A psychedelic coyote, the world's worst lawyer, and a legendary teacher. The voices behind
these classic "Simpsons" characters may have left Springfield, but they will never leave our hearts.
Marcia Wallace voiced the recurring character Edna Krabappel, Bart's sarcastic and
eternally frustrated teacher on "The Simpsons," for over 170 episodes. Wallace began her acting
career on television in the 1960s and continued working consistently for over
50 years. She had a recurring role on "The Bob Newhart Show" as the secretary Carol Kester,
and reprised the role on "Murphy Brown" as a guest spot that earned her an Emmy nomination.
Wallace won an Emmy for her performance as Edna Krabappel in 1992 and landed on IGN's
"Top 25 Peripheral Characters" list at number 16. The episode,
"Four Regrettings and a Funeral" was dedicated to Wallace after her death.
After her passing, "The Simpsons" showrunner Al Jean told Entertainment Weekly,
"I was tremendously saddened to learn this morning of the
passing of the brilliant and gracious Marcia Wallace. She was beloved by all
at "The Simpsons" and we intend to retire her irreplaceable character."
Wallace died at 70 of pneumonia. Wallace's son, Michael Hawley, told the Los Angeles Times,
"The greatest gift she gave me was that you have to love the world,
and see it through lenses of humor."
"Ha!"
"Sure do miss that laugh."
Russi Taylor is best known for lending her voice to Minnie Mouse. She also voiced other
Disney characters, such as Huey, Dewey, and Louie in "DuckTales." Taylor lent her voice to Martin
Prince, Sherri, Terri, Üter Zörker, and other characters in "The Simpsons" over the course
of nearly 200 episodes. After her passing, Al Jean paid tribute to Taylor on Twitter, saying,
"Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Russi Taylor a true delight to work with."
Rick Dempsey at Disney said,
"She truly was one of the kindest, most gracious,
upbeat, and loving people I have ever had the privilege to work with and to count as a friend."
Taylor's body of work was impressive, but as a voice actor, she could walk
down the street without being recognized, and that's how she liked it. She once said,
"I never wanted to be famous. The characters I do are famous, and that's fine for me."
As reported by The New York Times, Taylor met Walt Disney at Disneyland
as a child and told him she wanted to work for him someday. In 1986,
she auditioned to be Minnie Mouse and won the role. Taylor met Wayne Allwine,
who voiced Mickey Mouse while recording "Totally Minnie" in 1988, and they were married in 1991
until Allwine's death in 2009. Taylor died at 75 from cancer at her Glendale home in 2019.
Doris Grau became known for her two-packs a day, gargle-with-whiskey gravelly voice,
which she utilized in her role as the memorable Lunchlady Doris on "The Simpsons." Between Season
2 and Season 9, Grau voiced Lunchlady Doris and several other small parts in 22 episodes.
She also worked on the series as a script advisor before becoming a voice actor.
"Lunchlady Doris, have you got any grease?"
"Yes, yes we do."
"Then grease me up, woman!"
"Okey dokey."
"The Simpsons" scriptwriter Michael Price told The A.V. Club that after Grau died in 1995,
Lunchlady Doris became a voiceless background character out of respect to Grau's memory.
Beyond that, the episode "Team Homer" was dedicated to Grau after her death.
In addition to her classic voice role as Lunchlady Doris, Grau also had recurring
roles on "Cheers" and "The Tracey Ullman Show," as well as voicing Doris the makeup lady on "The
Critic." Grau died on December 30, 1995, in Los Angeles from respiratory failure.
You might remember Phil Hartman from comedy shows such as "NewsRadio" and
"Saturday Night Live," where his impeccable comedic timing often stole the show. Hartman
made a name for himself as a voice actor, playing multiple characters,
including Troy McClure, Lionel Hutz, and Lyle Lanley on "The Simpsons."
"I move for a bad court thingy."
"You mean a mistrial?"
"Yeah. That's why you're the judge and I'm the law-talking guy."
Hartman appeared in over 50 episodes between Season 2 through Season 10,
and two of Hartman's characters made IGN's "Top 25 Peripheral Characters" list.
