=TV Guide|archive-date=September 15, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150915031651/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mike-henry/bio/166655/|url-status=dead}}</ref> is an American voice actor, comedian, writer, and animator. He is known for his work on ''Family Guy'', where he was a writer, producer, and the voice actor of Cleveland Brown (until 2021), Herbert, Bruce, Consuela, the Greased-up Deaf Guy, and others. He co-created and starred in the spin-off ''The Cleveland Show'' (2009–13), for which he voiced the titular character and Rallo Tubbs, among others. He also had a recurring role as Dann in ''The Orville''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.campustimes.org/2008/09/11/mike-henry-of-family-guy-talks-voices-gags-and-instinct/|title=Mike Henry of "Family Guy" talks voices, gags and instinct - Campus Times|date=2008-09-11|work=Campus Times|access-date=2018-05-01|language=en-US}}</ref> thumb|alt=Mike Henry in 7623|Mike Henry speaking in the San Diego Comic Con

==Early life and education== Henry was born in Pontiac, Michigan,<ref name=officialbio>{{cite web|url=https://www.mikehenry.co/| title=About|publisher=Mike Henry official website|access-date=June 29, 2020|archive-date=August 13, 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190813111750/https://www.mikehenry.co/|url-status=live}}</ref> on November 7, 1965, to artist parents and raised in Richmond, Virginia, with his younger brother Patrick. Their parents divorced when Henry was eight years old and the boys were primarily raised by their mother.<ref name=":1"/> He was awarded a scholarship and attended the nearby preparatory Collegiate School.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/arts/television/30itzk.html|title=With 'The Cleveland Show,' Mike Henry Spins Off Into Uncharted Cartoon Territory|last=Itzkoff|first=Dave|date=2009-08-27|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-05-01|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Henry graduated from Washington and Lee University (1988), where he earned his B.A. in history and served as class president his sophomore to senior years. Although interested in comedy, Henry never believed he could make a career of it so instead opted for more "business stuff".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://panthernow.com/2014/10/24/family-guy-voice-actor-visits-university/|title='Family Guy' voice actor visits University |date=2014-10-24|work=PantherNOW|access-date=2018-05-01|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== Early career === At 24, after a brief career in advertising, Henry moved to California to pursue acting. There he began taking classes at the Groundlings Theater and performing stand-up comedy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.backstage.com/interview/playing-in-cleveland/|title=Playing in 'Cleveland'|work=Backstage.com|access-date=2018-05-02}}</ref> After three years in Los Angeles, Henry returned to Virginia to shoot short comedy films that he wrote and acted in.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/welcome-back-cleveland/Content?oid=1377329|title=Welcome Back, Cleveland|magazine=Style Weekly|location=Richmond, Virginia|language=en|access-date=2018-05-02}}</ref> During that time, Henry often acted in his brother Patrick's student films at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he was introduced to his brother's college roommate, Seth MacFarlane.<ref name=":1"/> Henry recalled in 2018, "We immediately hit it off and cracked each other up and kept in touch."<ref name=":0"/>

Henry later moved to New York City, where he acted in commercials, studied improvisation at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/person/mike-henry-vi?filter-options=tv|title=Mike Henry (VI)|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=2018-05-02}}</ref> and wrote, produced, starred in and co-directed (with his brother Patrick) comedy shorts for Lorne Michaels' Burly Bear Network.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/voice-of-the-people/Content?oid=1367039|title=Voice of the People|last=Burruss|first=Mary|magazine=Style Weekly|location=Richmond, Virginia|language=en|access-date=2018-05-10}}</ref>

===''Family Guy''=== Henry’s break came in 1998, when MacFarlane contacted him about being part of a new show called ''Family Guy.'' Mike agreed and joined the project as a writer and voice actor. Henry has stated that the inspiration for Cleveland's voice was based on "this guy that [he] had once played basketball with".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRBOx3f_ZRs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/tRBOx3f_ZRs |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Mike Henry: The Origins of Cleveland and Herbert|website=YouTube |access-date=2009-04-16}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During the show's first four seasons, he was credited as a guest star, but beginning with season five's "Prick Up Your Ears" he has been credited as a main cast member.<ref name="Henry">{{cite news|title=Mike Henry of "Family Guy" talks voices, gags and instinct |date=September 11, 2008 |work=Campus Times |url=http://www.campustimes.org/mike-henry-of-family-guy-talks-voices-gags-and-instinct-1.743902 |access-date=September 8, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016192410/http://www.campustimes.org/mike-henry-of-family-guy-talks-voices-gags-and-instinct-1.743902 |archive-date=October 16, 2009 }}</ref>

