Arif Zahir is getting ready for his closeup on "Family Guy." To continue reading for free, provide your email below. When I heard that Mike Henry was stepping down from the role of Cleveland Brown- my favorite cartoon character of all time- I was shocked and saddened, assuming we’d never see him again. I look forward to getting to know Arif and working with him to make sure Cleveland stays every bit as awesome as he has always been.”, Also Read: Fall TV 2020: All the Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows - So Far (Photos), Zahir added: “Firstly, I’m eternally grateful to have received this once in a lifetime opportunity. The decision comes nearly three months after Mike Henry, 54, announced his resignation in the wake of George Floyd's death, saying an actor of … YouTuber Arif Zahir will take over for voice actor Mike Henry, who left the role this year after saying that "persons of color should play characters of color." Given the incredible longevity of Family Guy and The Simpsons, though, a lot of fans remember that series as being short-lived. … Family Guy Casts Black Actor Arif Zahir to Voice Cleveland Brown, Mike Henry to Remain Series Regular. 'Family Guy' finds new voice for Cleveland Brown in YouTuber Arif Zahir. “I welcome Arif to the ‘Family Guy’ team,” Henry said. Voice actor Arif Zahir will be taking over the role from Mike Henry, who said in June he would be stepping down from the part, series creator Seth MacFarlane and showrunners Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin said Friday. By Russ Burlingame Cleveland Brown has found his new voice: The actor Arif Zahir will take over the role of this friendly “Family Guy” neighbor on the Fox animated series. The long-running satirical cartoon about suburban family life was just picked up for seasons 19 and 20 on Fox after over two decades on the air.. Last Updated: September 25, 2020 @ 9:17 AM, ChangeMakers: 30 Women Who Saved Entertainment in 2020, 'The Simpsons': Hank Azaria Replaced by Alex Désert as the Voice of Carl in Season 32 Premiere, Fox revealed Alex Désert would be replacing Hank Azaria, Fall TV 2020: All the Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows - So Far (Photos), 15 Times ‘The Simpsons’ Predicted the Future (Photos), 13 ‘Simpsons’ Predictions That Have NOT Come True… But Certainly Could (Photos), ‘The Simpsons': Hank Azaria Replaced by Alex Désert as the Voice of Carl in Season 32 Premiere. YouTube comedian Arif Zahir has been announced as the new voice of Family Guy 's Cleveland Brown, taking over the role from Mike Henry. Fox has found the new voice of “Family Guy’s” Cleveland Brown. There's a new "Family Guy" voice actor who can say, "My name is Cleveland Brown." Contact Info: However, Henry was among the white voice-actors who stepped down from playing African-American characters this past summer so performers of color could take on the roles. FAMILY Guy producers have cast YouTuber Arif Zahir as the new voice of Cleveland Brown after the original voice actor quit. ", "It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. Henry had already recorded his lines for the newest season of Family Guy before abdicating the position, so Zahir won't debut in the role until 2021. To Mike, you created something truly special and I promise I will do my absolute best to honor your legacy. When I learned I would get to take over the role? “Arif’s vocal talent is obvious, but his understanding of Cleveland and his respect for the character give me confidence that he is in the right hands. To [executive producer] Rich Appel, [executive producer] Alec Sulkin and [creator] Seth MacFarlane, thank you for this incredible gift. “Family Guy” was renewed for Seasons 19 and 20 earlier this week, and Zahir will be begin voicing Cleveland on the 19th season episodes, which have just begun production. To Mike, you created something truly special and I promise I will do my absolute best to honor your legacy. The former longtime white voice actor for Cleveland, Mike Henry, will … Meet Arif Zahir, the new Cleveland on 'Family Guy' This is the man behind hundreds of your favorite cartoon voices 'Family Guy' star Mike Henry will no longer voice Cleveland Brown Family Guy has found its new Cleveland Brown. Cleveland had his own spinoff in which Henry starred -- The Cleveland Show, which aired from 2009 until 2013. Stepping into Cleveland's shoes is Arif Zahir, who has … When I learned I would get to take over the role? Mike Henry, who voiced Cleveland Brown on 'Family Guy' for 18 seasons, stepped down in June along with other white voice actors who were playing Black characters. Fox has found the new voice of “Family Guy’s” Cleveland Brown. - September 26, 2020 01:51 pm EDT. Arguably the most notable of the changes was the decision to have Hank Azaria step away from the role of Apu on The Simpsons -- a part notable not just for its longevity but because Azaria's tenure had weathered a similar controversy following the release of the 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color," Henry said at the time. “Family Guy” Season 18 premieres Sunday at 9:30/8:30c on Fox. The move comes three months after Henry stepped down from the role at a time when animated series were reconsidering