The Simpsons has found someone to replace Pamela Hayden as the voice of Bart’s best friend, Milhouse. Hayden’s departure from voicing Milhouse Van Houten on The Simpsons was made in November 2024, after bringing the character to life for over 35 years. While Milhouse may not be a main character like the Simpsons family members Bart, Lisa, Homer, and Marge, he is still a beloved character and one of the central kids in the cast. The Simpsons will turn to a familiar voice as the new Milhouse, with the actor having already appeared on FOX’s Emmy-award-winning animated series.
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Entertainment Weekly reports that singer Kelly Macleod will replace Pamela Hayden as the voice of Milhouse Van Houten. Macleod’s debut as Milhouse comes on The Simpsons’ season finale on Sunday, titled “Estranger Things.” Milhouse will only have one line in the episode, and it comes during a scene with Bart and Lisa where the trio is aged up to adulthood. Fans will have to keep this in mind since Macleod’s take on Adult Milhouse will probably sound a bit different than when she’s voicing the younger Milhouse going forward.
The description of “Estranger Things” reads, “When Bart & Lisa stop watching Itchy & Scratchy together, Marge fears that they’ll start to drift apart… but she has no idea how bad things are about to get!”
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Kelly Macleod’s history on The Simpsons dates back to 2022 during Season 33. Her appearance came in “Bart the Cool Kid,” where she sang “Two Badges, One Mind.” The episode also featured appearances by The Weeknd and Michael Rapaport. She began her musical career as a member of the rock band Private Life. They released two albums produced by Eddie Van Halen and Ted Templeman. Macleod was also a member of The Sweet Potatoes, and her solo album, Wide Open, was released in 2021.
Pamela Hayden said goodbye to voicing Milhouse and the other Simpsons characters she voiced, like Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, and Todd Flanders, in a letter back when the announcement was made in 2024.
“It’s been an honor and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show, and to give voice to Milhouse (and Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey, Malibu Stacy, and many others),” Hayden said.
“Here’s to everyone who made this terrific ride I’ve been on possible,” she continued. “P.S. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for that blue-haired 10-year-old boy with glasses.”
Following the news of her departure from The Simpsons, Hayden offered some advice for whoever would follow in her footsteps as the voice of Milhouse. She revealed that while it will “probably” be weird for her to hear someone else behind Milhouse, she ultimately wants them to do their own thing with the role and “bring their own essence” to Milhouse.
When asked if she was ready for the day that she would see an episode of The Simpsons with someone else voicing Milhouse, Hayden told The New York Times, “Would it be a little weird? Probably, but what I would hope is that somebody’s not just doing an impression. Of course they have to sound like Milhouse, but that they bring their own essence to it, and their own creativity and creative choices.”
Hayden also spoke about what she wanted to do with her free time, which includes pursuing other creative endeavors. “I want to devote more time to my creative endeavors, which are filmmaking and writing,” she said. “We did a documentary called ‘Jailhouse to Milhouse,’ and it’s not about The Simpsons, per se. It’s more about people who have fallen through the cracks. I have a special place in my heart for underserved, at-risk girls, and I talk to them and I say, “If I can do it, you can do it,” because I had some really pesky years when I was younger. I feel like Milhouse mirrors that: You can’t be disheartened by every obstacle that comes your way. There’s a brighter day tomorrow.”
You can catch Kelly Macleod as the new voice of Milhouse on The Simpsons season finale, airing Sunday night on FOX. Let us know what you think of this casting choice in the comments below!
