Family Guy: Who Plays Mr. Herbert, The Creepy Old Man Who's Obsessed With Chris?
Mr. Herbert, a.k.a. John Herbert, a.k.a. Herbert the Pervert, a.k.a. the old man from "Family Guy," is definitely one of the most controversial characters to come out of the show. His one joke has been the same since his introduction in Season 3's "To Love and Die in Dixie," where he tried to get Chris Griffin (Seth Green) into his house by offering him popsicles. Herbert is a pedohebephile with an unrequited love for Chris and pretty much every underage boy in Quahog. Still, he's been a frequent fixture of the show for decades, even portraying Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Family Guy" Star Wars parodies.
Throughout the character's existence, he's been voiced by Mike Henry, one of the most prominent voice actors on the show. Henry was the original voice actor for Cleveland Brown, but that role was given to Arif Zahir as part of a push to promote greater representation by allowing Black actors to play Black characters. Still, Henry has popularized plenty of other characters over the years, including Bruce and the Greased-Up Deaf Guy.
Despite the controversy surrounding the character, he still regularly appears on "Family Guy," as recently as Season 20's "Hard Boiled Meg." And it doesn't look like he's going away any time soon.
Mike Henry based Mr. Herbert off old men he knew in Virginia
As it turns out, Mr. Herbert exists from Mike Henry messing around in the writers' room and one particular joke landing. He told IGN, "Herbert, the old man who likes Chris, was just a character who began because I imitated these old men back in Virginia all the time. I just made them dirty old men, and not necessarily pedophiles. But I pitched one joke in the writer's room about how he has a crush on Chris, and that's what catches on! So now that character's a pedophile."
While "Family Guy" has made it a habit to joke about every taboo subject under the sun, there are many who believe Herbert's continued usage is a step too far. The A.V. Club didn't mince words when describing Herbert, "He's a black hole of s***tiness whose every appearance brings out the worst tendencies of Family Guy. His appearance brings every episode he's in to a screeching halt." It's understandable why this is the case. The old man in "Family Guy" frequently tries to get Chris over to his house and for him to take off his clothes. Making fun of religion and politics is one thing, but having a character whose jokes exist to make light of child abuse can be tough to watch.
Even without Herbert, numerous "Family Guy" moments poorly handle this subject. Remember the episode where Quagmire (Seth MacFarlane) is sent to trial for statutory rape, which he admits to doing, and only gets off because his mother has sex with the judge? It isn't a great track record.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.