One Animated Show Proved Patrick Stewart Was An Underrated Comedic Genius

The world has lost a truly great talent. Legendary "Star Trek" and "X-Men" actor Patrick Stewart has died at the age of 86. A Shakesperian, classically trained actor who lent his talents to everything from the Marvel universe to thrillers like "Green Room," he's been a pop culture fixture for decades. But one thing he didn't get nearly enough credit for was being a downright comedic genius. One animated show proved that definitively.

Stewart voiced CIA Director Avery Bullock on "American Dad," dating back to the show's very first season back in 2005. For the last 21 years, he lent his voice to the show from "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane. And while Stewart also occasionally lent his talents to "Family Guy," it was his work as the unpredictable Avery that cemented his status as a comic force to be reckoned with.

"Family Guy" has a reputation for getting away with just about anything, because they can use a cutaway gag to shoehorn something into an episode. "American Dad" doesn't get such narrative leeway. Stewart appeared in 125 episodes of the show, and almost every single time, he was amongst the most memorable characters, delivering some of the most gut-busting moments in those episodes, while serving the story at hand.

The best episodes of "American Dad" almost all feature golden line readings provided by Stewart. Avery memorably makes an impassioned speech about being a responsible cocaine user before declaring, ""Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go party my nose clean off my face." Or there's Avery getting angry at a cat who won't give him the time of day before he topples her bed and yells, "Now where will you sleep, you ice queen?"

Patrick Stewart is funny and has been for a long time. That's not necessarily a secret. Stewart's episode of "Extras" almost fell apart because Ricky Gervais couldn't stop laughing. The difference there is that Stewart was playing a version of himself with some bone dry humor.

When it comes to Avery Bullock, the secret sauce is that Stewart isn't disguising his voice. The viewer knows it's him, and the character even looks like him. Yet, Avery is totally unhinged, chaotic, and untethered to the common man's reality. The fact that we all know it's Stewart behind Avery makes it even funnier. Stewart seemed to know that and enjoyed the hell out of it.

It's a role that allowed him to totally cut loose as an actor, getting outside of any box he may have been fit into in the realm of live-action. Stewart always committed to the bit admirably. From goofily dancing for Steve as his chained up pet at Familyland to fighting the man-trapped-in-a-koala Reggie over Hayley Smith, he never phoned it in.

Stewart literally knew nothing about the "X-Men" when he was asked to play Charles Xavier. Yet, he embodied the role perfectly. Similarly, it's hard to imagine that when McFarlane cast Stewart some 21 years ago, he probably had no idea who Avery would become or what he'd be asked to do as that character. All the same, he became a staple of the show and elevated it beyond what it otherwise would have been. 

Stewart wasn't content to simply say, "It's me, and that's the joke." The man subverted expectations at every turn, taking a silly role and making it something special for more than two decades.

You can stream "American Dad" on Hulu.