In 1989, he joined the cast of the animated sitcom "The Simpsons"; he provides voices for characters including Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert and more. Shearer has appeared in films including "The Truman Show" (1998) and "A Mighty Wind" (2003), and has directed two, "Teddy Bears' Picnic" (2002) and "The Big Uneasy" (2010). Since 1983, Shearer has been the host of the public radio comedy/music program "Le Show", incorporating satire, music, and sketch comedy. He has written three books. Shearer has won a Primetime Emmy Award and has received several other Emmy and Grammy Award nominations.
Introduction
Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer | Introduction
Harry Shearer Harry Shearer. Harry Julius Shearer Harry Shearer
who provides the voice of mr smithers on the simpsons
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... I wouldn't do them if they weren't easy." Shearer modeled Mr. Burns's voice on the two actors Lionel Barrymore and Ronald Reagan. Shearer says that Burns is the most difficult character for him to voice because it is rough on his vocal cords and he often needs to drink tea and honey to soothe his voice. He describes Burns as his favorite character, saying he "like[s] Mr. Burns because he is pure evil. A lot of evil people make the mistake of diluting it. Never adulterate your evil." Shearer is also the voice of Burns' assistant Smithers, and is able to perform dialogue between the two characters in one take.
Harry Shearer | "The Simpsons"
Mr. Burns was originally voiced by actor Christopher Collins in the episodes "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", "Homer's Odyssey", and "The Telltale Head". He was soon replaced by Harry Shearer because Sam Simon found Collins "difficult to work with". Additionally, Christopher Collins died on June 12, 1994. Shearer has voiced the character ever since. He modeled the voice on Lionel Barrymore and Ronald Reagan. Shearer is also the voice of Smithers and is able to perform dialogue between the two characters in one take. Shearer said that Mr. Burns is the most difficult character for him to voice because it is rough on his vocal cords and he often needs to drink tea and honey to soothe his voice.
Mr. Burns | Voice
Brooks managed to convince Shearer to join the cast. Shearer's first impression of "The Simpsons" was that it was funny. Shearer, who thought it was a "pretty cool" way to work, found it peculiar that the members of the cast were adamant about not being known to the public as the people behind the voices. Shearer provides voices for Principal Skinner, Kent Brockman, Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Dr. Hibbert, Lenny Leonard, Otto Mann, Rainier Wolfcastle, Scratchy, Kang, Dr. Marvin Monroe, and Judge Snyder, among others. He has described all of his regular characters' voices as "easy to slip into.
Harry Shearer | "The Simpsons"
In 1989, he joined the cast of the animated sitcom "The Simpsons"; he provides voices for characters including Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert and more. Shearer has appeared in films including "The Truman Show" (1998) and "A Mighty Wind" (2003), and has directed two, "Teddy Bears' Picnic" (2002) and "The Big Uneasy" (2010). Since 1983, Shearer has been the host of the public radio comedy/music program "Le Show", incorporating satire, music, and sketch comedy. He has written three books. Shearer has won a Primetime Emmy Award and has received several other Emmy and Grammy Award nominations.
Harry Shearer | Introduction
Shearer is known for his work as a voice actor on "The Simpsons". Matt Groening, the creator of the show, was a fan of Shearer's work, while Shearer was a fan of a column Groening used to write. Shearer was asked if he wanted to be in the series, but he was initially reluctant because he thought the recording sessions would be too much trouble. He felt voice acting was "not a lot of fun" because traditionally, voice actors record their parts separately. He was told that the actors would record their lines together and after three calls, executive producer James L.
Harry Shearer | "The Simpsons"
Smithers is voiced by Harry Shearer, who is also the voice of Mr. Burns. Shearer is often able to perform dialogue between the two characters in one take. Dan Castellaneta occasionally fills in for Shearer at table reads and voices Smithers. The name Waylon, coined by Mike Reiss, was first used in "I Married Marge" and comes from the puppeteer Wayland Flowers. Smithers made his first appearance in "Homer's Odyssey", which was the third episode of the first season, although he can be heard over a speaker in "The Simpsons" series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". In his first visual appearance in "Homer's Odyssey", Smithers was mistakenly animated with the wrong color and was made darker than most characters by Gyorgyi Peluce, the color stylist.
Waylon Smithers | Character
Shearer was the last of the six regular voice actors from "The Simpsons" to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. His win came for the season 25 episode "Four Regrettings and a Funeral".
Harry Shearer | Awards
Waylon Joseph Smithers Jr. (born December 25, 1951), usually referred to as Mr. Smithers or simply Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the animated sitcom "The Simpsons", voiced by Harry Shearer. He first appeared in "Homer's Odyssey", although his voice could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the consummate executive and personal assistant of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's owner Mr. Burns, and is usually treated unfairly. Smithers' loyalty and devotion to Mr. Burns was inspired from how numerous Fox executives and staff members acted towards Barry Diller. Smithers' first name (Waylon) was derived from that of puppeteer Wayland Flowers.
Waylon Smithers | Introduction
In the episode "Bart's Inner Child", Harry Shearer said "wow" in the voice of Otto, which was then used when Otto was seen jumping on a trampoline. Ned Flanders had been meant to be just a neighbor that Homer was jealous of, but because Shearer used "such a sweet voice" for him, Flanders was broadened to become a Christian and a sweet guy that someone would prefer to live next to over Homer. Dr. Marvin Monroe's voice was based on psychiatrist David Viscott. Monroe has been largely retired since the seventh season barring a few cameo appearances because voicing the character strained Shearer's throat.
Harry Shearer | "The Simpsons"
In 2004, Shearer criticized what he perceived as the show's declining quality: "I rate the last three seasons as among the worst, so season four looks very good to me now." Shearer has also been vocal about "The Principal and the Pauper" (season nine, 1997), one of the most controversial episodes of "The Simpsons". Many fans and critics reacted negatively to the revelation that Principal Seymour Skinner, a recurring character since the first season, was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by both Shearer and Groening. In a 2001 interview, Shearer recalled that after reading the script, he told the writers, "That's so wrong.
