“It doesn’t seem real,” said Zahir, who officially landed the gig last month, as “Family Guy” was renewed for its 19th and 20th seasons. It didn't work every time, but for the most part [...] I think overall, once the show airs and once everyone gets to know me, hopefully, they'll realize it's all respectful and with love for the character. Comment. “Family Guy” showrunners have found their new Cleveland Brown voice — it’s a Black YouTuber who can handle the role with ease, and probably a few others on the show too. (2018).He has earned lots of fame at the present time, his voice is not only in movies but he has also voiced in TV series as well. I was like, I know people are doing Family Guy soundboard stuff online, but what if I did that with my own voice? "I'm eternally grateful to have received this once in a lifetime opportunity," he said. The 54-year-old voice actor announced in June he would be stepping down as the voice of the popular 'Family Guy' character - who once had his own spin-off in the form of the since-axed 'Cleveland Show' - as he no longer felt it was right for him to voice a Black character. Once they see the performance, they can decide it was a cool choice, and I'm just blessed to be a part of the conversation, whether or not it's good or bad. 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Arif “Azerrz” Zahir, known for his iconic voice impressions, skits and hilarious gameplay videos, is quickly becoming one of the most popular and recognizable crossover entertainers to make the leap from digital creator to Hollywood entertainer. I also think he has one of the most unique voices on the show -- him and Stewie. The former longtime white voice actor for Cleveland, Mike Henry, will have his last go-round for the 18th season, which premieres Sunday. It wasn't seamless, but just the table-reads and having this amazing cast with me for this show I've watched, and knowing one day in a year or so, people will be able to see my name with all the other people making the show, it's going to be crazy to see. "Everyone else, Peter and Quagmire and Joe, are all on the same page. Zahir … Voice actor and YouTube star Arif Zahir has revealed the process behind him securing the role of Cleveland Brown on Family Guy. Henry had voiced the character since the start but stepped down in June, as did other White voice actors playing Black characters. It's a big moment for Family Guy and all these giant shows, and I'm really happy to be a part of it, regardless of the negativity.". Earning the role required Zahir to go through multiple auditions, with the actor eventually teasing out several versions of the character. Arif Zahir, known for his impressions of Cleveland Brown from "Family Guy," has gone from mimicking the character to actually playing him.Zahir, a You... Arif Zahir, known for his impressions of Cleveland Brown from "Family Guy," has gone from mimicking the character to actually playing him. Now, Zahir calls Cleveland his favorite cartoon character of all time in a statement. 196.2k Followers, 1,015 Following, 21 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Arif Zahir (@azerrz.4rif) "I've known about Family Guy since I was about 10 years old," Zahir recalled. 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. Arif Zahir spoke to CBR about earning the role of Cleveland Brown in Family Guy and what it's been like to take over the character from Mike Henry. Arif Zahir spoke to CBR about earning the role of Cleveland Brown in Family Guy and what it's been like to take over the character from Mike Henry. By Matt Goldberg Sep 25, 2020 Zahir previously did Cleveland impressions on his YouTube channel. Cuomo holds COVID-19 briefing (Dec. 14, 2020). A one-stop shop for all things video games. The 54-year-old voice actor announced in June he would be stepping down as the voice of the popular 'Family Guy' character - who once had his own spin-off in the form of the since-axed 'Cleveland Show' - as he no longer felt it was right for him to voice a Black character. "Luckily, I was in a place where I had a fan base that was like, 'Hey, check out his videos, he can actually do it.' The former longtime white voice actor for Cleveland, Mike Henry, will have his last go-round for the 18th season, which premieres Sunday. In the 1990s it was slower and now it's a lot more hyper. Arif Zahir, known for his impressions of Cleveland Brown from "Family Guy," has gone from mimicking the character to actually playing him. All content © copyright WKTV. Arif Zahir knows he's living a bit of a Cinderella story: The aspiring young actor has gone from impersonating the "Family