‘The Simpsons’ Loses Harry Shearer, The Voice Actor Behind Mr. Burns And Ned Flanders
By Angie Han/May 14, 2015 7:44 am EST
But just because Shearer is exiting, doesn’t necessarily mean his characters are going with him. Find out more about The Simpsons Harry Shearer exit after the jump, including what the show’s post-Shearer plans are, after the jump.
Shearer announced his departure from The Simpsons on Twitter.
from James L. Brooks’ lawyer: “show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best.”. (1/2)
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 14, 2015
This because I wanted what we’ve always had: the freedom to do other work. Of course, I wish him the very best. (2/2)
Thanks, Simpsons fans, for your support.
Showrunner Al Jean confirmed Shearer’s exit in a statement. “Harry Shearer was offered the same deal the rest of the cast accepted, and passed. The show will go on and we wish him well. Maggie took it hard,” he wrote.
Shearer has been with the show since the very beginning. The show wraps up its current 26th season this weekend. Besides Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, and Principal Skinner, Shearer also voices Smithers, Otto, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman, Dr. Hibbert, Lenny, Scratchy, Ranier Wolfcastle, Kang, and more.
While Shearer will be missed, his characters will stick around. “We do not plan to kill off characters like Burns and Flanders but will recast with the finest voiceover talent available,” said Jean. Still, it’s hard to imagine anyone bringing these fan-favorite characters to life in precisely the way Shearer did.
Doesn’t this show have a cast? http://t.co/gFGg8LI2n3
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 5, 2015
Outside of The Simpsons, Shearer is best known for his stint on Saturday Night Live and his work with Christopher Guest, including Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. He also stars in the web series Nixon’s the One, in which he recreates the former U.S. president’s Oval Office recordings.
Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, and Hank Azaria are all back for the next two seasons of The Simpsons. Production on Season 27 is already underway without Shearer.
