'Family Guy' to Address Stewie's Sexuality

For years, Family Guy has brought up the topic of Stewie Griffin's sexuality, but has always found a way to dance around it. However, the series is finally tackling the issue head-on.

An upcoming episode of the long-running animated series, set to air sometime in March, will feature Lord of the Rings and X-Men star Ian McKellen as the voice of Stewie's therapist. According to executive producer Rich Appel, Stewie's sexuality will be one of the topics discussed between the two characters.

"It's just a two-character episode with Stewie in his therapist's office for the first time," Appel told TVLine in a recent interview. "It's a wonderful episode, and Seth's performance is spectacular. They delve into all sorts of things you would think would come up in a therapy session with a boy like Stewie. When Stewie's with his therapist, they pretty immediately address questions of sexuality. The episode covers that, and then goes to deeper issues for Stewie."

Appel went on to add that the conversation surrounding Stewie's sexuality in this episode is merely the "tip of the iceberg."

Over the course of 300 episodes, Family Guy fans have often questioned this topic, as many jokes and quips made by Stewie have hinted at the subject. In one episode, when Stewie tries to join the military, he goes as far as to say that he is "possibly homosexual."

The upcoming therapist episode will feature just two characters, and it's set to air with limited commercials sometime in March. Family Guy returns with new episodes on Sunday, March 11.