Chris Griffin

Lore & Background

Chris Griffin was created and designed by the series' creator, Seth MacFarlane, who was asked to pitch a pilot to the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series' pilot episode was based on The Life of Larry and Larry & Steve, two shorts made by MacFarlane which featured a middle-aged man named Larry and an intellectual dog, Steve. Chris was based on Milt, the teenage son character in The Life of Larry. The animated short film was created by Seth MacFarlane at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995 which later led to the development of Family Guy, which aired three years later. Seth Green has stated that his main inspiration for Chris' voice came from envisioning how the Buffalo Bill character from the thriller film The Silence of the Lambs would sound if he were speaking through a PA system at a McDonald's restaurant. Originally designed as a somewhat gregarious, yet unintelligent teenager, Chris has become more awkward and idiotic over the course of the show. Running gags in the series involving Chris include the existence of an 'Evil Monkey' in his closet (though it is later revealed that the monkey is not evil), his frequent masturbation, and his perverted admirer, the elderly Herbert who lusts after and repeatedly tries to prey on him throughout the show's run.

In Their Own Story

In "Patriot Games", when the family moves to London, Chris is the only member of the family who learns how to speak cockney English in a matter of seconds. In "Stewie, Chris, & Brian's Excellent Adventure", when his brother Stewie tries to help him prepare for a history exam, he seems to show great difficulty in grasping new ideas. In "Lethal Weapons", when Peter and Lois are having a fist fight, Chris cheers for the former, telling him to "kick her ass!". In Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, when the children watch Lois and Peter trying to have sex, Chris mistakes it for a fight and says, "Meg, why do you think they're fighting?", but Meg angrily whispers to him "They're not." In the episode "Trading Places", after Chris accidentally damages Peter's dirt bike, Peter "punishes" him by making him start smoking. In "Stew-Roids", Chris's popularity increases drastically when the school's queen bee, Connie D'Amico, dates him. Later in the episode, Chris's popularity turns him mean and shallow, and he dumps Connie after making out with two other girls at a house party. In "Once Bitten", Chris befriends Neil Goldman, the Jewish resident "nerd/geek" and Meg's self-proclaimed love interest. On Season: 23, Episode: 14, Chris was confirmed to have Autism. Chris stated in this episode that he was "on the spectrum."

Reader's Guide

Chris Griffin is portrayed as a typical adolescent, albeit one who comes off as being good-natured and easy-going. As such, the character tends to take things in his stride, not worrying about much, seemingly enjoying his position in life. On the Volume 1 DVD box set Family Guy edition, it is stated that Chris "wouldn't hurt a fly, unless it landed on his hot dog". Chris is seemingly willing to take drastic measures to meet his academic needs, especially to address his below-average grades. In one episode, he thinks he got a bad grade on his geometry test when he tickled his brain with a plastic army man's rifle inserted into his nose, accidentally puncturing a lobe. Despite frequently displaying Peter's characteristic stupidity, Chris is usually portrayed as a faster learner than Peter, and has a variety of talents, such as filmmaking, video editing, etc. He also shares his father's cartoonish lack of common sense, tends to be absent-minded, gets confused easily, and appears to be extremely naïve. Chris and Stewie are often shown to share a strong bond: with Stewie claiming the two are a team who look out for one another like "Owl and Costello". Although Meg is often humiliated or embarrassed by his actions like she is with Peter's actions, Chris usually loves and cares for her deeply, and the two are frequently shown to get along very well. As a running gag, starting in the episode "Dammit Janet!", Chris is regularly tormented by the Evil Monkey, who lives in his closet. In "Hannah Banana", Chris proves the monkey's existence to the family, though ends up becoming friends with him after the monkey (who appears not to be evil at all, but just a poor creature who was depressed after his ex-wife cheated on him with another monkey) helps him write out a book report and subsequently pass.

Did You Know?

• Chris Griffin first appeared on television in the episode "Death Has a Shadow" on January 31, 1999.
• Chris was based on Milt, the teenage son character in The Life of Larry, a short created by Seth MacFarlane at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995.
• Seth Green's inspiration for Chris' voice came from imagining how the Buffalo Bill character from The Silence of the Lambs would sound speaking through a PA system at a McDonald's restaurant.
• In the first two seasons, Chris wore a single gold hoop earring.
• On Season 23, Episode 14, Chris stated he was "on the spectrum," confirming he has Autism.