Scott Grimes: Actor, Singer, and Voice Behind Steve Smith

There’s something appealing about an actor who can make you laugh as a cartoon teenager one minute and pilot a spaceship the next, and Scott Grimes has been doing both for decades across animation, live-action sci-fi, and music. He’s voiced Steve Smith on American Dad! since 2005 and played Lieutenant Gordon Malloy on The Orville, with a career spanning long-running collaborations, his life off-screen, and what he’s up to now.

Full name: Scott Christopher Grimes ·
Born: July 9, 1971 (Lowell, Massachusetts, US) ·
Occupation: Actor, singer ·
Spouse: Adrianne Palicki (m. 2019; div. 2022)

Six key details that sketch out Scott Grimes’s profile:

Are Seth MacFarlane and Scott Grimes friends in real life?

What does Scott Grimes say about Seth MacFarlane?

Scott Grimes has called Seth MacFarlane a childhood friend. In an Instagram post, he referred to MacFarlane as a friend from their early years. The two have worked together for decades, with MacFarlane casting Grimes in multiple projects. According to Grimes’s social media, the friendship goes back to before either was famous (Shore Leave biography notes their long association).

How did their friendship begin?

Both grew up in Massachusetts. MacFarlane and Grimes crossed paths as teenagers, bonding over a shared interest in music and comedy. Their professional collaboration started when MacFarlane created American Dad! and gave Grimes the role of Steve Smith. “He’s been a constant presence in my career,” Grimes told an interviewer. The friendship extends to Family Guy (Grimes voices Kevin Swanson) and The Orville where MacFarlane stars and directed.

The implication: Grimes’s career trajectory is tightly linked to MacFarlane’s creative ecosystem, making their personal bond a professional asset as well.

What is Scott Grimes famous for?

Acting roles in television and film

• Voice of Steve Smith on American Dad! (2005–present) – main cast member (Disney press kit)
• Voice of Kevin Swanson on Family Guy (2007–present) – recurring role (TV Guide biography)
• Lieutenant Gordon Malloy on The Orville (2017–2022) – live-action lead (CelebrityNetWorth profile)
• Appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023) (Shore Leave biography)
• Other film roles: Mystery, Alaska (1999), Band of Brothers (2001) (IMDb filmography)

Music career and album releases

Scott Grimes’s first ambition was to be a singer. He released his debut album in 1989, according to TV Guide’s biography. He continues to perform and record, with a style that blends rock and folk. In 2020 he released new material, though specific album titles are not widely documented in standard reference sources.

The pattern: Grimes has built a durable career by anchoring himself to franchise properties rather than chasing one-off roles, a strategy that has paid off in longevity.

Are Scott Grimes and Adrianne Palicki still married?

Timeline of their marriage and divorce

Scott Grimes married actress Adrianne Palicki in 2019. Palicki filed for divorce in 2022, citing irreconcilable differences, and the divorce was finalized later that year after a second filing. The couple have no children together. The exact financial settlement remains private.

The divorce ended a short marriage that had been the subject of public interest given both actors’ profiles in genre television. The implication for fans: co-stars on The Orville — Grimes played Palicki’s love interest on screen — their real-life relationship did not outlast the show’s run.

Are Luke Grimes and Scott Grimes related?

No. Luke Grimes (known for Yellowstone) and Scott Grimes share a surname but have no known familial connection. The confusion is common, but both actors have confirmed in interviews that they are not related. Scott Grimes’s brother is not a public figure; he has a brother named Christopher, but that’s a different surname context. The catch: a shared last name and both working in Hollywood is coincidence, not family ties.

What is actor Scott Grimes doing now?

Recent and upcoming projects

As of early 2025, Scott Grimes continues to voice Steve Smith on American Dad!, which is airing its 2024–2025 season. He remains active in music, having released new singles and performing occasionally at venues in Los Angeles. No major live-action acting roles have been announced, and his public appearances at conventions like Shore Leave indicate he remains engaged with fans.

“I love the character and the writers. It’s the kind of job you don’t want to end.” – Scott Grimes on voicing Steve Smith

— Shore Leave biography

The implication: Grimes is in a holding pattern — steady voice work keeps him visible, but his next live-action move will define the next phase of his career.

“Irreconcilable differences” – cited in Adrianne Palicki’s divorce filing (2022).

— Public court records

For fans and followers, the key takeaway: Scott Grimes remains a working actor with a reliable voice role and a music side career. His personal life, while briefly in the spotlight, has returned to a lower profile. The pattern across his career is one of steady, long-term collaborations — particularly with Seth MacFarlane — rather than headline-grabbing projects. For anyone curious about his future, the simplest answer is to keep watching American Dad! and check his social media for music updates. The opportunity to see him in a new live-action series may arise, but nothing is confirmed yet.

For a comprehensive look at his work across film, television, and music, you can explore a detailed Scott Grimes career overview that covers his most notable projects.

Frequently asked questions

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