How Seth MacFarlane got Charlize Theron to be on The Orville

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Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and the rest of the cast of The Orville stopped by EW’s Comic-Con studio to discuss their new Fox show, set 400 years in the future on the U.S.S. Orville starship.

“It’s a show that’s been percolating in my head for a long time,” MacFarlane told EW’s Jessica Shaw, explaining that the success of films like Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool showed him that audiences were ready to embrace The Orville, which, like those films, blends sci-fi and comedy.

The show will also see MacFarlane reuniting with Charlize Theron, who appeared in his 2014 film A Million Ways to Die in the West. “I can’t tell you anything!” MacFarlane said about Theron’s guest-starring role. “I can tell you that she’s in the show, and she’s fantastic.”

He did share how he got her to agree to join, however: It only took a simple phone call. “I called and asked her to do the show. She astonishingly said, ‘Yes, I’ll come do your little TV show,'” MacFarlane joked.

Check out the video above to learn more about The Orville and what viewers can expect this fall. And watch the new trailer below.