Harry Shearer | "The Simpsons"
You're taking something that an audience has built eight years or nine years of investment in and just tossed it in the trash can for no good reason, for a story we've done before with other characters. It's so arbitrary and gratuitous, and it's disrespectful to the audience." Due to scheduling and availability conflicts, Shearer decided not to participate in "The Simpsons Ride", which opened in 2008, so none of his characters have vocal parts and many do not appear in the ride at all. In a 2010 interview on "The Howard Stern Show", Shearer alluded that the reason he was not part of the ride was because he would not be getting paid for it.
Harry Shearer | "The Simpsons"
Cartwright is the only one of the six main "Simpsons" cast members who had been professionally trained in voice acting prior to working on the show. Azaria and Shearer do not voice members of the title family, but play a majority of the male townspeople. Azaria, who has been a part of the "Simpsons" regular voice cast since the second season, voices recurring characters such as Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and Professor Frink. Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Mr. Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy and Dr. Hibbert. Every main cast member has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.
The Simpsons | Voice actors
Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to simply as Mr. Burns, is a recurring character in the animated television series "The Simpsons", voiced initially by Christopher Collins, and currently by Harry Shearer. He is the evil, devious, greedy and wealthy owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and, by extension, Homer Simpson's boss. He is assisted at almost all times by Smithers, his loyal and sycophantic aide, adviser, confidant, and secret admirer. Although originally conceived as a one-dimensional, recurring villain who might occasionally enter the Simpsons' lives and wreak some sort of havoc, Mr. Burns' popularity has led to his repeated inclusion in episodes.
Mr. Burns | Introduction
Harry Shearer did not participate in the ride, so none of his characters has vocal parts.
The Simpsons | "The Simpsons" Ride
Dave Shutton, voiced by Harry Shearer, is a reporter for "The Springfield Shopper". Writer John Swartzwelder named Shutton after a friend of his. His first appearance was in "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish". Since then, his roles have become less relevant and have been reduced to short appearances. According to "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)", Kent Brockman does not like Dave Shutton and thinks he is unprofessional.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Dave Shutton
Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson, doubles as Wolfcastle when Harry Shearer is absent from table reads. In "The Simpsons Movie", a characterization of Schwarzenegger is the President of the United States. He is very similar to the design of Wolfcastle but with more wrinkles under his eyes and a different hairstyle.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Rainier Wolfcastle
Martin Short said Shearer "wanted to be creative and Dick [Ebersol] wanted something else. ... I think he felt his voice wasn't getting represented on the show. When he wouldn't get that chance, it made him very upset."
Harry Shearer | "Saturday Night Live"
Shearer received the role when he was seven years old. He described Jack Benny as "very warm and approachable ... He was a guy who dug the idea of other people on the show getting laughs, which sort of spoiled me for other people in comedy." Shearer said in an interview that one person who "took him under his wing" and was one of his best friends during his early days in show business was voice actor Mel Blanc, who voiced many animated characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Barney Rubble. Shearer made his film debut in the film "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" (1953), in which he had a small part, and appeared in "The Robe" (also 1953).
Harry Shearer | Early life
Kent Brockman is a fictional character in the animated television series "The Simpsons". He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted". He is a grumpy, self-centered local Springfield news anchor.
Kent Brockman | Introduction
The idea for a crossover episode was suggested by "Family Guy" executive producer and former "Simpsons" writer Richard Appel, and the episode was announced by Fox in July 2013. Five of the six main members of the voice cast of "The Simpsons"—the exception being Harry Shearer—voiced their characters in the episode. "The Simpsons Guy" was met with a mixed reception by critics, who had differing opinions on how well the two shows combined.
The Simpsons Guy | Introduction
Brooks and saying the episode "violates the Simpsons' universe." In response, Brooks said, "I am furious with Matt, ... he's allowed his opinion, but airing this publicly in the press is going too far. ... his behavior right now is rotten." "The Principal and the Pauper" (season nine, 1997) is one of the most controversial episodes of "The Simpsons". Many fans and critics reacted negatively to the revelation that Seymour Skinner, a recurring character since the first season, was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by Groening and by Harry Shearer, who provides the voice of Skinner. In a 2001 interview, Shearer recalled that after reading the script, he told the writers, "That's "so" wrong.
The Simpsons | Controversy
Both Hank Azaria and Yeardley Smith are cast members of "The Simpsons", which debuted on Fox two seasons earlier. One episode had Yeardley Smith's character, Louise, after hanging up the telephone, ask her colleague across the room, "Herman, I don't sound like that Lisa Simpson, do I?" A similar reference occurs when Mr. Bracken receives a complaint about one of the workers. The complainant didn't get the worker's name, but reported that she sounded like a cartoon character. After some furtive glances from Louise, Mr. Bracken dresses down a female coworker who sounds like Betty Boop. "The Simpsons" also referenced "Herman's Head" when Lisa (voiced by Smith) is asked what she is laughing at in the episode "Duffless"; she replies that she has just remembered "a joke I saw on "Herman's Head"".
Herman's Head | "The Simpsons" impact
For example, Burns answers the phone by saying "Ahoy, hoy!", which was suggested by Alexander Graham Bell to be used as the proper telephone answer when the telephone was first invented. Burns' kitchen is full of "crazy old-time" devices and contraptions. For inspiration, Weinstein brought in "a bunch" of old books with designs of old kitchen devices. Oakley commented that the stuffed polar bear had always been in Burns' office, and they were excited to "finally" have a use for it. Matt Groening has noted the challenges of sound mixing with this episode, the results of which influenced future episodes of the show and Groening's other series "Futurama".
Homer the Smithers | Production
Hans-Georg Panczak (born 19 July 1952 in Düsseldorf, Germany) is a German television actor and voice actor. He is best known as the German voice of Waylon Smithers in "The Simpsons", of Mark Hamill in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, and of Glen Quagmire in "Family Guy" since the fourth season.