As reported by The New York Times, Hartman's career and life were cut short in 1998 when
his wife, Brynn, shot and killed Hartman on the morning of May 28 at their home
before taking her own life. Friends of the couple said Brynn had a history of addiction,
but no one understood what could have happened that morning.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Hartman took an interest in drama as a young man but
studied graphic design in college. His love of stand-up comedy brought him to acting,
and he even broke into writing as he co-wrote "Pee-wee's Big Adventure"
with his friend Paul Reubens. According to Collider, following his tragic murder,
Hartman's characters on "The Simpsons" were retired out of respect for the
comedian. The episode, "Bart, The Mother" was dedicated to Hartman.
Jackie Mason was a stand-up comedian known for his observational humor,
thick accent, and his roles in "The Jerk" and "Caddyshack 2." Mason voiced Hyman Krustofsky,
a rabbi who doesn't approve of his son, Krusty the Clown, in multiple episodes
of "The Simpsons." Mason won an Emmy for his performance as the character.
"I have no son!"
"Oh great, we came all this way and it's the wrong guy."
"I didn't mean that literally."
According to The New York Times, Mason came from a long line of rabbis, and like his brothers,
went into the family profession and became a rabbi himself. He didn't enjoy being a rabbi
but felt pressured to follow in his father's footsteps. To save himself
from misery, he spent summers writing and performing comedy in the Catskills.
When his father died, Mason changed his name and left his position as a rabbi to pursue a
career as a comic. Appearances on "The Steve Allen Show" launched his career,
but it didn't take long for Mason to get a reputation for being crass, unpredictable,
and politically incorrect. His career suffered, but his one-man show, "The World According to
Me!" cemented his career as a stand-up comedy legend. Mason died in July 2021.
Ron Taylor voiced Bleeding Gums Murphy in the Season 1 episode "Moaning Lisa," where the
jazz saxophonist becomes Lisa Simpson's mentor, teaching her how to express her emotions through
music. Taylor voiced the character again in "'Round Springfield," where Murphy passes
away in the hospital when Bart is also a patient. The episode "Sweets and Sour Marge" was dedicated
to Taylor after his death, and the character was temporarily retired before being recast.
Bleeding Gums Murphy made number 32 on Paste's "The 100 Greatest 'Simpsons' Guest Stars" list.
As reported by The New York Times, Taylor found his place in musical theater and began working
as a singer after graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1977 Taylor played
the Cowardly Lion in "The Wiz." However, Taylor might be best known for voicing Audrey II,
the carnivorous plant in the Broadway play "Little Shop of Horrors." In the '90s Taylor co-wrote,
produced, and performed in the Tony-nominated musical, "It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues."
Sadly, Taylor died of heart failure at 49 in 2002. Before his death, Taylor told The New York Times,
"No matter where you're from, no matter your culture, you can get the blues."
This pretty much sums up what Bleeding Gums Murphy taught Lisa in "The Simpsons."
"But I don't feel any better."
"The blues isn't about feelin' better.
It's about makin' other people feel worse, and makin' a few bucks while you're at it."
Jan Hooks was probably best known for her stint on "Saturday Night Live." She joined
the cast the same year as fellow "The Simpsons" alum Phil Hartman, where she showcased her many
memorable impersonations. Hooks joined the cast of "Designing Women" in 1991,
bringing her native Georgia accent to the Atlanta set series. In 1998 she
received an Emmy nomination for her guest role as Vicki on "3rd Rock from the Sun."
Starting in Season 9, Hooks brought her impeccable comedic timing and talent for
inhabiting bizarre personalities to "The Simpsons" series when she voiced Manjula
Nahasapeemapetilon, Apu's wife for six episodes.
Critic Ann Hornaday, who was friends with Hooks, told Grantland that Hooks
was ambivalent about fame. In the late '90s, she bought a farmhouse in upstate New York and
rarely worked. Hooks was treated for cancer in 2009 and went into remission. Sadly,
she found a lump on her throat shortly before she died in 2014 at age 57.
Johnny Cash, the legendary country singer known for his baritone, black clothing, and
eternal love for his wife, lent his voice to "The Simpsons" as the Space
Coyote in "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer," during which Homer
hallucinates after eating several insanity peppers at the local chili cook-off.