Two episodes into the second season, ''Family Guy'' was taken off the network's permanent schedule and shown irregularly thereafter. The show returned in March 2000 to finish airing the second season which contained 21 episodes; all the cast came back for the series return. During its second season, Fox publicly announced that the show had been cancelled.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2005/04/30/family_guy_returns_just_as_funny_as_ever/|title=''Family Guy'' Returns, Just As Funny As Ever|last=Gilbert|first=Matthew|date=April 30, 2005|work=Boston.com|access-date=August 24, 2009}}</ref> Despite the announced cancellation, in 2001 Fox decided to make the third season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-11-18-family-guy_x.htm|title=''Family Guy'' may return|last=Levin|first=Gary|date=November 18, 2003|work=USAtoday.com|access-date=September 27, 2009}}</ref> During the third season, Fox announced that the show was canceled for good.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://familyguy.tktv.net/news.html |title=Family Guy has finally been officially canceled by Fox |work=TKtv |date=May 16, 2002 |access-date=August 24, 2009}}</ref><ref name="NYT McKinley">{{cite news |last=McKinley |first=Jesse |authorlink=Jesse McKinley |date=May 2, 2005 |title=Canceled and Resurrected, on the Air and Onstage |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/arts/television/canceled-and-resurrected-on-the-air-and-onstage.html |access-date=May 17, 2023}}</ref> Soon after ''Family Guy'' was cancelled, Henry and his brother created the popular web series ''Kicked in the Nuts!'', a spoof of hidden camera shows. ''Family Guy'' was renewed again in 2005 for its fourth season due to strong DVD sales and its syndication on basic cable networks.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-apr-13-fi-family13-story.html|title=Fox Reuniting Itself with ''Family Guy''|last=James|first=Meg|date=April 13, 2005|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=September 3, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Yet another ''Family'' reunion |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |first=Phil |last=Rosenthal |page=53 |date=November 20, 2003 }}</ref> Once again Henry and the rest of the cast came back for their voice works. In October 2017, ''Family Guy'' was renewed for its 16th season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/2017/05/family-guy-renewed-cancelled-will-return-season-16-2017-spoilers/|title='Family Guy' Renewed or Cancelled: Is it Coming Back for Season 16?|last=Levine|first=Daniel S.|date=2017-05-22|work=Heavy.com|access-date=2018-05-02|language=en-US}}</ref> thumb|Mike Henry in 2018

===''The Cleveland Show''=== On September 27, 2009, ''The Cleveland Show'' premiered on Fox.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20090615fox01|title=FOX Announces Fall Premiere Dates For The 2009–2010 Season|date=June 15, 2009|work=The Futon Critic|access-date=August 23, 2009}}</ref> The project was created and executive-produced by Henry, Seth MacFarlane and ''American Dad!'' showrunner Rich Appel. The show focused on the ''Family Guy'' character Cleveland Brown, who referenced the spin-off at the end of the ''Family Guy'' episode "Baby Not on Board".<ref name="s03e10">{{cite episode|title=Baby Not On Board|series=Family Guy|network=Fox|season=7|number=4|episode-link=Baby Not on Board|series-link=Family Guy|airdate=November 2, 2008}}</ref> The first season consisted of 22 episodes and was picked up by Fox for a second 13-episode season. The announcement was made on May 3, 2009 before the first season even premiered.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cleveland-rocks-fox-83327|title='Cleveland' rocks at Fox|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120703141634/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h/content_display/news/e3id8ce138992a53121b4b8137dc51ea285|archive-date=2012-07-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> Due to strong ratings, Fox picked up two additional nine-episode seasons, bringing the total episode count of the show to 44. The show was renewed for a third and fourth season on May 9, 2011.<ref>{{Cite press release|url= http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2010/06/10/fox-picks-up-third-season-of-the-cleveland-show/20100610fox01/|title=Breaking News - FOX Picks Up Third Season of "The Cleveland Show" |via= TheFutonCritic.com|publisher=Fox Broadcasting|access-date=2018-05-03}}</ref> The series was canceled after its fourth season on May 19, 2013,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/24-returns-fox-fall-article-1.1342450?pgno=1|title=Fox announces 2013-14 fall schedule, which includes return of Kiefer Sutherland's '24'|newspaper=Daily News|location=New York City|last=Hinckley|first=David| access-date=2018-05-03|language=en-US}}</ref> but reruns aired until 2024. The series ran for a total of four seasons and 88 episodes.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z2z2z252z1z2|title=Fox Primetime – 'The Cleveland Show' – Fact Sheet|publisher=Fox Broadcasting|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100117131748/http://foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z2z2z252z1z2|archive-date=January 17, 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=August 29, 2009}}</ref>

