Patrick Warburton's Dad Sent Him a 'Six-Page Letter' About 'How Disappointed He Was' After the Actor's Seinfeld Debut

"They had an issue with not dealing with the sex act with any sanctity," Warburton recalled of his parents' thoughts on his role on 'Seinfeld'

Patrick Warburton arrives at Paley Fest LA 2024 - "Family Guy" 25th Anniversary Celebration at Dolby Theatre on April 19, 2024
Photo:

Kevin Winter/Getty

Patrick Warburton’s parents haven’t always been supportive of his career.

During an appearance on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, Warburton, 59, revealed that his parents had a bone to pick with him when he entered the entertainment industry. Recalling his 1995 television debut, he said he got an unexpected response from his dad.

“The first show, the first episode I did is Seinfeld,” he explained. “I got a six-page letter from my father about how disappointed he was and the choices I was making.”

When host Howie Mandel inquired about the contents of the episode, which was titled “Fusilli Jerry,” Warburton explained he was Seinfeld’s mechanic, David Puddy, “and I stole his move and used it on Elaine.”

SEINFELD -- "The Burning" Episode 16 -- Pictured: (l-r) Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes, Patrick Warburton as David Puddy
(l-r) Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes, Patrick Warburton as David Puddy.

Joey Delvalle/NBCU Photo Bank 

“So they had an issue with not dealing with the sex act with any sanctity,” Warburton said. “Because as we all know, the sex act is full of sanctity — it's all about procreating and nothing else.”

Warburton went on to joke that “women should not be having orgasms or enjoying themselves. It's all about having babies!”

His father wasn’t the only one who took issue with his acting roles. The Rules of Engagement alum revealed his mother’s religiosity led her to resent his career, too.

“My mother's part of the Parents Television Council, and their biggest fish to fry is to get Family Guy off the air,” Warburton, who has voiced Joe Swanson on the hit sitcom for over two decades, said. “My mother actually gave me a petition to sign to get Family Guy off the air, and then I reminded her what I do, how I'm putting her grandkids through college.”

“I was actually helping support my parents with Family Guy money while she was still donating money to the Parents Television Council,” he added. “I'm donating money. I go, ‘This is the most ironic donation ever made, mom.’ And I go, ‘I know exactly what you're doing. You are laundering Family Guy money through God and the church.’”

Actor Patrick Warburton attends the Film Independent Special Screening of "The Duel" at Harmony Gold on July 25, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Patrick Warburton.

Amanda Edwards/Getty 

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His dad, who died six years ago, didn’t like Family Guy either. Warburton said he even called him once to try to get him to quit the series.

“He would get information from my mom, so he leaves a message on my phone, ‘Patrick, in a future episode of Family Guy, God is sitting in a La-Z-Boy chair next to a bottle of lotion getting ready to masturbate. I wish you would get off that show,’” the Emperor's New Groove star remembered. “So the conversation I can never have with my dad is, ‘Dad, God is not a guy with a beard sitting in a chair. It's satire.’ But I couldn't explain it to him.”

“They saw everything as blasphemous,” he continued.

Eventually, Warburton said his mom came around to accepting his time on Seinfeld, but she still hasn’t let go of his 25-year involvement in Family Guy.

“It's like, if you can't beat them, join them sort of thing,” he explained. “With all of their friends watching Seinfeld, all of a sudden, Seinfeld's not a problem, and most everything else hasn't really been a problem, but Family Guy was always a problem.”

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