It’s one of the trippiest episodes of the animated series and made Time's
list of the 10 most memorable episodes of "The Simpsons." Cash's performance was widely praised,
landing him on Collider's "10 Best Celebrity Guest Stars" list, number 14 on IGN's "Top 25 Simpsons
Guest Appearances", and number 21 on Paste's "Top 100 Greatest 'Simpsons' Guest Stars" list.
"The mind is always chattering away with a thousand thoughts at once."
"Yeah, that's me alright."
Cash was a country music staple, finding popularity with every new generation and
going down in history as a rock pioneer. Cash won several Grammys during his music career,
and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame in 1992. Cash died in Nashville of complications from diabetes at 71.
Acting legend Kirk Douglas lent his voice to "The Simpsons" when he played Chester
Lampwick in the Season 7 episode "The Day the Violence Died." This episode explored
Lampwick's claims that he created Itchy and Scratchy and should make money off the
rights of the characters Lisa and Bart enjoy watching. Douglas landed number 92 on Paste's
"Top 100 Greatest 'Simpsons' Guest Stars" list for his performance in the episode.
Douglas began his film career during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Douglas was probably best known
for his role in "Spartacus" and for playing Vincent van Gogh in "Lust for Life." Douglas
was an Oscar nominee, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, film producer, novelist,
and philanthropist. The cinematic legend died in his Beverly Hills home at the age of 103.
Stephen Hawking was best known for being a theoretical physicist who changed the way people
looked at the universe. "The Simpsons" fans know he voiced himself in four episodes. He has a large
role in the episode "They Saved Lisa's Brain," when Lisa is invited to join Springfield's MENSA
chapter. Hawking landed at number 16 on IGN's "Top 25 'Simpsons' Guest Appearances" list,
and he secured number 27 on Paste's list of the show's top 100 greatest guest stars.
According to Hawking, he guest starred in the animated series because his daughter, Lucy, knew
one scriptwriter on the series, and they wanted to write an episode featuring him. Hawking said,
"I accepted immediately because it would be fun,
and because 'The Simpsons' is the best thing on American television."
After his death, Matt Selman, who wrote Hawking's parts for "The Simpsons," told the BBC,
"When he was in LA he would just come to table reads and enjoy them as a fan."
"The Simpsons" showrunner Al Jean told The Hollywood Reporter,
"He popularized science for people who may not have been interested in it. And that is something
we have tried to do on 'The Simpsons': Put science and math inside the show,"
"Sometimes the smartest of us can be the most childish."
"Even you?"
"No, not me. Never."
Latin jazz legend Tito Puente appeared as himself in "Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part One"
and "Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part Two," leaving an impression on fans of "The Simpsons" with
his Emmy-nominated song "Señor Burns." In the arc, Puente writes and performs a
revenge song about how much everyone hates Mr. Burns in Springfield. The song says,
"It may not surprise you, but all of us despise you, please die,
and fry in hell, you rotten, rich old wretch. Adios Viejo!"
Like Hawking, Puente made an appearance on both IGN and Paste's lists of the greatest
guest appearances on "The Simpsons." The New York Times called Puente,
"The most important Latin musician of the last half-century and a key
figure in the fusion of Latin music with jazz."
Puente was known for his high energy, big smile,
and enthusiasm for performing with his Latin-jazz orchestra. Puente died of
complications from open heart surgery at New York University Medical Center.
Leondard Nimoy appeared as himself twice on "The Simpsons." His appearance in the Season 4 episode,
"Marge vs. the Monorail" landed him at number five on Paste's "Top 100 Greatest
'Simpsons' Guest Stars" list. Nimoy was also celebrated in IGN's top 25
guest appearances list for his narration of "The Springfield Files," when Mulder
and Scully from "The X-Files" pay a visit to Springfield in Season 8.
As reported by The New York Times, Nimoy took part in community theater from a young age and
moved to Hollywood to pursue acting in 1949. Nimoy landed small parts on television and in
films throughout the '50s and '60s and did a stint in the Army before his big break came.
Although Nimoy will always be the sci-fi icon Spock to "Star Trek" fans who enjoyed
his performances in the original television series, Nimoy had other artistic interests.
Nimoy was a published memoirist, poet, and photographer, as well as an accomplished
director and producer. Nimoy died at 83 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.