===Departure from voicing Cleveland=== On June 26, 2020, after twenty-one years of voicing the character, Henry announced on Twitter that he was stepping down from voicing Cleveland, stating "persons of color should play characters of color" due to heightening of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of that year following the police murder of George Floyd.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/family-guy-voice-actor-mike-henry-stepping-down-from-cleveland-role-1202971407/|title='Family Guy' Voice Actor Mike Henry Stepping Down From 'Cleveland Brown' Role|first=Bruce|last=Haring|date=June 26, 2020 |website=Deadline |access-date=June 26, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Otterson |first=Joe |title='Family Guy' Star Mike Henry Will No Longer Play Cleveland Brown |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/family-guy-cleveland-mike-henry-1234691851/ |magazine=Variety|date=June 26, 2020 |access-date=June 26, 2020}}</ref> On September 25, 2020, it was announced that YouTube personality Arif Zahir, who is African American, would replace Henry as Cleveland, but some episodes produced before Henry's departure from the role will still see Henry voicing the character.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/2020/09/25/family-guy-cleveland-voice-recast-arif-zahir-mike-henry/|title=''Family Guy'' Reveals New Actor Voicing Cleveland Brown in Season 19|first=Andy|last=Swift|work=TVLine|date=September 25, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2020}}</ref> Speaking to Henry, who would continue to do other voices for the show, Zahir, who is a longtime fan of both the character and the show said, "you created something truly special, and I promise I will do my absolute best to honor your legacy."<ref name=Rose>{{Cite web|url=http://decoy.tvpassport.com/news/stars-out-liv-tyler-leaves-9-1-1-lone-star?subid=national-00001 |title=Stars out: Liv Tyler leaves '9-1-1: Lone Star'|first=Michelle|last=Rose|website=TV Media |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref> To the fans he said, "I promise not to let you down."<ref name=Rose/>

==Personal life== Henry married Linda Murray in 2002. They divorced in 2005 after three years of marriage.<ref name=":1"/> They have a son together.<ref name=":1"/> Henry has been married to his second wife, Sara Voelker, since 2007.<ref name=":1"/> They have a daughter.<ref name=":1"/>

==Filmography==

===Film=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2005 | ''Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story'' | Cleveland Brown, Herbert, Bruce, The Greased-up Deaf Guy, Fred Rogers, Various characters (voices) |Direct-to-DVD; Also co-producer

|- | 2012 | ''Ted'' | Southern Newscaster | Cameo |- | 2014 | ''A Million Ways to Die in the West'' | Cowboy | Cameo |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1999–present | rowspan=2| ''Family Guy'' | John Herbert, Bruce Straight, Consuela, The Greased-up Deaf Guy, Various characters (voices) | Also co-producer, producer, supervising producer, story editor, executive story editor, consultant, and writer; Nominated–Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (2008) Nominated–Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (2009) |- | 1999–2021 | Cleveland Brown, Rallo Tubbs, Fouad | Stepped down from voicing these characters on June 26, 2020 |- | 2003 | ''Kicked in the Nuts!'' | Kicked in the Nuts Guy | Also co-creator, producer, director, editor, and writer |- | 2003–2006 | ''Gilmore Girls'' | Ed | 4 episodes |- | 2005–2010 | ''Robot Chicken'' | Various characters (voices) | 4 episodes |- | 2005–present | ''American Dad!'' | Jackson, Various characters (voices) | 79 episodes |- | 2007 | ''Scrubs'' | Urologist | Episode: "My Point of No Return" |- | 2009–2013 | ''The Cleveland Show'' | Cleveland Brown, Rallo Tubbs, Various characters (voices) | 88 episodes; Also co-creator, executive producer, and writer; ASCAP Award for Top Television Series (2013) Nominated–Teen Choice Award for Choice Animated Series (2010) Nominated–Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production (2011) Nominated–Teen Choice Award for Choice Animated Series (2011) Nominated–Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (2011) |- | 2010 | ''Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III'' | Yaddle (voice) | Television special |- | 2017–2022 | ''The Orville'' | Dann | 11 episodes |- | 2024 | ''Ted'' | Bank Teller | Season 1 Episode 1 "Just Say Yes" |- |}

===Web=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2008–2009 | ''Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy'' | Various characters (voices) | 3 episodes |}

===Video games=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Voice role ! Notes |- | 2006 | ''Family Guy Video Game!'' | Cleveland Brown, Herbert, The Greased-up Deaf Guy, Various characters (voices) | |- | 2012 | ''Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse'' | Cleveland Brown, Herbert, Consuela, Various characters (voices) | |- | 2014 | ''Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff'' | Cleveland Brown, Herbert Bruce, Consuela, Rallo Tubbs, Various characters (voices) | |- |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links==  * {{Official website|https://www.mikehenry.co}} * {{IMDb name|1396611}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Mike}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American male comedians Category:American male film actors Category:American male screenwriters Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television producers Category:Male actors from Richmond, Virginia Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners Category:Washington and Lee University alumni Category:20th-century American comedians Category:21st-century American comedians Category:20th-century American writers Category:Comedians from Virginia