Hans-Georg Panczak | Introduction
In the opening credits of a later episode the billboard reads, 'Herman's Military Antiques (and guns)'. It is revealed and mentioned at various points that he keeps a loaded shotgun under the counter, and has various other firearms at his disposal. Harry Shearer does an impression of George H. W. Bush for the voice. Herman's facial appearance is modeled after "Simpsons" writer John Swartzwelder. The original idea behind Herman, said Groening, was that each time he appeared, he would give a different explanation for how he lost his arm. However, the second joke, involving Herman having stuck his arm in a ball return at a bowling alley, got cut, and the writers never pursued the idea until "To Cur with Love".
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Herman Hermann
"Blood Feud" was written by George Meyer and directed by David Silverman. Executive producer Sam Simon and writers Al Jean and Mike Reiss came up with the idea for the episode while they were trying to fill up the rest of the production run. A co-worker had recently needed a blood transfusion, and the writers thought it would be funny if Mr. Burns had one. Although Meyer was credited with writing the episode, Jean and Reiss re-wrote and polished the script. Harry Shearer, the voice of Mr. Burns and Smithers, could not attend the table read for the episode, so his parts were read by Dan Castellaneta (the voice of Homer).
Blood Feud (The Simpsons) | Production
"The Simpsons" has six main cast members: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer. Castellaneta voices Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Barney Gumble, and other adult, male characters. Julie Kavner voices Marge Simpson and Patty and Selma, as well as several minor characters. Castellaneta and Kavner had been a part of "The Tracey Ullman Show" cast and were given the parts so that new actors would not be needed. Cartwright voices Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum and other children. Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters.
The Simpsons | Voice actors
Lenford Leonard is voiced by Harry Shearer. He is friends with Carl, Homer Simpson, Moe Szyslak, and Barney Gumble. He works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and possesses a master's degree in nuclear physics, but he is often portrayed as a blue-collar working man. Lenny appears to be well liked by the Simpson family – on one occasion, Marge and the kids build a prayer shrine for him when learning he was taken to the hospital. In "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder", Homer goes bowling but tells Marge that Lenny was hospitalized; when Marge informs the kids, they respond the same way she did and shout, "Not Lenny!".
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Lenny Leonard
Not Today, Thank You is a British radio comedy featured on BBC Radio 4. It stars Harry Shearer (known for the "Simpsons" and "This Is Spinal Tap") as Nostrils, a man convinced that he is extremely unattractive, and Brian Hayes as Brian Hughes, an aging radio presenter who tries to broadcast his radio show from his grandmother's basement before being met by a TV producer.
Not Today, Thank You | Introduction
In order to promote this episode, guest stars Reagle and Shortz collaborated with the episodes' writer Tim Long to create a hidden "Simpsons"-related message (dedicated to this episode) that appeared in "The New York Times" Sunday crossword on November 16, 2008. The crossword, which was titled "Sounds Like Somebody I Know", also appears as a plot point in the episode. Harry Shearer recorded a clip of Mr. Burns and Smithers telling the winner of the National Public Radio's Sundays Puzzle on November 16, 2008, what they had won.
Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words | Promotion
Harry Shearer has impersonated Scully in a sketch for "Saturday Night Live", and has used the voice for "The Simpsons" when the storyline includes the fictional team the Springfield Isotopes. San Francisco Giants broadcaster Jon Miller is known for his impersonation of Scully. Voice actor Chris Cox has appeared on the comedy podcast series "Sklarbro Country" as the character "Racist Vin Scully".
Vin Scully | Impersonators
Julius Hibbert, M.D. (voiced by Harry Shearer) is the Simpsons' (usually) kind-hearted family doctor, a near-genius (with an IQ of 155), a Mensa member, a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and a former stripper. Hibbert is noticeably less dysfunctional than just about everyone else on the show, though he does have a bizarre tendency to chuckle at inappropriate moments. It is mentioned in "Make Room for Lisa", that "Before I learned to chuckle mindlessly, I was headed to an early grave." He reacts questionably to certain medical problems. For example, when Maggie saved Homer from drowning, he attributed it to common cases of superhuman strength in children whose parents' lives are in danger.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Dr. Julius Hibbert
Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Castellaneta as well as Julie Kavner to voice Homer and Marge, rather than hire more actors. Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith performed the voices of Bart Simpson and Lisa Simpson respectively.
The Simpsons (franchise) | Shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show"
Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, musician, radio host, director and producer. Born in Los Angeles, California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of The Credibility Gap, a radio comedy group. Following the breakup of the group, Shearer co-wrote the film "Real Life" (1979) with Albert Brooks and worked as a writer on Martin Mull's television series "Fernwood 2 Night". Shearer was a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" between 1979 and 1980, and 1984 and 1985. Shearer co-created, co-wrote and co-starred in the film "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984), a satirical rockumentary, which became a hit.
Harry Shearer | Introduction
For this episode, Harry Shearer won his first Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance.
Four Regrettings and a Funeral | Introduction
It premiered at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado and starred Kelsey Grammer and John Goodman. Shearer, Guest and McKean starred in the folk music mockumentary "A Mighty Wind" (2003), portraying a band called The Folksmen. The film was written by Guest and Eugene Levy, and directed by Guest. Shearer had a major role in the Guest-directed parody of Oscar politicking "For Your Consideration" released in 2006. He played Victor Allan Miller, a veteran actor who is convinced that he is going to be nominated for an Academy Award. He also appeared as a news anchor in "Godzilla" (1998) with fellow "The Simpsons" cast members Hank Azaria and Nancy Cartwright.
Harry Shearer | Further career
Dan Castellaneta said that he did "an imitation of Lenny" (voiced by Harry Shearer) for the voice.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Charlie
"Homer the Smithers" is the 17th episode of "The Simpsons"' seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 25, 1996. In the episode, Mr. Smithers takes a vacation and hires Homer to temporarily replace him as Mr. Burns' assistant. The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Steven Dean Moore. The plot came from another writer on the show, Mike Scully. The episode features cultural references to "The Little Rascals", a series of comedy short films from the 1930s, and the 1971 film "A Clockwork Orange". Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics.
