Sam Elliot has joined the cast of Family Guy and is set to play Quahog's new mayor.
Oscar-nominated Elliot, who has previously starred in Blood Diamond, A Star Is Born and as the moustachioed narrator of The Big Lebowski, will make his first appearance in an episode due to air in November, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Elliot's character will be taking up the post left after actor Adam West - who played Mayor Adam West - died in 2017.
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West starred in Family Guy from 2000 to 2017, appearing in 118 episodes.
Finding a fitting replacement was an important task for the show's creators, with Family Guy executive producer Richard Appel telling Entertainment Weekly: "We wanted to take the time to respect Adam.
"In having a conversation about 'how do you replace him?', the universal belief was 'he's irreplaceable'.
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"And then the next question is 'do you find a new mayor?' - in the world of Family Guy, he had an important role, and a role that was necessary for a lot of stories."
Appel went on to say they faced the difficult job of finding someone who could be 'as original and unexpected and comedically fun and fresh' as West but soon set their sights on Elliot.
He added: "Sam has a voice that - obviously he's a movie star but he also has a voice made for radio, and Sam Elliot quickly became our first choice."
But if you'd think that Elliot was happy to jump at the chance to star at the long-running cartoon, you'd be mistaken, as executive producer Alec Sulkin revealed that the actor was 'reluctant' when first asked.
He explained: He just felt like he didn't want to play himself.
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"Which made us go back thinking, 'Well, alright, is there someone else?'"
So the story guys set about making a brand-new character for Elliot, which he 'responded very well to'.
According to the report, rather than play a fictionalised version of himself, like West did, Elliot will play Mayor West's cousin, whose first and middle names are Wild - yep, Mayor Wild Wild West.
The 19th season of Family Guy starts on Fox on 27 September.
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Born in California in 1944, Sam Eliot began his professional acting career in the late '60s, having acquired a taste for it while studying at college.
Initially a character actor, thought best suited to westerns on account of his distinctive voice, he went on to play various roles on TV and in film before starring in the 1976 film Lifeguard.
More recently he played the role of Bobby Maine in A Star is Born, for which he was nominated for a raft of awards, as well as voicing the character of Trusty in Disney's live action/CGI remake of Lady and the Tramp.
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