If we ignore that awful episode, “The Principal and the Pauper," that revealed Principal Skinner to be an impostor, he’s one of The Simpsons’ funniest characters. In his personal life, Lovejoy is a much bigger fan of model trains than the Bible, and he becomes infuriated by incessant phone calls from the significantly more devout Ned Flanders looking for spiritual guidance. Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, musician, radio host, director and producer. Matt Groening filled the Simpson family’s town with minor characters, inspired by the sketch comedy series Second City Television. Shearer is famous for playing the voices of several minor characters for The Simpsons. Q. Shearer has voiced various characters in the fictional town of Springfield over the last three decades, including Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned … Harry Shearer, 76, … Dr. Hibbert’s methods are always hilarious, like the “jiggle test” he performs on Homer’s belly, while his changing hairstyles through the ages are a terrific running gag in flashback episodes. Otto has only taken center stage in a couple of episodes– most notably in the aptly titled “The Otto Show”– but he’s best left as a background character. We’ve ranked his 25 best characters, which only scratches the surface of the characters he voices. Harry Shearer has helped shape "The Simpsons" since the show began airing in 1989, and though it appears as if he will be leaving, his legacy of characters and voices will live on. The switch comes as producers for “The Simpsons” said earlier this summer that it will no longer have white actors voice non-white characters. AN ACTOR who voices multiple characters on The Simpsons has criticized the shows decision to stop white actors from playing characters of color. Harry Shearer’s 25 Best Characters From ‘The Simpsons’, Superhero Bits: ‘Batman: Year of the Dragon’ Clip, ‘Justice League: World War II’ Voice Cast & More, The Morning Watch: The Lost Version of ‘Planes, Trains & Automobiles’, Tour Walt Disney’s Office & More, All ‘The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror Episodes Are Now Available in One Collection on Disney+, ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Cast Will Crank Virtual Reunions Up to 11. The Simpsons' new sport-utility vehicle gives Marge road rage against less powerful vehicles, sending her to traffic school taught by Chief Wiggum. There’s nothing that Smithers wouldn’t do for Mr. Burns and he has very little free time outside his commitment to his job. His name is Otto, and he loves to get blotto. The radio stations KRLA and later KPPC broadcast the Credibility … The host of Eye On Springfield may not be the smartest news anchor out there, but he sure knows how to party and turn a phrase. His reckless driving has endangered the kids countless times, but his friendship with Bart is surprisingly wholesome. Posted on Friday, May 15th, 2015 by Germain Lussier. Always quick with a laugh at literally the most inappropriate times, Springfield’s resident physician does his best to help the maladies of everyone in town. Springfield’s richest man, owner of the Nuclear Power plant and Homer Simpson’s boss has provided some of the show’s most notable catch phrases and memorable storylines of all time. And he doesn’t need to record their lines separately, either. Excellent, Smithers: Harry Shearer’s 10 Best ‘Simpsons’ Characters From stoner bus drivers to Mr. Burns, these were the comedian’s choicest Springfield residents One of Homer’s best friends, work colleagues and Moe’s Tavern drinking partners, Lenny can never quite catch a break. NEXT: The Simpsons: The 10 Best Characters Voiced By Dan Castellaneta, Ranked. Along with Hank Azaria, Shearer voices the lion’s share of the supporting characters that populate the wider world of Springfield. This trusty assistant is slightly ambiguous in his preferences of all things, except a deep love of Mr. Burns. The long-running animated comedy announced its intention to end the practice in June. Police Officer (Krusty Gets Busted) 1. In various interviews, Shearer has performed a conversation between Burns and Smithers without missing a beat, switching seamlessly between their voices. Shearer was a member of the Credibility Gap comedy group. Power Plant Employee (Life on the Fast Lane) Power Plant Employee (Simpson and Delilah) President of the United States (School of Hard Knockers) J. Loren Pryor. This week, actor Harry Shearer tweeted that after 26 seasons, he will no longer be part of The Simpsons.And to clarify: by “part of The Simpsons,” we mean “most of The Simpsons.”That’s because Shearer voiced so many characters in the show’s supporting cast – folks with whom the Simpsons family interacted with each week (Mr. Burns! Homer’s love/hate relationship with Flanders has resulted in many classic episodes, particularly “Homer Loves Flanders,” and it was a lot of fun when Flanders reached his breaking point in “Hurricane Neddy.”