Homer the Smithers | Introduction
In the end, they used the original cast member Harry Shearer, who performs the Schwarzenegger parody 'Ranier Wolfcastle' in the TV series, in the US theatrical and DVD version of the film, though English-speaking Simpson fans around the world can hear Mark's version-producers decided to use Mark's portrayal of Arnold in the Simpson's International English version of the movie.
Mark Moseley (actor) | Career
Eddie, voiced by Harry Shearer, is one of the Springfield police officers. He first appeared in the first season episode "There's No Disgrace Like Home". Like Lou, he does not have a surname. He is not as smart as Lou. In "Bart vs. Thanksgiving", Eddie was animated to Lou's voice and Lou was animated to Eddie's.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Eddie
Judge Roy Snyder, voiced by Harry Shearer, is a Springfield judge known for his lenient punishments and somewhat unorthodox rulings (as in the episode "Sweets and Sour Marge", when he bans sugar from Springfield). The character was originally named "Judge Moulton", but show runners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein did not know that, and called him "Snyder". His appearance is modeled on Robert Bork. Snyder's skin color has gone back and forth between yellow and brown repeatedly throughout the series. His skin is currently brown.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Judge Snyder
On June 26, 2020, it was stated that "Moving forward, "The Simpsons" will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters." This follows Mike Henry stating that he will no longer voice the African-American character Cleveland Brown on fellow Fox animated series "Family Guy", and Jenny Slate and Kristen Bell's announcement that they will no longer voice mixed-race characters on "Big Mouth" and "Central Park", respectively, in the wake of the George Floyd protests. It also follows series regular Hank Azaria's January 2020 announcement that he will no longer voice the Indian character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on "The Simpsons". Series regular Harry Shearer was not fully in agreement with the decision, stating that "the job of the actor is to play someone who they're not".
The Simpsons (season 32) | Casting
He describes Mr. Burns as his favorite character, saying he "like[s] Mr. Burns because he is pure evil. A lot of evil people make the mistake of diluting it. Never adulterate your evil." In 2014, Shearer won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his performance on "Four Regrettings and a Funeral" for voicing Mr. Burns.
Mr. Burns | Voice
Ron Hauge, a "The Simpsons" show producer, suggested the name Max Power to a friend who wanted to change his name. His friend, however, did not take it. The episode would also inspire Tom Martin's cousin to name his son Max Power. One scene from the episode features Ned Flanders commenting that cartoons are easily able to change voice actors; to enhance the joke for his one line of dialogue, Flanders is voiced by recurring cast member Karl Wiedergott instead of his regular voice actor Harry Shearer.
Homer to the Max | Production
Harry Shearer, who played Derek Smalls, went on to become one of the main voice artists on "The Simpsons", providing voices for Principal Skinner, Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders and many others. The members of Spinal Tap reprised their roles in "The Otto Show", first playing on a concert attended by Bart and Milhouse which escalates into a riot after the band's early exit, then having their tour bus run off the road by Otto in the school bus. The Internet Movie Database normally only allows users to rate films up to ten stars, but specifically for "Spinal Tap", the site allows users to rate the film eleven stars, referencing the "Up to eleven" scene.
This Is Spinal Tap | Appearances in other media
Book in some time for a handful of guest-teacher guest stars (Neil deGrasse Tyson, Suze Orman, Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings, and screenplay guru Robert McKee as themselves), and a very rushed wrap-up where Homer has to short-circuit all the Yale-enrolled robot students before they can make Verlander all that sweet, sweet student aid, and you’ve got a frenetic episode that can’t decide what it wants to be." Tony Sokol of "Den of Geek" gave the episode 4.5/5 stars, stating "Release me, you hound. I love Mr. Burns, unabashedly and bashedly. I can see what Smithers sees in him. All that power in a man so fragile he floats away on cigar smoke and so old his living will is a sword of Damocles hanging over a trap door that leads to a mote of nuclear waste.
The Caper Chase | Reception
The ride features more than 24 regular characters from "The Simpsons" and features the voices of the regular cast members, as well as Pamela Hayden, Russi Taylor and Kelsey Grammer. Harry Shearer, however, decided not to participate in the ride supposedly due to scheduling and availability conflicts, so none of his characters have vocal parts and many of them do not appear in the ride at all. In homage to the "Back to the Future" ride that it has replaced, "The Simpsons" Ride's queue video features a brief animated cameo from Doc Brown who is voiced by Christopher Lloyd.
The Simpsons Ride | Voice cast
He voiced himself on the episode Super Trivia.
Ned Hastings | Introduction
He left teaching following "disagreements with the administration". From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of The Credibility Gap, a radio comedy group that included David Lander, Richard Beebe and Michael McKean. The group consisted of "a bunch of newsmen" at KRLA 1110, "the number two station" in Los Angeles. They wanted to do more than just straight news, so they hired comedians who were talented vocalists. Shearer heard about it from a friend so he brought over a tape to the station and nervously gave it to the receptionist. He found out he was hired that same day.
Harry Shearer | Early life
Due to the amount of interest in the ending of this episode, David Mirkin wrote several "terrible endings" and, with just Harry Shearer, recorded several alternate endings. His original intention was to fool the production staff and also leak the endings to various media outlets, but much to his surprise he was unsuccessful. Several endings were animated that showed various characters shooting Mr. Burns. Several of the alternate endings aired during the clip show "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular". Various clips showed Barney, Tito, Moe, Apu, and even Santa's Little Helper as the gunmen. There was also a full-length conclusion that aired in which Smithers shot Burns and explained his doing so at Burns's bedside after Homer's wild chase, and fell on "W" and S" on the compass, Waylon's initials; Burns then decides to give Smithers a 5 percent pay cut for attempting to kill him.