Guy" character Cleveland Brown on … I think those are the biggest reasons I gravitated towards him.". Arif Zahir is a YouTuber with more than 6 million followers, known for his impressions of Cleveland Brown from "Family Guy." Hier sollte eine Beschreibung angezeigt werden, diese Seite lässt dies jedoch nicht zu. In an exclusive interview with CBR, Zahir spoke about his love for Family Guy, how he earned the role of Cleveland and what it's like to take on the 21-year-old character. RELATED: Fox Renews Family Guy, Bob's Burgers For Two More Seasons Each. "When [Henry] first stepped down, I didn't want anyone else to do his voice. KEEP READING: Family Guy's DARKEST Theory May Explain The Entire Show. He announced in June he was dropping the role. Luckily, with voice-acting, since I've been doing [voice-acting] through the medium of gaming and YouTube for the last six or seven years, it's a little bit easier. Share Share Tweet Email. “One day I hope to get on the big screen, and voice for animation”– he writes, so sure of his future plans. The former longtime white … Arif Zahir has gone from mimicking the character to actually playing him, as he is replacing Mike Henry in the upcoming 19th season come 2021-2022. Im Arif Zahir, an aspiring actor/voice actor. Arif Zahir, the new voice of Cleveland on "Family Guy," and producers Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin talk how the YouTube star landed the gig. 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 … Arif Zahir spoke to CBR about earning the role of Cleveland Brown in Family Guy and what it's been like to take over the character from Mike Henry. One day I hope to get on the big screen, and voice for animation. Arif Zahir, known for his impressions of Cleveland Brown from "Family Guy," has gone from mimicking the character to actually playing him. 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. Stepping into Cleveland's shoes is Arif Zahir, who has over six million subscribers on YouTube for his comedy-gaming videos -- including a series of videos where he plays online first-person shooters while using the voice of Cleveland. Zahir, a YouTuber with more than 6 million followers, will replace Mike Henry in the upcoming 19th season, Fox announced Friday. And to the millions of fans who love this show, I promise not to let you down.". https://nypost.com/2020/09/25/family-guy-casts-youtube-star- That was how that worked out. On September 25, 2020, it was announced that a YouTube actor and voice impression artist named Arif Zahir, who is African-American, would replace Henry as Cleveland, but some episodes produced before Henry's retirement from the role will still see Henry voicing the character. Hey everybody! I knew the second [my casting] was announced [...], even though a lot of people didn't know who I was, I got a whole lot of comments of 'this guy is going to suck! That gravelly element, I've always loved that. — Arif Zahir (@Azerrz) September 25, 2020. One day I hope to get on the big screen, and voice for animation. He sings, he acts, he dances, and he creates some of the most hilarious voice impressions on YouTube. Zahir, a YouTuber with more than 6 million followers, will replace Mike Henry in the upcoming 19th season, Fox announced Friday. The show already has been renewed for Seasons 20 and 21. "To Mike Henry, Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin and Seth MacFarlane, thank you for this incredible gift. Arif Zahir, a YouTuber who has made a name for himself doing impressions of Family Guy's Cleveland Brown, has been officially cast as the character. Zahir began doing “Family Guy” voices in middle school to crack up his classmates. "I love this character, but persons of colour should play characters of colour," Henry said at the time. 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. But then, after getting the opportunity to meet [Henry] and to see that it was a fully respectable departure -- it didn't feel malicious -- and I would love to play a part in this. Some of the comments would talk bad, and then they'd go watch my videos and come back like, 'You know what, he's pretty good. 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." On September 25, 2020, it was announced that a YouTube actor and voice impression artist named Arif Zahir, who is African-American, would replace Henry as Cleveland, but some episodes produced before Henry's retirement from the role will still see Henry voicing the character. 