Over 100 characters voiced by 12 actors. That’s quite the range.
The Simpsons is certainly not the show it used to be but the sad passing of co-creator Sam Simon on Monday had fans of the show talking about the good times once again this week.
Simon, of course, was hugely influential in making the show into the massive success it was and still is (despite a noticeable decline in quality) and the voice actors involved also have to take huge credit for putting their stamp on the many characters that made the show so great.
Some of the voice actors have rightly become very well-known in their own right, but it still might surprise you to learn just how many characters a single actor is responsible for on the show.
The folks at dadaviz have put together a nifty little infographic breaking down the actors responsible for over 100 characters on the show and it makes for interesting reading.
Click here to see an enlarged image.
Dan Castellaneta, for example, not only voices Homer but 25 other characters such as Mayor Quimby, Gil Gunderson, Krusty, Barney and the Rich Texan.
Hank Azaria is next on 24, including Moe, Apu, Dr. Nick and Johnny Tightlips, while Harry Shearer voices 23 characters, such as Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner.
Tress MacNeille voices a lot of the leading female characters, Nancy Cartwright specialises in younger characters, both male and female, while the late Marcia Wallace was well known for her portrayal of Edna Krabappel.
One name not included in the infographic is Phil Hartman, who provided the voice for great characters like Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure, characters which were retired following Hartman’s tragic death in 1998.
How the voice actors manage to seamlessly flit between characters is beyond mere mortals like us, but this might give an insight into how it’s done…
Video via YouTube/Larry King
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