Who Shot Mr. Burns? | Alternate endings
A barbershop; pun on the name of the actor Harry Shearer. It is frequented by Marge Simpson whose massive hairdo requires significant effort to maintain. In "Hungry, Hungry Homer", they refused to honor her coupon for discount hair streaks, as their thin profit margins would ruin them, but Homer (in an unusual exhibition of helpfulness) assisted the owner with finding ways of decreasing their spending, and they honored the coupon in return. The shop reappears in "The Blue and The Gray", where it is revealed that Marge's hair has been grey for decades, but the industrial-strength coloring they use keeps wiping out her memory.
Springfield (The Simpsons) | Hairy Shearers
Clarence "Clancy" Bouvier (voiced by Harry Shearer) is the deceased father of Marge, Patty and Selma and the husband of Jacqueline Bouvier. His first appearance was in the episode "The Way We Was". He was kind and complimentary to teenage Homer when he arrived to pick up Marge for the prom, but after finding out that Artie Ziff was really her date remarked that Homer "took years off my life". This provoked Marge to go back and go out with Homer. In "Fear of Flying" it was revealed that he was one of the earliest male flight attendants; Marge initially believed he was a heroic pilot and was traumatized when she discovered he was a flight attendant instead.
Simpson family | Clancy Bouvier
In his script, Swartzwelder randomly paired David Brinkley and Suzanne Somers together as the parade commentators. The producers were unable to get Brinkley to play his part, so he was instead voiced by Harry Shearer. However, they were successful in getting Somers to voice herself. Roger Meyers, Jr. was voiced by Alex Rocco, who also voiced the character in the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"; while the character had reappeared in several episodes, in those instances he was voiced by Hank Azaria. The episode also stars Pamela Hayden and Tress MacNeille, and Phil Hartman as lawyer Lionel Hutz.
The Day the Violence Died | Production
In the episode, reclusive author Thomas Pynchon has a cameo ""appearance"," his face hidden by a paper bag with a question mark on it. This is intended to satirise the author's "own carefully crafted anonymity". His appearance on The Simpsons was "his only sanctioned authorial image in decades". He later appeared in the season 16 episode "All's Fair in Oven War". Dr. Marvin Monroe appears in this episode. He had not been seen since early seasons. Harry Shearer, who plays him, did not like doing the voice as it hurt his throat. The character had been subtly suggested to be dead, and mentions in this episode that he has just "been very sick".
Diatribe of a Mad Housewife | Production
Castellaneta and Kavner were asked to voice the lead roles of Homer and Marge Simpson as they were regular cast members of "The Tracey Ullman Show" on which "The Simpsons shorts" appeared. Cartwright auditioned for the part of Lisa, but found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. She then became more interested in the role of Bart, so "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening let her try out for that part instead, and upon hearing her read, he gave her the job on the spot. Smith had initially been asked by casting director Bonita Pietila to audition for the role of Bart, but Pietila then realised that Smith's voice was too high, Smith was given the role of Lisa instead.
List of The Simpsons cast members | Background
In 2006 Shearer appeared with Brian Hayes in four episodes of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom "Not Today, Thank You", playing Nostrils, a man so ugly he cannot stand to be in his own presence. He was originally scheduled to appear in all six episodes but had to withdraw from recording two due to a problem with his work permit. On June 19, 2008, it was announced that Shearer would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the radio category.
Harry Shearer | "Le Show" and radio work
Smithers is Mr. Burns' devoted executive assistant. His father, Waylon Smithers, Sr., worked for Burns until he died of radiation poisoning after saving Springfield from a potential nuclear meltdown when Smithers was a baby. Smithers began thinking of Mr. Burns as his commander shortly after his birth. Up until 2016, he was not openly gay, but most people knew he was homosexual before he came out. It was revealed in a flashback that he was married to a woman once, but the two split up when Mr. Burns came between them. Smithers is shown to have a passionate and deep love for Mr.
Waylon Smithers | Role in "The Simpsons"
Waylon Smithers makes his first appearance in this episode, although he can be heard over a speaker in the series premiere. In his first visual appearance, he was mistakenly animated with the wrong color and was made an African American by Györgyi Peluce, the color stylist. David Silverman has claimed that Smithers was always intended to be "Mr. Burns' white sycophant", and the staff thought it "would be a bad idea to have a black subservient character" and so switched him to his intended color for his next episode. Smithers' skin tone was later explained as an "extreme tan". Blinky the Three-Eyed Fish makes a brief cameo in this episode; he later becomes of importance in episode four of the second season, "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish".
Homer's Odyssey (The Simpsons) | Production
Burns, censors demanded the cutting of several seconds of animation that showed "Mr. Burns land[ing] in a particular position on Smithers anatomy". Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the associated nuclear emergency, the episode was pulled from an Austrian network due to jokes about radiation poisoning.
Marge Gets a Job | Alternate version
In the television show "The Simpsons", the character Dr. Marvin Monroe's voice was based on Viscott. Monroe has been retired since the seventh season because voicing the character strained Shearer's throat. The character's retirement was marked by the broadcast of a Dr. Marvin Monroe Memorial Hospital over Lou's walkie-talkie in "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)". Since then, several references to Monroe being dead have been made: a glimpse of his gravestone in "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily", a Dr. Marvin Monroe Memorial Gymnasium seen in "Bye Bye Nerdie", and a trivia interstitial in the "138th Episode Spectacular" regarding which popular characters had recently died.
David Viscott | "The Simpsons"
It guest-starred Martin Sheen as the real Seymour Skinner. Although it aired during the show's ninth season, it was a holdover from season eight. The episode is one of the most controversial episodes of "The Simpsons". Many fans and critics reacted extremely negatively to the revelation that Principal Skinner, a recurring character since the first season who had undergone much character development, was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by series creator Matt Groening, and by Harry Shearer, who provides the voice of Principal Skinner.
