Peter Griffin

This article is about the Family Guy character. For other uses, see Peter Griffin (disambiguation).

Template:Family Guy character Peter Löwenbräu Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated television series Family Guy. Peter is the patriarch of the Griffin household and the central character in the show. He is married to Lois, and is the father of Meg, Chris and Stewie. His voice, which has a thick Rhode Island accent, is performed by the show's creator and lead writer, Seth MacFarlane.

The character is Archie Bunker without the knowledge of what he's doing. He has the mind of a child, basically, and a source of big laughs is when he doesn't realize he's doing something inappropriate.

— Producer Seth MacFarlane, interview in The Advocate

Backstory

Lois' wealthy father Carter objected to Peter because of his lower social class — this resentment remains a theme in Carter and Peter's relationship, as shown in several episodes, like the e-mail Mr. Pewterschmidt sends to Peter, which punches him in the face. After marrying, Peter and Lois settled in Quahog, where Peter got a job at the Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory.

Jobs

Peter has had work experience from many job positions, including which often gets mentioned throughout the show. Peter has primarily worked as a safety inspector at the Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory until his boss Jonathon Weed died from choking on a dinner roll (right after Brian spits it out). A fisherman using his own boat. He hosted "Grind my Gears" episodes on the news where he rants about things that annoy him. His current job is working in the shipping department of the Pawtucket Patriot brewery. In one episode, Peter loses his job at the Pawtucket Patriot because due to the opening of superstore USA which causes Pawtucket Patriot to close down, during a protest, Peter ends up working at Superstore USA with his daughter Meg as his supervisor. After Superstore USA is destroyed, everything in Quahog returns to normal and Peter gets his job back at the Pawtucket Patriot.

Personality

Peter appears to be unintelligent and consistently depicted as crude and lowbrow. He enjoys activities such as going to up-market tailors and farting in Meg's cereal. His favorite pastime is watching television. A running gag on the show is Peter's preference for Pauly Shore movies over classic films such as The Godfather and Citizen Kane. He is also a huge Kiss fan. An I.Q. test confirms that his low intellect places him in a category slightly below mentally retarded. Peter also has a habit for proving his masculinity, not wanting Lois to fall for another man. He is incredibly jealous of other attractions Lois has in her life, an attitude that tends to get out of hand in most cases. Among the members of his family, he tends to treat his daughter Meg with the least amount of respect.

Health

Despite being fat, a problem drinker, and accident-prone, Peter appears to be in good health (even playing center for the New England Patriots).

Ancestry

Whereas Lois's Old Money lineage is well-defined, Peter's ancestry is obscured by several ancestors used only for one-time jokes. Only a few of Peter's ancestors are confirmed by repeated references in different episodes. One of them is a black ancestor named Nate Griffin. In one episode just a one time gag it is said that one of his Ancestors was actually the brother of Adolf Hiter. Formally known as Peter Hitler. Again in the same episode another one of his ancestors was Moses Griffin. Peter discovers that his real father is not the late Francis Griffin, the stern Roman Catholic Irish American patriarch of the first five seasons, but an Irishman named Mickey McFinnigan, a town drunk who resembles his son in every aspect, save red hair and an aged face. In another episode, "Padre de Familia", Peter discovers that he was actually born in Mexico (though the third season episode "And the Wiener Is..." contradicts this).

Appearances in other media

Peter had several appearances outside Family Guy, often in the form of direct parody. The Simpsons has had several depictions of Peter Griffin, usually premised on Family Guy being a ripoff of The Simpsons. Robot Chicken (produced by Family Guy cast member Seth Green) has depicted Peter (voiced by MacFarlane) in several cameos, and the Griffin family was also parodied in the "Cartoon Wars" episode of South Park, implying that Peter's flashbacks are Family Guy's sole source of humor. Peter has also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and in advertisements for Subway Restaurants.

External links

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