. Police Officer (Krusty Gets Busted) 2. Bart and Lisa’s stoner bus driver is always listening to his music and chilling. On the Emmy Award-winning series THE SIMPSONS, Harry Shearer gives life to some of Springfield’s most colorful characters: “Mr. Read about the 25 best Harry Shearer Simpsons characters below. Harry Shearer was born in 1943 in Los Angeles, California. Harry Shearer, Actor: The Simpsons. All names, trademarks and images are copyright their respective owners. Dr. Hibbert. Harry Shearer, the voice of Mr Burns on The Simpsons, has said that actors should be able to play 'someone who they are not', and not necessarily characters of … Every Sunday, the Simpsons go to church and sit through a service delivered by Reverend Lovejoy, a hilarious satire of every boring religious leader preaching the teachings of God. He acted on the Jack Benny radio program. Astoundingly, Harry Shearer voices both Mr. Burns and his incredibly loyal assistant Smithers. In addition to writing for Screen Rant and Comic Book Resources, covering everything from Scorsese to Spider-Man, Ben directs independent films and does standup comedy. Probably best known for his Saturday Night Live (1975) gigs, his NPR satire program "Le Show" and The Simpsons (1989), where he plays 21 characters. The Principal of Springfield Elementary is Bart Simpson’s #1 nemesis and the worst mama’s boy in the history of the world. Springfield’s biggest movie star may look and sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger (also voiced by Shearer), but he also has a big heart, bigger muscles and the biggest action franchise in the animated world: McBain. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema and BabbleTop. RELATED: The Simpsons: 10 Best Episodes About Politics, Ranked. Shearer was a child actor. Like Azaria, Shearer also plays several characters on "The Simpsons" including African American doctor Julius Hibbert. Just how essential is Shearer to The Simpsons? Shearer has also voiced the characters of Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders and Waylon Smithers on the animated series. From his early performance in a bratwurst commercial as a child in Austria to his starring role in Help! Harry Shearer as Ned Flangers, Principal Skinner, Larry, Mr. Burns, Mr. Smithers, Principal Skinner, Reverend Lovejoy, and Dr. Hibbert. When he saw an ant close to the camera while Homer was in space and jumped the gun on welcoming “our new insect overlords” to Earth, he proved he was loyal to nobody but himself. RELATED: The Simpsons: 10 Episodes That'll Never Get Old. /Featured Stories Sidebar, 20th Century Fox, Animation, Top 10 Lists, Harry-Shearer, The-Simpsons, WandaVision Spoiler Discussion: Episode 3 “Now in Color”, Pop Culture Imports: ‘Lupin,’ ‘Veneno,’ ‘Awaara,’ and More, ‘Laid-Back Camp’ is the Ultimate Comfy Anime and a Proper Escape from Real-Life Horrors, A Very Brady ‘WandaVision’ Expands the Family and Deepens the Mystery, The Quarantine Stream: ‘Belushi’ is an Intimate, Moving Portrait of the Comedian’s Life and Demons, Now Stream This: ‘One Night in Miami’, ‘Master and Commander’, ‘After Hours’, ‘Gretel and Hansel’, ‘The Straight Story’, and More, Copyright © 2005-2019 /Film. Harry Shearer announced his decision to quit voicing characters on "The Simpsons" on Wednesday. Shearer added that while he will no … Skinner has some fascinating dynamics with other characters, like his arch nemesis Bart and his on-and-off girlfriend Mrs. Krabappel, while his most interesting (and disturbing) relationship is with his mother, Agnes, who he lives with– although he claims that she, in fact, lives with him. This trusty assistant is slightly ambiguous in his preferences of all things, except … And Malibu Stacey. Springfield’s resident movie star is Rainier Wolfcastle, the thinly veiled parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger who headlines the popular McBain franchise. He went through hell in Vietnam and now he’s at the mercy of schoolchildren. Harry Shearer is arguably the most important Simpsons cast member that doesn't voice a member of the titular family, including a certain billionaire. While Shearer’s most iconic role will probably always be Derek Smalls from This Is Spinal Tap, who he’s played on stage, on the big screen, and in The Simpsons, there are a ton of Springfieldian icons that he’s also recognized for. He’s a great journalist, but he’s prone to bouts of rage and unprofessionalism when he doesn’t get the pastry he wants or the crew let him down. Well, the ones that don’t involve malpractice– those are reserved for Hank Azaria's Dr. Nick Riviera. Mr. Burns’ assistant Smithers is as loyal to his boss as he is in love with him. Springfield’s most trusted news reporter is Kent Brockman, the Channel 6 anchorman, but he’s not perfect. Actor Harry Shearer stops by MuchOnDemand and answers questions as his various characters from The Simpsons. Born in Los Angeles, California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. The Simpsons’ ultra religious neighbor is always there to loan Homer some equipment, be incredibly nice, or shield his sons – Rod and Todd – from the world around them. Shearer voices dozens of the show’s large and small characters, and though things are still up in the air according to show producers, there’s a good chance the famous comedian and voice actor might be leaving this show with the upcoming season. After years of double entendre and suggestive hints about Smithers’ sexuality, he finally came out as gay in the season 27 episode, “The Burns Cage.”