Known for his Work in the Animated Television Series 'Family Guy'

Mike Henry | Biography

Dann in the Spin-off of the 'Family Guy,' 'The Cleveland Show'

• By Ojasbi
• Update : September 14, 2021

---

Michael ‘Mike’ Henry is an American actor best known for his work in the animated television show Family Guy.

Who is Mike Henry?

Mike Henry is a comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, director, and producer. He has appeared in various shows such as Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, American Dad, Ted, and The Orville. In addition, he has written episodes and voiced characters such as Cleveland Brown, Herbert, Bruce, and Consuela for the series. Henry is also well-known for co-creating and starring as Dann in the spin-off of the Family Guy, The Cleveland Show.

Early Life and Education

Michael ‘Mike’ Henry was born on 7 November 1965 in Pontiac, Michigan, to artist parents in Richmond, Virginia. His parents split up when he was eight years old, leaving him and his younger brother Patrick to be raised by their mother alone. 

Henry enrolled in a preparatory Collegiate School nearby his hometown after earning a scholarship. Later, Mike got his B.A. degree in 1988 and eventually graduated as a class president from Washington and Lee University.

Career

Henry’s early career entailed his works in the advertising field. Discontented with its traditional working pattern, Henry quit his job after two years of working in the industry and made a life-changing decision to move to L. A to make a career in comedy. 

After three years of acting, writing, doing stand-up comedy, and improvisation in Los Angeles, Mike returned to his hometown Virginia to shoot short comedy films that he conceptualized on his own.

Carrying cathartic commitment towards acting and stand-up comedy, Henry also appeared in his brother Patrick’s student films. It was then when he befriended his brother’s roommate and future famous actor, Seth MacFarlane. They instantly built a good relationship.

Henry recalls the memory as, “We hit it off right away, cracked each other up, and stayed in touch.” 

Mike later headed to New York City, where he worked in different commercials. He also worked (starred, wrote, co-directed) in the comedy shorts for Lorne Michaels’ Burly Bear Network with his brother Patrick. In addition, he studied improvisation at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an accredited improv and sketch comedy school in the country. 

His eventual breakthrough project was the animated sitcom Family Guy, in which he developed and voiced some famous characters.

‘Family Guy’

Henry got his start in 1998 when Seth MacFarlane approached him about joining a new show called Family Guy. He accepted and signed in as a writer and voice actor for the film. 

Henry then assisted in establishing the show’s structure by writing countless punch lines and cutaway gags and developing and voicing some of the show’s most recognizable characters, such as Bruce the performer, Cleveland, Herbert, Consuela, and the Greased-Up Deaf Guy. 

Henry was also a guest star in the show for the first four seasons, but he got credited as the main cast member beginning with season five.

Roles

Henry had numerous roles up his sleeves for the given animated series, including Cleveland Orenthal Brown Sr., present in both the Family Guy and The Cleveland Show series. His inspiration to develop this character prospered during a Cleveland Indians game’s seventh-inning stretch. According to Henry, Cleveland’s voice was modeled after one of his basketball friends from Virginia.

Mike’s second recurring Family Guy character was Consuela, a Hispanic maid who is not so good with English. He also voiced Bruce—a mustached, effeminately talking guy having a quiet, drawn-out voice with a noticeable lisp—and John Herbert, an elderly pederast with a high-pitched, very soft, effeminate voice. 

Stopped doing Voice Acting in ‘Family Guy’ 

However, after all those years of successful voice acts for the series, Henry announced on Twitter on 27 June 2020 that he would no longer play the show’s main African American character. He based his decision on a belief that people of color should play the characters of color.

“It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role,” he said.

Since the show’s debut in 1999, the white voice actor had played the character of Cleveland. 

Soon after Mike tweeted, the creators of The Simpsons stated to NBC that the sitcom too would no longer have white actors voice non-white roles.

Similarly, several animated series thoroughly investigated their recruitment for characters of color. Eventually, newcomer Arif Zahir, a YouTuber and a voice actor, landed his big break as the new Cleveland Brown for the 19th season of the Fox Animated series, Family Guy. 

‘The Cleveland Show’

Mike co-created The Cleveland Show, as a derivation of Family Guy, after writing and producing the first six seasons. The first-ever episode of the series, The Cleveland Show, premiered on Fox on 27 September 2009.

Cleveland Brown, a recurring character from Family Guy that Henry portrayed, was the main figure. The Cleveland Show quickly gained a devoted following and aired on FOX for four seasons. 

However, the show was canceled after its fourth season on 19 May 2013, but the reruns were made available on Comedy Central in the United States and Much in Canada.

Recent Projects 

Mike’s incredible work in the past has earned him strings of opportunities still in the current time. His latest projects include Crosseyed Tv, which was launched to highlight his works, his recurring roles on FOX’s The Orville as Dann, and writing and starring stints in television plots The Orville, Heritage, and American dad!

Wife 

Henry has been married to Sara Voelker since 2007, and they have two children together. The couple now resides in Henrico, Virginia.

Previously, Henry’s first marriage to Linda Murray resulted in a son named Jack. 

Brother 

For over 20 years, two brothers, Mike and Patrick Henry, collaborated for various TV shows, short films, and advertisements and spent half of their careers writing, designing, and directing them together. From Family Guy, Kicked in the Nuts, Lorne Michaels’ Burly Bear Network comedy shorts to Patrick’s student films at the Rhode Island School of Design, they were credited with various achievements. Sadly, they had their final collaboration for Home on Strange, as Patrick took his last breath on 9 January 2017 due to diabetes complications.

Youtube

Mike has his own Mike Henry Show 2021 on YouTube. Its first episode aired on 5 January 2021.

Did You Know?

Mike Henry's estimated net worth is $12 million, as per Celebritynetworth.