“Who will take over his characters’ voices?” No one, I predict Fox will come to their senses and give him more freedom to pursue other projects. C’mon, the guy voices most of the great supporting characters! How are you going to replace that?
Nobody. Fox should use this as an opportunity to wind down a venerable, but fading, show. It’ll be a sad end of an era, but there is no Simpsons without Shearer, and there’s just no NEED for it anymore, either. Wind it down, close up shop, and say job well done.
I do a half way decent Mr Burns and Smithers. With some practice I bet I could nail those two characters.
I’d bring in Billy West for his more nasally voices and John DiMaggio for his more gravelly ones.
EDIT: Apparently show runner Al Jean said on Twitter that they’re talking to Tom Kenney, Billy West, and Maurice La Marche as options to take over his voices.
Why would he possibly want to move on after a mere 26 years?
Voice actors. Nature’s quitters.
Hopefully they’ll go the way of the Phil Hartman characters…But I’m guessing that they’ll replace Harry as a message to the rest of the voice talent that they are replaceable…
The Simpsons is still on?
He’s doing exactly the right thing. For several years now, he’s been lobbying to take a massive pay cut in exchange for a tiny share of the profits (which will be enormous and perpetual), and of course if he got it then so would the other main actors.
Every main cast member has earned tens of millions from the show, so it’s not exactly the Pullman Strike, but the principle applies to all kinds of creative endeavors. Good for him for actually making Fox make a choice, and showing that this doesn’t have to be an empty threat.
Besides, he’s got a great radio show to occupy his time, and if you haven’t gotten your fill of Mr. Burns yet, a few more years isn’t really going to matter.
Someone who is good at doubling I think would be who ends up with many voices, like James Arnold Taylor.
Agreed!
I’m in the weird position where, although The Simpsons is one of my all-time favorite shows, I’ve rarely watched it ever since broadcast TV changed to HD, and we could no longer pick up the local Fox signal. (Thus far I’ve refused to shell out for cable.)
Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals … except the weasel.
Smithers I can kinda see, but… who would want to nail Mr Burns?!?
I hope they manage to create a situation where all of his characters die in some kind of freak accident.
Can’t imagine how the show could possibly function without them all though.
I really hope that they use this opportunity to give the show a merciful death. I stuck with it longer than most probably, but the last few seasons have just been dreadful, even by the later seasons’ standards.
Really talented guy, wish him the best.
Agreed also. If I had to choose between Harry on the Simpsons and Harry on Le Show, I’d take Le Show. That’s a high point of my week.
Smithers, duh.
Phil LaMarr?
I’m sure you’re right about the show’s relative quality, but wow, I can’t help but remember thinking pretty much exactly this in… 1993, maybe?
I bet there’s a remnant of a corner of Usenet that still pines for the glory days of “Lisa’s Substitute”…
