One of The Simpsons’ Biggest Stars Reveals He’s Never Actually Seen The Show

The Simpsons has earned its place as the longest-running North American animated series of all time, with the residents of Springfield secured up until season forty. With decades of history under its umbrella, many of the voice actors who started with the series have remained a part of the Fox Animation production since the 1980s. In a recent interview, voice actor Harry Shearer revealed some surprising tidbits about his time with the series, how he doesn’t actually watch the show, and the controversy that nearly saw him stepping away from Springfield after decades.

In a surprising revelation, despite voicing the likes of Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, and Principal Skinner for years, 82-year-old Harry Shearer admits that he has never actually watched The Simpsons. He was asked whether he thought the show had aged well, and confirmed he “doesn’t know” as he “hasn’t seen it”. During the interview with the Independent, Shearer was informed that the series still routinely releases new episodes while revisiting old entries via syndication and streaming, stating in response, “That’s what I hear! It’s good to hear you say that.” When presented with the idea that he was no longer having fun voicing some of Springfield’s biggest characters, Shearer was quick to shut this down by stating that he still enjoyed voicing the character: “No, I enjoy playing all these characters. It was the reason I did this instead of some other television show where you’re pretty much limited to one character. I liked the idea of the variety of characters, and I still like that.”

The Fox Controversy That Almost To Harry Shearer’s Simpsons Exit

Thanks to being able to voice multiple characters, Harry has stuck with the series for decades, though this almost changed back in 2015. In 2015, for those who don’t know, Shearer was informed that if he did not sign the latest contract for The Simpsons, then he would be “off the show.” Due to behind-the-scenes salary arguments, the voice of C. Montgomery Burns was almost on his way out, with producer Al Jean stating that the “show must go on,” hinting at the idea that the voice actor’s characters could be recast. Months later, Shearer drew up an agreement with the studio that has solidified his part in the animated series ever since. Even at 82, it doesn’t appear as though Harry is retiring anytime soon. Though during the recent interview, Shearer did note that it could be “a little difficult” to record a new episode every week for half a year.

Should Shearer eventually decide to leave the series, he would be in good company. In 2024, legendary voice actor Pamela Hayden left the series after spending thirty-five years voicing some of Springfield’s finest. Specifically, she voiced the likes of Milhouse, Rod and Todd Flanders, and Jimbo Jones. Hayden’s replacement was twofold, as new voice actor Kelly Macleod took over the role of Milhouse while Mo Collins stepped into the shoes of Jimbo. Ironically, Shearer did lose the role of Dr. Hibbert as the animated series decided to replace Harry with actor Kevin Michael Richardson.

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