The Principal and the Pauper | Introduction
When the show was commissioned for a full half-hour series, Shearer joined the cast and performed multiple roles. Groening and Sam Simon asked Shearer to join the cast as they were fans of his radio show. Azaria was only a guest actor in the first season, but became permanent in season 2. He first appeared in "Some Enchanted Evening", rerecording Christopher Collins's lines as Moe Szyslak. As he joined later than the rest of the cast, Groening still considers Azaria the "new guy." Up until 1998, the six main actors were paid $30,000 per episode. In 1998 they were then involved in a pay dispute in which Fox threatened to replace them with new actors and went as far as preparing for casting of new voices.
List of The Simpsons cast members | Background
God, voiced by Harry Shearer, has had many appearances in the series, including "Homer the Heretic", "Thank God, It's Doomsday", and "Pray Anything". He also appears in the opening sequence. He is portrayed in the traditional depiction of the Abrahamic God: a gray-haired man in a white robe with a booming voice. In most episodes, only his beard is seen. One of God's distinctive features is that he and Jesus are the only two "The Simpsons" characters to have been drawn with five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot. According to showrunner Al Jean, ""The Simpsons" is one of the few shows on TV where God is not only very real, but he's a kind of vengeful Old Testament God."
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | God
Marge's voice is performed by Julie Kavner, who also does the voices of Marge's mother Jacqueline and her sisters Patty and Selma. Kavner had been part of the regular cast of "The Tracey Ullman Show". Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Kavner and fellow cast member Dan Castellaneta to voice Marge and Homer rather than hire more actors. Part of Kavner's contract says that she will never have to promote "The Simpsons" on video and she rarely performs Marge's voice in public because she believes it "destroys the illusion. People feel these are real people." Kavner takes recording sessions seriously and feels that voice acting is "a little more limiting than live acting.
Marge Simpson | Voice
Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith all began voicing their characters on "The Tracey Ullman Show". Nancy Cartwright was the only one of the group who had been trained to be a voice actor while Castellaneta had done some voice over work in Chicago. Castellaneta and Kavner had been part of the regular cast of "The Tracey Ullman Show" and voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask them to voice Homer and Marge rather than hire more actors. The producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Yeardley Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high.
Simpson family | Casting
He also gave his voice to Marge Simpson in the Czech adaptation of "The Simpsons", to the narrator of TV series "M.A.S.H.", and to ground sloth Sid in "Ice Age".
Jiří Lábus | Introduction
Dr. J. Loren Pryor, voiced by Harry Shearer, is the school psychologist. He is based on an early design for Seymour Skinner, and first appears in "Bart the Genius" where he decides to send Bart to a school for gifted children after Bart cheats on a test. Bart later approaches him to request returning to Springfield Elementary. In "Bart Gets an F", he tells him that if Bart does not shape up he may have to repeat the fourth grade. He appears again, discussing Bart's problems at school and Lisa's special gift in a flashback sequence of "Lisa's Sax". In this episode he also inadvertently reveals that Milhouse Van Houten possesses "flamboyantly homosexual" tendencies.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Dr. J. Loren Pryor
Otto Mann (voiced by Harry Shearer) is the school bus driver for Springfield Elementary School. He is notable for his bad driving (which got him temporarily fired on the season three episode "The Otto Show"), his drug use (mostly marijuana and hallucinogenics, as mentioned on season seven's "Homerpalooza"), and his love of heavy metal music. His father is an Admiral with the Navy who doesn't like that his son wasted his youth and never amounted to anything. He was modelled upon early Simpsons writer Wallace Wolodarsky, who at the time wore long black hair, shorts and a baseball cap.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Otto Mann
Le Show is a weekly syndicated public radio show hosted by satirist Harry Shearer. The program is a hodgepodge of satirical news commentary, music, and sketch comedy. Shearer, an impressionist known for his voice work on "The Simpsons", writes the sketches and usually performs all the voices.
Le Show | Introduction
Stevenson has been referenced in television episodes of "The Simpsons" in the episodes "Lisa the Iconoclast" and "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" (appearing in the latter as a filmstrip, with Harry Shearer providing the cartoon Stevenson's voice. In the former, a gag occurs, as the mob of Springfielders exhume the corpse of Jedediah, Willie mistakenly throws dirt over the flame of a candle vigil set in front of Adlai's grave), "The Golden Girls", "Happy Days" (in the January 28, 1975, episode "The Not Making of the President") and "Mystery Science Theater 3000"'s presentation of "" (a Stevenson lookalike buys a car and one of the MST3K characters comments on it).
Adlai Stevenson II | In film and television
Homer's voice is performed by Dan Castellaneta, who voices numerous other characters, including Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Barney Gumble, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby and Hans Moleman. Castellaneta had been part of the regular cast of "The Tracey Ullman Show" and had previously done some voice-over work in Chicago alongside his wife Deb Lacusta. Voices were needed for the Simpsons shorts, so the producers decided to ask Castellaneta and fellow cast member Julie Kavner to voice Homer and Marge rather than hire more actors. In the shorts and first season of the half-hour show, Homer's voice is different from the majority of the series.
Homer Simpson | Voice
McKean and Shearer met dozens of real-life metal stars, many of whom were huge fans of Spinal Tap. McKean and Shearer are credited in character as David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls on the Hear 'n Aid single's front cover (alongside many real-life heavy metal stars); the ad hoc supergroup's single "Stars" rose to #26 on the UK charts in May 1986. As part of the promotion surrounding "Break Like the Wind", Spinal Tap was portrayed in "The Otto Show" episode of the animated series "The Simpsons", for which Shearer is a principal voice actor. "The Simpsons" follows the approach of the original film by presenting the group as if they were a real group.
