Netflix’s adult animated sitcom F Is for Family explores life in the 1970s when according to its creator Bill Burr, it is “a time when you could smack your kid, smoke inside, and bring a gun to the airport.” Along with Michael Price, both creators had their show premiered on Netflix in December 2015 and aired for five seasons until November 2021.
The show is a family comedy following the Murphy family through their journey together as a dysfunctional Irish-American family in Pennsylvania. From difficulties with jobs, maintaining a home, and children growing up, the Murphy family ended their journey in the show’s fifth and final season.
The show’s ending magnifies the premise of the show, which is all about family. From dealing with the death of Frank’s abusive father, “Big Bill” Murphy, Sue Murphy’s attempt to reconnect with her father and gay brother, to the romance of the youngsters, the show’s ending circles back to what family means to each of them. After much banter throughout its five seasons, the significant events really amplify their stand on familial relations. Everyone is trying to be better family members to each other, nicely and warmly concluding their entire journey as a dysfunctional family.
F Is for Family is filled with talented and all-rounded characters that drive the plot and make it fun to watch in every episode. Here is the show's cast and character guide.
Bill Burr as Frank Murphy
The show's protagonist is the father of four children, Kevin, Bill, Maureen, and baby Megan, and the husband of Sue Murphy. The Irish man has been jumping from job to job, ranging from Mohican Airways' baggage department manager to a vending machine serviceman for Champagne Chariot Vending Services. He may not be the best husband and father at first, but as the story goes on, he comes to find what his family means to him. The not-a-family-man blood is passed down from his father, who is abusive and an alcoholic.
The voice of Frank Murphy is Bill Burr, one of the creators of the show. The show is largely based on his childhood, with changes to fit the narrative. Burr is widely known for being a stand-up comedian through his works, such as You People Are All The Same, I'm Sorry You Feel That Way, and Paper Tiger, from which he got a Grammy Award nomination.
Laura Dern as Susan "Sue" Murphy
Sue Murphy is a mother, a wife of Frank Murphy, and formerly a part-time sales representative at Plast-a-Ware. The caring, supportive, and intelligent woman runs the Murphy household to the best of her ability, providing emotional availability to her children and husband.
She was a rising star in her school years, winning awards in high school and being selected as a Future Lady Leader at university. Unfortunately, when she got pregnant with their first child, Kevin, she had to drop out due to her parents' rage. Despite all the hell she goes through with Frank, she stays by his side and tries her best to have a good life for herself and her family.
Laura Dern, the talented voice behind Sue Murphy, has several awards under her name for her stunning performances in cinema. She is known for her roles at Blue Velvet, Rambling Rose, and Jurassic Park. Her recent performances are through supporting roles in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Little Women, and Marriage Story.
Justin Long as Kevin Murphy
Being the oldest child of the four children in the Murphy family, Kevin's number one hobby is getting into trouble. Other than that, he is a typical bitter teenager who likes to swear and smoke weed. The 14-year-old boy has a strained relationship with his father, Frank, from disrespecting his job to being a menace in general.
Thankfully, he soon learns how to be a good son to his parents. As he grows up in the dysfunctional family, he has a strong dream of becoming a successful musician, following his desire and love for music, especially rock.
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Kevin Murphy's voice actor is Justin Long, known for his roles in mostly comedy and horror films. His most prominent performances are in Jeepers Creepers, Live Free or Die Hard, Tusk, and Barbarian. Other than voicing Kevin Murphy, he is also the voice of Alvin Seville in the live-action of Alvin and the Chipmunk.
Haley Reinhart as William "Bill" Murphy
Bill Murphy is an 11-year-old boy who is the second child of the Murphy family. Taking after his older brother Kevin, he also likes to swear, most likely to be perceived as scary by the possible bullies in his life, such as his neighbor, Jimmy Fitzsimmons.
Bill strongly dislikes losing and being called weak, so he always finds a way to get back at his bullies, prompting him to act out more and more. This worsens when his father Frank loses his job, which is when Bill resorts to stealing and skipping bills. Although he seems like a bad kid, at heart, he is naive and respectful towards others.
The little boy's voice is a singer, songwriter, and actress Haley Reinhart. She not only voiced Bill Murphy but also little Frank Murphy on a handful of occasions in the show. She put her name on the showbiz through American Idol, where she placed third in its tenth season.
