"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. Already-completed Season 18, which premieres Sunday, will continue to feature Henry as Cleveland. 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. To Mike, you created something truly special and I promise I will do my absolute best to honor your legacy. 'Family Guy' finds new voice for Cleveland Brown in YouTuber Arif Zahir. 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. 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.. 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. Overabundant gratitude. ", "It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. The former longtime white voice actor for Cleveland, Mike Henry, will … Copyright 2020 ComicBook.com. 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'. 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. The move comes three months after Henry stepped down … Zahir did offer a sneak preview of what his Cleveland will sound like. The decision comes nearly … I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color," Henry said at the time. 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. Arif Zahir has been cast to voice Cleveland for the 19th season come 2021-2022. Cleveland had his own spinoff in which Henry starred -- The Cleveland Show, which aired from 2009 until 2013. 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. 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. 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. Fox has found the new voice of “Family Guy’s” Cleveland Brown. Contact Info: Overabundant gratitude. FAMILY Guy producers have cast YouTuber Arif Zahir as the new voice of Cleveland Brown after the original voice actor quit. Enjoy! “I welcome Arif to the ‘Family Guy’ team,” Henry said. “Family Guy” Season 18 premieres Sunday at 9:30/8:30c on Fox. 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. 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. Henry will remain a voice performer and series regular on the show. By Russ Burlingame In June, voice actor Mike Henry announced he was stepping down from the role of Cleveland Brown, … 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. YouTube comedian Arif Zahir has been announced as the new voice of Family Guy 's Cleveland Brown, taking over the role from Mike Henry. 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. 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 “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. Also Read: 'The Simpsons': Hank Azaria Replaced by Alex Désert as the Voice of Carl in Season 32 Premiere. Stepping into Cleveland's shoes is Arif Zahir, who has … FAMILY Guy producers have cast YouTuber Arif Zahir as the new voice of Cleveland Brown after the original voice actor quit. Arif Zahir has gone from impersonating “Family Guy’s” Cleveland Brown on YouTube… to being cast as the new voice of the character on the actual show.. Zahir will take over as Cleveland … When I learned I would get to take over the role? To continue reading for free, provide your email below. Arif Zahir is getting ready for his closeup on "Family Guy." "Firstly, I’m eternally grateful to have received this once in a lifetime opportunity," Zahir said in a statement to EW. To Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin and Seth MacFarlane, thank you for this incredible gift. To Mike, you created something truly special and I promise I will do my absolute best to honor your legacy. Fox has found the new voice of “Family Guy’s” Cleveland Brown. All rights reserved. FOX has revealed that Arif Zahir will replace Mike Henry in the role of Cleveland Brown on Family Guy. Take a visual walk through his career and see 1 image of the character he voiced.. 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 … 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." There's a new "Family Guy" voice actor who can say, "My name is Cleveland Brown." 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. 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. "Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role.". - September 26, 2020 01:51 pm EDT. 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. Given the incredible longevity of Family Guy and The Simpsons, though, a lot of fans remember that series as being short-lived. And to the millions of fans who love this show, I promise not to let you down. The YouTube star, 26, was hired in late September to replace Mike Henry as the voice of Cleveland Brown on the animated series. Arif Zahir is a voice actor known for voicing Cleveland Brown. 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 … 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 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. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. 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 … And to the millions of fans who love this show, I promise not to let you down.”. 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. 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. 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 star Arif Zahir has been tapped to costar on the long-running animated Fox series, marking the first time a Black actor will voice … Family Guy Casts Black Actor Arif Zahir to Voice Cleveland Brown, Mike Henry to Remain Series Regular. When HBO Max debuted earlier this year, it included Gone With the Wind, a film long decried for its racist themes. 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