It’s fair to say “The Simpsons” is among the most successful shows in TV history.
Since its debut back in 1989, the once-controversial animated comedy has become woven into the fabric of pop culture. Currently in the midst of its 37th season, the Fox network has official renewed the show through to Season 40.
Harry Shearer Has Been a Part of ‘The Simpsons’ Since the Beginning
The same core group of actors have continued to give voice to the Simpson family since the series began: Dan Castellaneta as Homer, Julie Kavner as Marge, Nancy Cartwright as Bart and Yeardley Smith as Lisa.
In addition, a few actors have voiced various denizens of Springfield. This includes Harry Shearer, who has provided the voice of Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Reverend Lovejoy, Kent Brockman and Lenny Leonard, among others.
But He Hasn’t Seen a Single Episode of ‘The Simpsons’
All told, Shearer has appeared in more than 800 episodes of “The Simpsons” over the years. What he hasn’t done, however, is actually watched one of them.
In a recent interview with The I Paper, Shearer was asked whether the series’ episodes from the 1990s — generally considered by fans to be the show’s golden era — still held up after so many years.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen it,” he admitted.
When his interviewer pointed out that the show is rerun constantly in syndication, Shearer insisted that he’d somehow managed to avoid seeing “The Simpsons” at all. “That’s what I hear!” he exclaimed. “But it’s good to hear you say that.”
‘The Simpsons’ Has Made Harry Shearer Ridiculously Wealthy
In addition to “The Simpsons,” Shearer is also a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member and one-quarter of fictional rock group Spinal Tap, the subject of late director Rob Reiner’s final film. However, it’s “The Simpsons” that has made him rich, with Shearer estimated to be worth somewhere between $60 million and $85 million.
Shearer made headlines back in 2015 when he got into a contract dispute with Fox, with reports claiming he rejected an offer that would have paid him $14 million for two seasons. At the time however, this represented a significant pay cut. As The Guardian reported, the cast of “The Simpsons” were each pulling in a reported $400,000 per episode at its peak. When Fox offered the actors less, Shearer balked. When the dust settled, he eventually signed on for a scaled-back salary, reportedly between $300,000 to $350,000 per episode.
He’s Happy to Keep Going with ‘The Simpsons’
Despite his past contractual battles, Shearer insisted that he stills enjoys working on “The Simpsons.” “No, I still 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,” he told The I Paper.
These days, the actors literally phone it in, recording their parts individually in home studios. That wasn’t always he case, and Shearer admitted he misses the early days when all the actors assembled in a recording studio to record an episode together.
“It was one of the reasons I wanted to do it in the first place,” he said. “Because normal animation is always done one part at a time, so you’re never hearing what the other actors are saying. It was appealing to be doing what I regard as real acting, which is hearing the other performer and taking that into account in your performance.”