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." By Brandon Zachary 5 days ago. Zahir, who has done a number of impressions of Cleveland on his YouTube channel, will take on the role from season 19 of the Fox series. "Then I realized -- I thought it was from an episode that hadn't aired yet, but it was actually from [Season 7's "Love, Blactually"], and it was out already. "It was a surreal moment. Copyright © 2020 Heartland Media, LLC All Rights Reserved. For the most part, the table-reads are awesome. Arif Zahir has been cast to voice Cleveland for the 19th season come 2021-2022. So what I did was watch the episode and rewind on all of Cleveland's lines, and match it pitch-perfectly and record it. Family Guy stars Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Arif Zahir, Patrick Warburton and Mike Henry. Arif ‘Azerrz’ Zahir does it all! Voice actor, comedian, and impressionist, not to mention a prolific YouTuber performer, Arif Zahir, is all set to succeed actor Mike Henry on Family Guy. Zahir, who is Black, is a YouTuber with more than 6 million subscribers. I was scared they were going to think I sounded like they thought he should. His channel focuses on voice overs, gameplay, impressions, prank calls, dubs, and skits. 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. And I didn't know if they wanted the old Cleveland or the new Cleveland or my own. Im Arif Zahir, an aspiring actor/voice actor. He's only getting it cause he's...' And I knew I was going to get that. Arif “Azerrz” Zahir, known for his iconic voice impressions, skits and hilarious gameplay videos, is quickly becoming one of the most popular and recognizable crossover entertainers to make the leap from digital creator to Hollywood entertainer. "I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color," he said at the time. There, on the descriptive box, he describes himself as an aspiring actor and voice actor. I'll give him a chance.' 196.2k Followers, 1,015 Following, 21 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Arif Zahir (@azerrz.4rif) "I did an impression of Cleveland [on YouTube] and [producers] mentioned that they had seen that, and they said 'We’d love for you to have your shot at the role,'" Zahir told The New York Post. Mike Henry had voiced Cleveland since 1999, but announced he was stepping down in June. Earlier this week, "Family Guy" was renewed for two more seasons. By Brandon Zachary 5 days ago. They're Zoom table-reads, but they don't seem real. I'd use them to prank call people all the time. https://nypost.com/2020/10/08/meet-arif-zahir-the-new-cleveland-on-family-guy 0. Reflecting on winning the role, Zahir admitted, "it still doesn't feel real yet. Arif Zahir Net Worth, Merch, YouTube Earnings. Arif Zahir has been cast to voice Cleveland for the 19th season come 2021-2022. Arif Zahir is an amazing voice actor who is starred as a new voice actor for the Cleveland Brown in ‘Family Guy’. As with any recasting, there was some controversy surrounded Zahir stepping into the role. I remember in 2013, The Cleveland Show happened and I fell in love with it. 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Arif Zahir has been cast to voice Cleveland for the 19th season come 2021-2022. 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 … He has earned lots of fame at the present time, his voice is not only in movies but he has also voiced in TV series as well. I didn't know what to do. Zahir understood the wariness, especially for die-hard fans. He is well-known for his Eraser (2016), How It Should Have Ended (2005), and G.P.A. He is well-known for his Eraser (2016), How It Should Have Ended (2005), and G.P.A. As animated shows wise up to the fact … The former longtime white … Share Share Tweet Email. Season 19 of Family Guy airs Sundays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. 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Mike Henry had voiced Cleveland since 1999, but announced he was stepping down in June. I loved them. 0. "And then I started to watch it when I was thirteen. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. 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. The actor is known for his impressions of Cleveland Brown. — Arif Zahir (@Azerrz) September 25, 2020. That was a big fear of mine. However, Henry was … I would have been fine with them writing him out of the show. ", RELATED: Family Guy Theory: Stewie Is The Mastermind Behind American Dad. Zahir, a YouTuber with more than 6 million followers, will replace Mike Henry in the upcoming 19th season, Fox announced Friday. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Arif, also popularly known as Azerrz, would be voicing Cleveland Brown on Fox animated series. 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