As The Simpsons heads into its 27th season, the man… err– the voice behind Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Otto, and many more won’t be coming back.
[dropcap size=small]H[/dropcap]arry Shearer has been with The Simpsons since the series debuted in 1989, so it might come as a shock to hear that he’s leaving. Recently he took to his twitter account to openly announce his departure from the show.
“From James L. Brooks’ lawyer: ‘Show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best.’ This because I wanted what we’ve always had: the freedom to do other work. Of course, I wish him the very best.”
According to TMZ, the reason that Shearer is stepping down is because an agreement for a larger cut of the backend profits (merchandise, streaming, etc.) couldn’t be reached. However, Shearer would rather have you believe that the reason is so he can pursue other projects.
Showrunner Al Jean also chimed in on the situation, providing a bit of clarity on the future of the characters that Shearer voiced.
“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. We do not plan to kill off characters like Burns and Flanders but will recast with the finest voice talent available.”
Considering that Shearer led his voice to iconic characters such as Ned Flanders, Charles Montgomery Burns, Waylon Smithers, Seymour Skinner, Dr. Hibbert, Lenny Leonard, Kent Brockman, Scratchy, Kang, Eddie, Otto Mann, Rev. Lovejoy, Rainier Wolfcastle, and countless others, they better have started searching for his replacement yesterday.
The Simpsons was recently renewed by FOX for another two seasons, the first of which is set to premiere on September 27, 2015.