Spinal Tap (band) | Other appearances
Benjamin, Doug and Gary (voiced by Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer, respectively) are geeks that were once Homer's dormitory roommates at Springfield University. Benjamin carries a calculator on his belt, Doug is overweight and wears a pocket protector, and Gary wears horn-rimmed glasses and uses ear medicine. The writer of "Homer Goes to College", Conan O'Brien partially based them on three guys he went to college with, who, he said, were "incredible nerds". Director Jim Reardon used a caricature of animator Rich Moore and colored it black for Gary.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Benjamin, Doug and Gary
Kavner became most famous for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television show "The Simpsons", a show that continues to the present. "The Tracey Ullman Show" included a series of animated shorts about the dysfunctional Simpson family. Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Kavner and fellow cast member Dan Castellaneta to voice Marge and Homer rather than hire more actors. Kavner has what Hilary de Vries of "The New York Times" described as a "honeyed gravel voice". Kavner says her distinctive voice is due to "a bump on [her] vocal cords". Although Marge is her most famous character, Kavner's favorite characters to voice are Marge's sisters Patty and Selma Bouvier because "they're really funny and sad at the same time".
Julie Kavner | "The Simpsons"
The episode was written by John Swartzwelder, who got the story from another member of the writing staff, Mike Scully. When the show runners of this season, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, took over the job from David Mirkin, they wanted to "take the show back" to the Simpson family. Their goal was to have at least fifteen episodes per season that revolved around the family or a member of the family, but they still wanted to do the annual Halloween episode, a Sideshow Bob episode, an Itchy and Scratchy episode, and a "format bending" episode, which in this season was "22 Short Films About Springfield".
Homer the Smithers | Production
Seymour Skinner, Milhouse Van Houten, Sherri and Terri, Moe Szyslak, Mr. Burns, Barney Gumble, Patty and Selma, Ned and Todd Flanders, Santa's Little Helper, Snowball II, Dewey Largo, and Lewis all make their first appearances in this episode. Snowball I is mentioned for the first time and Waylon Smithers can be heard over the speaker at the power plant, but he is not seen.
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire | Production
Due to Lisa being substituted for an older teenager (voiced by Pamela Hayden) in the third segment, Yeardley Smith has only one line in the entire episode.
The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase | Production
Jenny Stewart, the entertainment editor at the site said of the poll, "We've never had such an avalanche of people voting in any of our polls as we did on The Simpsons." It was Patty Bouvier who came out. In a 2007 article, "Entertainment Weekly" named Smithers the 16th-greatest sidekick of all time. They have also described Smithers and Mr. Burns as being "TV's most functional dysfunctional couple". "Star News Online" named "Smithers' fey way" as one of the 400 reasons why they loved "The Simpsons". In a 2003 article, "Entertainment Weekly" named the two-part episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", in which Smithers was prominently featured, the series' 25th-best episode.
Waylon Smithers | Reception
Julie Kavner (another "Tracey Ullman" cast member), Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith performed the voices of Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, and Lisa Simpson respectively. The crew began to string the clips together on tape to play for the show's live audience, and "The Simpsons" generated "the biggest laughs of the show" according to John Ortved, author of "". The writing staff of "Ullman" soon began to view "The Simpsons" as poor relations due to the popularity, and Brooks began to consider adapting the shorts for its own half-hour series. Brooks' decision was partly inspired by the cheerleading of David Silverman, who drunkenly approached him at a Christmas party and suggested the idea, passionately emphasizing what a primetime series would mean for the animation industry.
History of The Simpsons | The Tracey Ullman shorts (1987–1989)
Castellaneta is most famous for his role as Homer Simpson on the longest running American animated television show "The Simpsons". "The Tracey Ullman Show" included a series of animated shorts about a dysfunctional family. Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Castellaneta and fellow cast member Julie Kavner to voice Homer and Marge Simpson respectively, rather than hire more actors. Homer's voice began as a loose impression of Walter Matthau, but Castellaneta could not "get enough power behind that voice" and could not sustain his Matthau impression for the nine- to ten-hour long recording sessions.
Dan Castellaneta | "The Simpsons"
The tenth season marked the full-time return of staff member Al Jean, who had departed from the show after the fourth season to create the animated series "The Critic". Between seasons four and ten, he had only worked periodically on the show, writing four episodes. The main cast of the season consisted of Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, among others), Julie Kavner (Marge Simpson), Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum, Nelson Muntz), Yeardley Smith (Lisa Simpson), Hank Azaria (Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief Wiggum, among others) and Harry Shearer (Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, among others).
The Simpsons (season 10) | Production
Reverend Timothy Lovejoy, Jr. is a recurring character in the animated television series "The Simpsons". He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Rev. Lovejoy is the minister at The First Church of Springfield—the Protestant church in Springfield. Initially kind-hearted and ambitious, Lovejoy has become somewhat apathetic towards others because of Ned Flanders's constant asinine scrupulosity.
Reverend Lovejoy | Introduction
"The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening drew inspiration from Mr. Potter, as well as his high school teacher Mr. Bailey, for the character Mr. Burns. Barrymore's Mr. Potter inspired the voice of mad scientist Simon Bar Sinister in the "Underdog" cartoon series.
Mr. Potter | Influences
Burns starts looking for a female companion. Burns, for his part, views Smithers as somewhat of a lackey, albeit a highly valued one for his competence. He has "rewarded" Smithers' devotion with the future "honor" of being buried alive with him after he dies. Smithers has been shown to be somewhat dependent on his relationship with Burns. In "Homer the Smithers", Mr. Burns orders Smithers to take a vacation and Homer Simpson is hired as a temporary replacement. When Homer loses his temper and punches Mr. Burns in the face, Mr. Burns learns to become self-reliant and this results in Smithers being fired.
Waylon Smithers | Role in "The Simpsons"
As the United States' richest citizen, Mr. Burns was thought to be the most trustworthy. Mr. Burns absconded with the bill and kept it in his possession for many years until it was lost to Fidel Castro in "The Trouble with Trillions". In "Homer the Smithers", it is revealed that Mr. Burns' mother is still alive at the age of 122 years, although Mr. Burns dislikes speaking to her, because she had an affair with President William Howard Taft and she refers to him as an "improvident lackwit". Furthermore, because she is so old, the only things she can do (according to Smithers) are pick up the phone, dial and yell.