Reinhart's most prominent work is a collaboration with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, a cover of Radiohead's Creep, which stayed on Billboard's Jazz Digital Songs chart for 58 consecutive weeks.
Debi Derryberry as Maureen Murphy and Bridget Fitzsimmons
Maureen is the youngest member of the Murphy family, up until Megan is born in the later season of the show. She doesn’t fall under the category of a typical young girl in the 1970s, as she is a bit tomboy and has an interest (and the brain) in science and computers.
This makes her relationship with her father strained, as he wants her to just be a “normal” girl. One thing that all the Murphy siblings have in common is that all of them are rebellious — all to seek some freedom and attention. She eventually befriends her neighbor, Bridget Fitzsimmons, and their relationship grows based on the same desire to rebel.
Bridget Fitzsimmons is a young girl who lives close to the Murphy family, the younger sister of Bill Murphy’s bully, Jimmy Fitzsimmons. Things take an interesting turn when they are on each other’s radar more often, and Bridget and Bill Murphy fall in love and start a relationship. Like any other teenager, Bridget is foul-mouthed and violent – so violent that her entire family fears her.
Maureen and Bridget are voiced by Debi Derryberry, a voice actress widely known for her roles in the famous Jimmy Neutron films, such as Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. She also has voiced several characters in English adaptations of anime works, such as Zatch Bell! And Tenchi Muyo!.
Sam Rockwell as Vic Reynolds Sr.
Another close neighbor to the Murphy family is Vic Reynolds. He is a wealthy person who likes to party and naturally brings women to his close proximity. The 29-year-old womanizer works at a radio station for a living. He is probably what one would describe as that one uncle who is rich, carefree, irresponsible, and open-minded.
Reynolds is voiced by Sam Rockwell, an actor with various big films under his name. His most prominent roles are those in Charlie’s Angels, Iron Man 2, and a more recent one, Jojo Rabbit. The legendary actor has several awards, both won and nominated for. He has also taken roles in stage performances such as David Mamet’s American Buffalo and Fool for Love.
David Koechner as Bob Pogrohovich
Yet another violent and bad-tempered character on the show is Bob Pogrohovich, who is Frank’s boss at Mohican Airlines. He is the type of boss that everyone despises; he is always mean and mistreats his employees. However, he slowly makes the effort to become a better boss after risking losing his job.
David Koechner is the voice behind Bob’s character. He is an actor and comedian, famously known through his role as Todd Packer in The Office. His other famous works as a comedian and actor are Anchorman, The Comebacks, and Krampus.
Jonathan Banks as William “Big Bill” Murphy
William “Big Bill” Murphy is the long-lost father of Frank Murphy, with whom he has had a horrible relationship throughout their lives. Big Bill’s character shows up in Frank’s life in the later seasons to try to make amends with his son, and then he passes away. During his youth, he was a horrible father and husband, an alcoholic and abusive person.
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The voice behind the 73-year-old character is Jonathan Banks, an actor with a long list of great films and TV shows. Among them, he is widely known for his roles in Wiseguy, Breaking Bad, and its spin-off show Better Call Saul. His roles in films are such as Beverly Hills Cop and The Commuter.
Vince Vaughn as Chet Stevenson
Being a big antagonist in the show’s third and fourth seasons, Chet Stevenson serves his outstandingly negative personality as Frank’s friend from the U.S. Airforce, where they served together. Probably the only good thing about this character is his love for his dog and adventures, which unfortunately doesn’t cover the fact that he is an abusive, narcissistic, and sadistic human being. He then meets his death when he gets poisoned.
The voice behind Chet Stevenson is actor Vince Vaughn. The works that put him on the map are Swingers, Old School, and Brawl in Cell Block 99.
Trevor Devall as Goomer
Having a criminal as a neighbor only adds more to the fun and spice of living in the neighborhood. Goomer, one of Frank’s neighbors, is a criminal with the nickname “Creep” who likes to spy on his neighbors. He is a very outspoken and arrogant character, with creepy vibes all around him, and is a little too obsessed with Frank Murphy.
Trevor Devall is the voice of the creepy neighbor character. Devall is a voice actor known for his previous works, such as voicing Rocket Raccoon in the animated series Guardians of the Galaxy, Spidey and His Amazing Friends, and several video games.