Meet Rhode Island’s Real-Life ‘Family Guy’ With 1 Million TikTok Followers
I was today years old when I found out that a real-life Peter Griffin from Family Guy lives in Rhode Island, where the show is set.
Stevie Oaks of Woonsocket spends his free time as a Peter Griffin voice impersonator and cosplayer. He has a following on TikTok that exceeds 1 million. Making people laugh is his specialty.
My friend Jessica Blanchard works with Oaks at a car dealership and asked me if I knew who he was. Coincidentally, I just so happen to follow him on social media and I'm most certainly a fan. What are the odds? It was my duty to get to know Oaks a little better to find out a little something about the man behind the impersonation.
When did you realize you wanted to be a Peter Griffin?
I’m not sure if there was a pinnacle moment. It was the NFL playoffs in January 2020. I had been watching these new-fangled TikTok videos and I said to myself, "I want to try and see where it leads." I started trying to do NFL playoff content using the Peter Griffin voice and now here we are three years later and my channel and brand have evolved so much in that time frame. I never thought I would get 100 followers let alone 1.4 million on TikTok. It’s been a crazy journey.
When you're not in character, do people recognize you?
The first time out of character where I got noticed was in Intercourse, Pennsylvania, on vacation in November 2021. I was waking by someone who subtly did a "Peter laugh" followed by an "I love your content." From there it happens occasionally and it’s pretty cool when it happens.
Tell me about your day job when you're not making TikToks.
I am a vehicle delivery coordinator at Route 6 Auto Mall KIA. You know, where "it’s a crime to pay more than a dime." When you buy a new car from us I go over the car with you and make sure you're comfortable using your car's features and functions before you leave.
Have you met or collaborated with any celebrities?
I’m collaborating with the rapper Reyes for a video using his new song "All Good" featuring Manchild. I’ve met Jason Lee from My Name Is Earl. Rachael MacFarlane (Family Guy creator and Peter Griffin's voice Seth MacFarlane's Sister), Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Steve Cardenas (Power Rangers) and Jason Faunt (also Power Rangers), Adrianne Palicki, Peter Macon, Mike Yurchak (who voices Tobi and Obito on Naruto) and many more."
Where's your favorite restaurant to grab a bite at in Rhode Island or on the SouthCoast?
My favorite place to grab a bite in Rhode Island is The Abbey near Providence College. Best burgers around and has a great atmosphere. Here in the East Bay, I’m a big fan of Rhody Roots in Warren and I love Marc Anthony’s pizza in Onset.
How many hot dogs do you think you can eat in one sitting?
When I was in elementary school, I was dared to eat as many hot dogs as possible before lunch was over. It was crazy that all these kids kept giving me their hot dogs, but I finished 20 of them without buns and unfortunately got sick afterward.
How many beers can you crush in one sitting?
The most beers I’ve killed in a night was 18. I woke up perfectly fine the next day with no hangover, nothing.
A question for the Portuguese community: Have you ever had chourico and if so, do you prefer it over linguica?
l love chourico. I like buying it ground up and throwing it into my scrambled eggs with mild cheddar cheese and mushrooms. I do like linguica as well, but not as much as chourico.
It just goes to show that even the local celebrities are just like you and me. The only difference is that Oaks is the real-deal Peter Griffin and I'm just a guy writing about a real-life Family Guy. Of course, Family Guy being a New England show, connections run deeper. Do you remember its New Bedford references?