YouTuber Arif Zahir To Replace Mike Henry As Voice Of Cleveland Brown From "Family Guy"

YouTube star Arif Zahir has been tapped to voice Cleveland Brown on the long-running animated Fox series, “Family Guy,” marking the first time a Black actor will voice this Black character. Brown was previously voiced by white actor Mike Henry, who stepped down from the role in June, saying that nonwhite characters should be voiced by nonwhite actors.

“Firstly, I’m eternally grateful to have received this once in a lifetime opportunity,” Zahir said in a statement, per Deadline. “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. When I learned I would get to take over the role? Overabundant gratitude.”

He also praised Henry for his work on the series. “To Mike, you created something truly special, and I promise I will do my absolute best to honor your legacy. To [co-showrunner] Rich Appel, [writer and producer] Alec Sulkin, and [creator] Seth MacFarlane, thank you for this incredible gift. And to the millions of fans who love this show, I promise not to let you down.

Henry, who has voiced Brown since 1999, also issued a statement approving of the casting. 

“I welcome Arif to the Family Guy team,” Henry said, according to Deadline. “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. 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.”

The show already has been renewed for Seasons 20 and 21.