. Lovejoy and Kent Brockman. 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Bush, because he named the titular family as an example of an American family with poor values. Shearer's best-known voices include "Mr. Burns" and "Ned Flanders," but he's also provided the voice of "Dr. Hibbert," a black character on the show. To be sure, when Harry Shearer was directly asked if he took issue with The Simpsons no longer allowing him to voice Black characters like Dr. Hibbert, the actor didn't go much further. … Web design by Pro Blog Design. Part surfer dude, part hair metal nightmare, Otto is the rock God manqué that you've met thousands of times, and one of Shearer's most endearing characters. Springfield Elementary’s drug-addled bus driver Otto has been the source of some great gags over the years. Burns,” “Flanders,” “Principal Skinner,” “Reverend Lovejoy” and “Otto.” Shearer has worked as an actor, director, satirist, musician, radio host, playwright, multimedia artist and record label owner. Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy. Head of the First Church of Springfield, Lovejoy is great at writing the sign outside and putting Homer to sleep with his unique drawl and religious sermons. Azaria … Shearer’s relationship with The Simpsons reached a nadir in 2015 when he appeared to tweet that he was leaving over, according to rumours, arguments about pay. The annoying neighbor is one of the most overused tropes in American sitcoms, seen in everything from Home Improvement to Seinfeld, but Ned Flanders is unique because of his devotion to Christianity and the fact that he includes “diddly” in the middle of as many words as possible. The Simpson family’s physician, Dr. Hibbert, is mainly known for his distinctive chuckle, but he’s also the source of the show’s most hilarious medical gags. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Naturally, Bush didn’t voice himself on the show that he thought was inspiring bad family values across America, so Harry Shearer did a spot-on impression instead. Will we ever see or hear these characters again? A one-stop shop for all things video games. Although he doesn’t play a member of the titular family, Harry Shearer is one of the prominent voice actors in The Simpsons. 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. My Son is a Nerd (which isn’t supposed to be a comedy), Wolfcastle has enjoyed a hilarious Hollywood career. Waylon Smithers. Shearer … The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of The Credibility Gap, a radio comedy group. Affiliate links used when available. Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, author, radio host, director, and producer, who is best known for his long-running roles as Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, Waylon Smithers, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert and various other characters on the long-running Fox animated TV series The Simpsons since 1989. But he’s somehow lovable, despite being pure evil. That personal vendetta morphed into the episode “Two Bad Neighbors,” in which Bush moves across the street from the Simpsons. Harry Shearer may not voice any of the Simpsons themselves, but he’s pretty essential to what makes The Simpsons a show that has lasted more than quarter century. RELATED: The Simpsons' 10 Most Hilarious Supporting Characters, Ranked. Burns is The Simpsons’ satirical portrait of the super-rich. He's currently in pre-production on his first feature film, Hunting Trip, and has been for a while because filmmaking is expensive. Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, and independent filmmaker, and he's good at at least two of those things. After Shearer's tweets, Simpsons executives producers, including Jean, Brooks and creator Matt Groening, issued a statement: "Harry Shearer was offered the same deal the rest of … Besides the evil Mr. Burns, Shearer also voices Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, the Rev. Logo Concept by: Illumination Ink. His film debut was with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953), followed by The Robe (1953). He exploits his workers to expand his vast fortune and wouldn’t consider giving away a penny of it for a second. Harry Shearer has weighed in on the decision to end white actors voicing characters of colour on The Simpsons. The Simpson family’s physician, Dr. Hibbert, is mainly known for his distinctive chuckle, … The writers of The Simpsons had a real beef with former President George H.W. 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