Mr. Burns | Role in "The Simpsons"
Brooks. Yeardley Smith, who provides the voice of Lisa, said she grew as an actress after working with Hoffman that day. "The Simpsons" writer Al Jean said he remembered that when the audio track of the episode came back, Hoffman's voice was too low on the singing parts. The staff were "petrified" that the singing scenes would not show up on air, so they had Hoffman re-record them when he was in Los Angeles. Vitti mentioned on Twitter that the note Lisa receives at the end of the episode should have had an exclamation point at the end. He did not notice it in the animatic and it still "haunts [him] to this day".
Lisa's Substitute | Production
For inspiration for the crowd scenes in the film, the production staff referenced a poster featuring more than 320 "Simpsons" characters. Groening said they tried to include every single character in the film, with 98 having speaking parts, and most members of the crowds being previously established characters instead of generic people. The series' regular voice actors: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer, as well as semi-regular performers Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell, Russi Taylor and Karl Wiedergott, reprised their roles. Joe Mantegna returned as Fat Tony, while Albert Brooks, who supplied many guest voices in episodes, was cast as the main antagonist Russ Cargill after he told the staff that he wanted to be part of the film.
The Simpsons Movie | Casting
Similar to the "SModCo Cartoon Show" on the "SModcast" website and Smith's "S.I.T." (SModCo Internet Television) YouTube channel, an animated short is aired using the soundtrack of an episode of "Hollywood Babble-On" as its voice track. The segment is co-hosted by "Professor Cartoonius", played by Smith's "Hollywood Babble-On" co-host Ralph Garman (in wig, glasses and fake mustache, doing his impression of Ed Wynn). This segment was not featured in season 2.
Spoilers with Kevin Smith | "Spoilers Cartoon Laboratory"
Ron Smith (born July 8, 1966) is an American director, voice actor and animator. He has been the voice of Kevin in "3-2-1 Penguins" and worked as an assistant engineer on "" and a character animator on "".
Ron Smith (television) | Introduction
Their singing was intermixed with the normal voice actors' voices, often with a regular voice actor singing the melody and the Dapper Dans providing backup.
Homer Simpson | Voice
When the animation for the episode returned, the production staff found the scene of Homer fighting Smithers "horrifying", as the sounds of character exertion made it seem too violent. After experimenting with the sound, they were eventually able to make the scene humorous by only leaving in sounds of the characters' agony.
Homer the Smithers | Production
In 1987, Smith auditioned for the "Simpsons" shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show". Smith intended to audition for the role of Bart Simpson, but the casting director felt her voice was too high, and she was cast as Bart's sister Lisa. In 1989, the shorts were spun off into their own half-hour show, "The Simpsons". For her work on "The Simpsons", Smith received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992.
Yeardley Smith | Introduction
"Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder" is the sixth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom "The Simpsons". It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 14, 1999. In the episode, Homer becomes a local celebrity after bowling a perfect game, but his fame quickly fades as "yesterday's news". After a botched suicide attempt, Homer decides to spend time with Maggie after seeing Ron Howard spend time with his children. Howard guest starred as himself in the episode, which also features guest appearances by Penn & Teller, Pat O'Brien, and Nancy O'Dell.
Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder | Introduction
In the mid-1970s, he started working with Rob Reiner on a pilot for ABC. The show, which starred Christopher Guest, Tom Leopold and McKean, was not picked up.
Harry Shearer | Early life
"Trust but Clarify" is the fifth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the animated television series "The Simpsons", and the 601st episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 23, 2016, making it the first episode to air in October the week after the annual "Treehouse of Horror". The title is based on the phrase "Trust but verify", used in relation to nuclear verification. This episode was written by voice actor Harry Shearer.
Trust but Clarify | Introduction
The script of "Some Enchanted Evening" describes Monroe as "a heavy, chain-smoking, compulsive eater." The original idea behind the character, said Matt Groening, was that he was born Marilyn Monroe and was "very caught up over that", which is why he became a therapist. Monroe's voice is based on psychiatrist David Viscott's. Among Monroe's works is "Dr. Marvin Monroe's Guide to Etiquette", which Bart receives as a birthday gift in "Radio Bart". Since the seventh season, the character Monroe has been retired, as voicing the character strained Shearer's throat. The character's retirement was marked by the broadcast of a Dr.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Dr. Marvin Monroe
A Harry Shearer sketch. Debuted October 20, 1979.
Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches introduced 1979–80 | Tom Clay
Smithers' relationship with Mr. Burns has long been a running gag on "The Simpsons". Smithers is an obedient and sycophantic assistant to Mr. Burns. There have often been strong hints about Smithers' true feelings for his boss, with one of the earliest references being in the season one episode "The Telltale Head". Smithers' sexual orientation has often come into question, with some fans claiming he is a "Burns-sexual" and only attracted to his boss, while others maintain that he is gay. During the Bill Oakley/Josh Weinstein era, they still tried to keep his sexuality unspoken and there was debate among the writers about his orientation.
Waylon Smithers | Development
Dewey Largo, voiced by Harry Shearer, is the music teacher, whom Lisa credited with proving that any piece of music could have the soul sucked out of it. Like most of the staff of Springfield Elementary, Largo has long since lost all passion for his job as conductor, and cares little for creativity or music anymore. He is always seen in the opening sequence, teaching his class and throwing Lisa out of his band class when she plays a tune on her saxophone. His last name, "Largo", is also an Italian word for a slow, broad, musical tempo, likely a reference to the fact that he can make any piece of music uninteresting.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Dewey Largo
Julio (voiced by Hank Azaria) is a homosexual who is attracted to Grady, although Grady breaks up with him. He is employed as a barber. According to "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind", Julio is from Costa Rica, though this is contradicted in "The Burns Cage" which states he is from Cuba. He later married Tada, and has an affair with Duffman. He also is a photographer and takes photos of Marge and her friends. He is seen attending First Church of Springfield. In the episode "E Pluribus Wiggum", he attends a Democratic Party meeting. In "The Burns Cage" he starts dating Smithers, but breaks up with him after realizing that Smithers is still in love with Mr.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Julio