(Turns out, Stewies real voice sounded like that of an innocent little American boy.)
Ive always wanted to go deeper with Stewie, he tells EW.
Ive always wanted to write areallylong monologue for Stewie, and it never naturally happened.
Credit: FOX
I thought, Well, what better way than to do a therapy session?
(For the record, McKellen was game from the get-go.
It was a very easy sell, notes Janetti.
He said, Id love to do it!
I love Stewie!'
He even played along with a Mom.
Mummy joke within his own characters backstory during the shows lone flashback. )
Clocking in at five-and-a-half minutes, the monologue ended up being longer than even I intended, shares Janetti.
But it was just to let something really breathe.
I didnt know if Seth would go for it, says Janetti.
It felt very true.
I didnt want to do anything unless it felt true to the character because Im very protective over him.
His is just extraordinarily sophisticated.
What would that mean if he could release it and be more authentic and himself?
Does he want to?
That accent revelation caught theFamily Guyshowrunners pleasantly off-guard.
I just figured this is who Stewie is.
(The bonus joke?
Is that what this episode is going to be?'
And then we all decided it would be more interesting to leave that door open for many interpretations.
(Im not gay.
This whole thing isnt because Im gay, so calm down, he tells Dr. Pritchfield.
I can already see you licking your chops.
Im sure youlivefor the coming-out sessions.
But do I think that Grant Gustin and I would make the most adorable Instagram couple?
Yes, yes we would.)
But as mentioned, Janetti had something bigger on his brain for this psyche evaluation.
The intention for Stewie is never tocome outas gay or not gay, he explains.
He will be forever in this state of confusion, as you would be when youre that age.
Ultimately, its more interesting to dig deeper than that.
I know I felt set apart when I was really young for being gay.
I was super lonely.
Everything is so much more complicated for him, because of his intelligence.
(Stewie rejects this notion, calling it no bigs.)
Seconds Janetti: Its one of the most terrible things hes done because its more methodical.
He actually cared about this man who helped him.
Alas, his sense of self-preservation triumphed over self-realization.
Its what he knows.
Its the Stewie that we all know.
Hes not ready to give that up, and he doesnt want anybody to know his secret.
And kinda looks no one will.
While he shares that he did something awful, he declines to say what specifically.
Hell be 1 [year old] forever for the life of the show, says Janetti.
He puts this away.
But at some point its there.
He doesnt help him.
He lets him die so that save his secret.
But its that final eyes-wide-open moment after the incident that truly makes this character study interesting.
He knows that he will somehow suffer for having done this.
And Stewies like, You dont know me.
Thats not going to be an issue for me.
And we agree with that as an audience.
But to see him at night later, hes very troubled.
He wont even tell Brian.
The ambivalence with which it ends I felt was important.
I think its just more interesting to me and it makes him more interesting.
