List of cast members of The Simpsons
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This is a complete listing of cast members from the long-running animated comedy television series The Simpsons. Each of the actors has voiced numerous one-time, background characters, but only the notable characters that the actors voice are listed. Characters from The Simpsons Movie are also not included.
The principal cast consists of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer. 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.[1] Cartwright auditioned for the part of Lisa, but felt her voice was better suited to Bart, and so was given that role.[2] Smith was brought in to voice Lisa instead.[3] 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.[4] Azaria was only a guest actor in the first season, but became permanent in season two.[5] He first appeared in "Some Enchanted Evening", re-recording Christopher Collins's lines as Moe Szyslak. As he joined later than the rest of the cast, Groening still considers Azaria the "new guy."[6] Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden, Maggie Roswell, Russi Taylor, Marcia Wallace, Marcia Mitzman Gaven and Karl Wiedergott have appeared as supporting cast. Repeat guest cast members include Albert Brooks, Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Joe Mantegna and Kelsey Grammer.[7]
With one exception, episode credits list only the voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wanted to keep their identities secret during the early seasons and, therefore, closed most of the recording sessions while refusing to publish photos of the recording artists.[8] However, the network eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode "Old Money", because the producers said the voice actors should receive credit for their work.[9] With the exception of Shearer, every main cast member has won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.[10] Azaria and Castellaneta have both won three, while Kavner, Cartwright, Smith, Wallace, Grammer and guest star Jackie Mason have each won one.[11]
Contents |
[edit] Regular cast
[edit] Recurring guest voices
- Further information: List of guest stars on The Simpsons
| Actor | Character(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marcia Wallace | Edna Krabappel | Wallace is always credited as a special guest star, even though she has appeared in over 100 episodes since the series' inception.[13] |
| Kelsey Grammer | Sideshow Bob | Grammer has appeared since 1990. |
| Joe Mantegna | Fat Tony | Mantegna has appeared since 1991. |
| Albert Brooks | Hank Scorpio, Jacques "Brunswick", Cowboy Bob, Brad Goodman, Tab Spangler. | Brooks has appeared as one-time characters in several episodes since 1990. |
| Jon Lovitz | Artie Ziff, Professor Lombardo, Aristotle Amadopoulos, Jay Sherman, Llewellyn Sinclair and Mrs. Sinclair, Enrico Irritazio. | Lovitz has appeared in several episodes since 1991. |
| Jan Hooks | Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon | Hooks has appeared as Manjula since 1997. |
| Maurice LaMarche | Various | LaMarche has appeared in several minor roles since 1995. |
| Jane Kaczmarek | Judge Constance Harm | Kaczmarek has appeared as Judge Harm since 2001. |
[edit] Former cast members
| Actor | Character(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Doris Grau | Lunchlady Doris | Voiced between 1989 and 1995, when the character was retired due to Grau's death.[14] |
| Phil Hartman | Troy McClure, Lionel Hutz | Voiced between 1991 and 1998, when the characters were retired due to Hartman's murder.[15] |
| Frank Welker | Santa's Little Helper, Snowball II and various other animals. | Voiced between 1991 and 2002, but has not appeared since "The Lastest Gun in the West".[16] Dan Castellaneta now provides the voices because Welker left the show, having asked for a raise because the voice was hurting his throat.[17] |
| Marcia Mitzman Gaven | Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Elizabeth Hoover | Voiced the majority of Maggie Roswell's characters between 1999 and 2002, whilst Roswell's contract with the show had been terminated over a pay dispute. Gaven has not appeared since.[12][18] |
| Jo Ann Harris | Various | Voiced various additional parts between 1989 and 1992, but has not appeared since.[19] |
| Christopher Collins | Moe Syszlak, Mr. Burns, the presenter of America's Most Armed and Dangerous | Collins provided the voices of Mr. Burns and Moe in several season one episodes, but was replaced in the roles by Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria respectively. Collins died in 1994.[20] |
[edit] Notes
- ^ A. Replaced Jackie Mason, which voiced Rabbi Krustofski in two episodes.
- ^ B. Replaced Frank Welker.
- ^ C. Doris was retired after Doris Grau's death, only to return in "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her Homer", when she was voiced by MacNeille.
- ^ D. Replaced guest star Pamela Reed, who voiced her on several occasions.
- ^ E. Between 1999 and 2002, Marcia Mitzman Gaven voiced the three characters because Roswell resigned after Fox refused to raise her travel expenses.