whether white actors should voice Black characters in the wake of a larger cultural discussion on race following the death of George Floyd. Also Read: 'The Simpsons': Hank Azaria Replaced by Alex Désert as the Voice of Carl in Season 32 Premiere. Zahir did offer a sneak preview of what his Cleveland will sound like. The announcement of Cleveland’s new voice actor comes one day after Fox revealed Alex Désert would be replacing Hank Azaria as the voice of Carl on “The Simpsons” Season 32 premiere Sunday. This is only one way in which the movie and TV industry is attempting to do right by its audiences who criticize them for long ignoring racial insensitivities. Family Guy has hired Cleveland Brown impersonator Arif Zahir to do the job for real and replace Mike Henry in the role of the Griffins' neighbor. Overabundant gratitude. Henry will remain a voice performer and series regular on the show. Overabundant gratitude. “I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color,” Henry, the longtime voice of the fan-favorite Black character, said at the time, as Fox announced it would no longer have white actors voice people of color on its  shows. In a statement, Zahir stated, "Firstly, I'm eternally grateful to have received this once in a lifetime opportunity, When I heard that Mike Henry was … Take a visual walk through his career and see 1 image of the character he voiced.. When HBO Max debuted earlier this year, it included Gone With the Wind, a film long decried for its racist themes. This is only one way in which the movie and, animated series were reconsidering whether white actors should voice Black characters, Zahir did offer a sneak preview of what his Cleveland will sound like, Family Guy: Arif Zahir Cast as New Voice of Cleveland Brown, Disney's Investor Day: Marvel, Star Wars, and More Live Recap, The Expanse: Thomas Jane Returned To Direct in Season 5 and He Brought a Hat, Disney+: Every Movie and TV Show Arriving in January 2021, Stranger Things Cast to Play Dungeons & Dragons, Deadpool And Alias Stars Casts In Lucifer's Final Season, Star Wars: The High Republic - Every Project Announced So Far, Jim Henson's Dinosaurs Gets a Disney+ Debut Date, Disney Projected To Catch Up With Netflix By 2022 According To New Report. FOX has revealed that Arif Zahir will replace Mike Henry in the role of Cleveland Brown on Family Guy. Jenny Slate's Big Mouth character, Missy. "Firstly, I’m eternally grateful to have received this once in a lifetime opportunity," Zahir said in a statement to EW. FAMILY Guy producers have cast YouTuber Arif Zahir as the new voice of Cleveland Brown after the original voice actor quit. YouTube star Arif Zahir has been tapped to costar on the long-running animated Fox series, marking the first time a Black actor will voice … All rights reserved. Mike Henry was the original voice actor for the character of Cleveland Brown, joining the cast of Family Guy all the way back when it premiered in 1999. Copyright 2020 ComicBook.com. Arif Zahir is a voice actor known for voicing Cleveland Brown. Arif Zahir has been cast as the new voice of Cleveland Brown on Fox's Family Guy following Mike Henry stepping down from the role. Three months after Family Guy star Mike Henry announced that he was stepping down as the voice of Cleveland Brown, a replacement has been named.. Arif Zahir … In June, voice actor Mike Henry announced he was stepping down from the role of Cleveland Brown, … And to the millions of fans who love this show, I promise not to let you down.”. FOX has revealed that Arif Zahir will replace Mike Henry in the role of Cleveland Brown on Family Guy. Arif Zahir, beginning in Season 19 (Broadcast season 20), will be the new voice of Cleveland Brown, taking over from Mike Henry.. Zahir had previously done imitations of Cleveland on his YouTube channel under the name of 'Azzerz'. Already-completed Season 18, which premieres Sunday, will continue to feature Henry as Cleveland. "When I heard that Mike Henry was stepping down from the role of Cleveland Brown — my favorite cartoon character of all time — I was shocked and saddened, assuming we’d never see him again. Arif Zahir has been cast to voice Cleveland for the 19th season come 2021-2022. The move comes three months after Henry stepped down … And to the millions of fans who love this show, I promise not to let you down. In response to these issues, the service now broadcasts the film with a disclaimer about the inaccuracies of its representations, though still makes the unaltered film available. Henry will remain the voice of Cleveland for the Fox animated series’ upcoming 18th season, which has already completed all of its episodes and airs its premiere Sunday. The YouTube star, 26, was hired in late September to replace Mike Henry as the voice of Cleveland Brown on the animated series. "Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role.". Other TV series have aimed to remove controversial elements entirely, as various episodes of Scrubs, 30 Rock, and Community have all been pulled from services due to their offensive qualities. To Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin and Seth MacFarlane, thank you for this incredible gift. 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