- ^ F. Wiedergott has appeared in several minor roles since 1998.
[edit] References
- General
- Richmond, Ray; Antonia Coffman (1997). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family. Harper Collins Publishers, pp. 178-179. ISBN 0-00-638898-1.
- Gimple, Scott M.; Matt Groening (December 1, 1999). The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued. HarperCollins, pp. 86-87. ISBN 978-0060987633.
- McCann, Jesse L.; Matt Groening (2002). The Simpsons Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Still Continued. Harper Collins Publishers, pp. 116-117. ISBN 0-06-050592-3.
- McCann, Jesse L.; Matt Groening (2005). The Simpsons One Step Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued Yet Again. HarperCollins, pp. 118-119. ISBN 0-06-081754-2.
- Specific
- ^ "The Voice Behind Homer Simpson Steps into the Spotlight and...D'oh!", Barnes & Noble, 2002-04-25. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
- ^ "Bart's voice tells all", BBC News, 2000-11-10. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
- ^ Yeardley Smith. Network Ten. Retrieved on 2007-01-19.
- ^ Harry Shearer. Listen to Me. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
- ^ Azaria, Hank. Interview with Terry Gross. Fresh Air. National Public Radio. WHYY, Philadelphia. 2004-12-06. Retrieved on 2007-08-15.
- ^ Groening, Matt. (2001). The Simpsons The Complete First Season DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Finley, Adam (2006-06-20). The Five: Great Simpsons guest stars. TV Squad. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
- ^ Groening, Matt; James L. Brooks, David Silverman. (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Groening, Matt; Jay Kogen, Wallace Wolodarsky, Al Jean, David Silverman. (2002). The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Old Money" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ O'Niel, Tom. "Shearer snubbed again! Blame that Mr. Burns?", The Envelope, 2006-07-20. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
- ^ Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search. Emmys.org. Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
- ^ a b c d Ian Jones, Steve Williams. "NOW LET US NEVER SPEAK OF IT AGAIN". Off The Telly. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
- ^ Warren Martyn; Adrian Wood (2000). Grade School Confidential. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
- ^ Lunchlady Doris (Character). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
- ^ Groening, Matt. Interview with Terry Gross. Fresh Air. National Public Radio. WHYY, Philadelphia. 2004-12-29. Retrieved on 2007-06-09.
- ^ Frank Welker. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
- ^ ASK FRANK!. The Frank Welker Homepage. Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
- ^ Marcia Mitzman Gaven Biography (1959-). Film Reference. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
- ^ Jo Ann Harris. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- ^ Chris Latta. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-11-19.
The Simpsons cast members | |
|---|---|
| Main cast | Dan Castellaneta · Julie Kavner · Nancy Cartwright · Yeardley Smith · Hank Azaria · Harry Shearer |
| Recurring cast | Pamela Hayden · Tress MacNeille · Maggie Roswell · Russi Taylor · Karl Wiedergott |
| Recurring guest stars | Albert Brooks · Kelsey Grammer · Jan Hooks · Jane Kaczmarek · Maurice LaMarche · Jon Lovitz · Joe Mantegna · Marcia Wallace |
| Former cast | Christopher Collins · Doris Grau · Jo Ann Harris · Phil Hartman · Marcia Mitzman Gaven · Frank Welker |
The Simpsons | |
|---|---|
| Portal | |
| Characters | Homer Simpson · Marge Simpson · Bart Simpson · Lisa Simpson · Maggie Simpson · Other characters |
| Production | Cast members · Guest stars · Non-English versions · Writers · Directors · Awards |
| Media releases | Episodes · Tracey Ullman shorts · The Simpsons Movie · Discography · Complete list of media |
| Seasons | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 |
| Hallmarks | Opening sequence · Theme song · Chalkboard gag · Couch gag · Treehouse of Horror episodes · Recurring jokes |
| Themes | Education · Media · Politics · Religion · History of The Simpsons |
| Locations | Springfield · Shelbyville · Capital City · The Simpson house · Springfield's state · Springfield Elementary School · Springfield Nuclear Power Plant · Moe's Tavern · Kwik-E-Mart |
| Publications | DVDs · DVD boxsets · Video games · Simpsons Comics · Bart Simpson Comics · Other publications |
| Miscellaneous | D'oh! · Products · Homer's jobs · World of Springfield · Duff beer · The Simpsons Ride |
