|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snake Jailbird |
The following is a list of recurring characters in The Simpsons. The Simpsons includes a large array of supporting characters: co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, and local celebrities. The writers originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokes or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. A number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to the creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, the show adopted the concept of a large supporting cast from the Canadian sketch comedy show Second City Television.1
Agnes Skinner is the mother of Seymour Skinner and first appeared in the first season episode "The Crepes of Wrath" as a kindly old woman who embarrassingly calls her son "Spanky". However, as episodes progressed, the character turned bitter. Her personality change is explained by a prank Bart played on her when he caused the toilet to explode.23 She is very harshly controlling of Seymour, and treats him like a mother would a small child. She loathes Edna Krabappel.4 Agnes has married a total of four times, once with Skinner's father, Sheldon Skinner, and following Sheldon's death she then married three more times, each time, to a tow truck driver.5 Several Springfield residents (including the Simpsons) are afraid of her.6 In "Worst Episode Ever" she has a brief romantic relation with the Comic Book Guy and even sleeps with him, despite his size and her age. When Agnes' real son, "the real Seymour Skinner" (Martin Sheen) arrives in Springfield, Agnes turns him away, unhappy with her new living situation, largely because the true Seymour Skinner is a man who can stand up to Agnes and make his own decisions. Although she appears to not care for Skinner, it turns out she really loves him, although she denies it in "Large Marge".6
Agnes's first name was revealed in the seventh season episode "Bart the Fink".7 Before that, the character was known as "Mrs. Skinner".7 In the beginning of the series, the writers made several references to Agnes and Seymour's relationship being similar to that of Norman Bates and his mother's in the film Psycho.8 Tress MacNeille voices Agnes.9 Dan Castellaneta voiced Agnes in a deleted scene in the episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet".10
Akira, first seen in the second season in "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish", is a waiter at The Happy Sumo, a Japanese restaurant in Springfield. In "When Flanders Failed", Bart trains under Akira at his martial arts academy. Homer, Bart, and Lisa go to The Happy Sumo to ask Akira about the Mr. Sparkle box in "In Marge We Trust". In "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner", Akira, Luigi, the Sea Captain, and other Springfield restaurant proprietors plot to assassinate Homer for giving their restaurants bad reviews.
Actor George Takei originally voiced Akira in "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish". Since Akira's speaking role in "When Flanders Failed", Hank Azaria has voiced the character, doing an impression of Takei for the voice.11
Artie Ziff (Jon Lovitz, Dan Castellaneta),12 was first seen as Marge Simpson's high school prom date with "busy hands" in the first Homer-Marge flashback episode.13 He returns in a later episode where he is revealed to have become a nerdy, self-centered and pretentious software billionaire.14 He offers a million dollars to the Simpsons for one weekend with his childhood love, Marge.14 Ziff returns for the last time in "The Ziff Who Came to Dinner", where after he gives his bankrupt company to Homer, Homer is taken away by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as they believed he was the real owner. Ziff later turns himself in (after a romantic encounter with Selma Bouvier), where he is extinguishing other prisoners' cigarettes with a spray bottle. Marge told the children to say goodbye to Artie, as they may never see Ziff alive again. He is Jewish; and apparently believes this is why he is so unpopular (when Marge angrily asks if he knows why everyone hates him, he innocently says "Anti-Semitism?".14)
Animator David Silverman based Ziff's appearance and body language on a man he went to high school with named Mark Eisenberg.15
Star News Online listed Jon Lovitz and Artie Ziff as one of the four hundred reasons why they love The Simpsons.16 IGN called "Half-Decent Proposal" the best episode of the thirteenth season of the show.17
Baby Gerald, also known as "the baby with the one eyebrow", is Maggie Simpson's archenemy, known for his large unibrow. He makes his first appearance in "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song", where Lisa refers to Baby Gerald as Maggie's rival. On a few occasions, Gerald has been shown being pushed in a stroller by his mother outside the Simpson house as in Lady Bouvier's Lover, as the two babies glare at one another. On one occasion, Homer mistakes Maggie for Baby Gerald. Gerald has a history of causing large scale public incidents and was once rescued by Bart's mail-order dog, Laddie.18 Mayor Quimby once remarks, "Baby Gerald, we can't help but wonder what mischief you'll get into next".18 Gerald once spilled a shovel full of sand over Snake Jailbird's face.19 The character's name was revealed in the episode "The Canine Mutiny".20
Benjamin, Doug, and Gary are voiced by Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria, and Dan Castellaneta, respectively.921 The writer of "Homer Goes to College" Conan O'Brien partially based them on three guys he went to college with, who, he said, were "incredible nerds".22 Because time was short, director Jim Reardon used a caricature of animator Rich Moore and colored it black for Benjamin.23 Benjamin, Doug, and Gary are dorm roommates at Springfield University. Benjamin wears horn-rimmed glasses, Doug wears a pocket protector, and Gary carries a calculator in his pocket.24
Matt Groening said that whenever he reads comments by fans of the show on the Internet, he just imagines that it is Benjamin, Doug, and Gary (and Comic Book Guy) saying it, and thinks, "Oh, so what."25
Bernice Hibbert is voiced by Tress MacNeille.26 She is Julius Hibbert's wife. She enjoys watching violent car crash movies.27 She has two boys and a girl with Julius, and laughs like her husband. Her marriage with Julius is on the rocks.28 Bernice refuses to kiss Julius, even when an entire audience is looking at them; Julius remarks how unaffectionate she can be.29 Her drinking has been joked about on several occasions; she faints when she reads that prohibition had been introduced to Springfield30 and attends Springfield Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.31
"Bleeding Gums" Murphy (Ron Taylor, Daryl L. Coley32), was the jazz musician, idol, and mentor of Lisa Simpson. His significant roles were in the episodes "Moaning Lisa" and "'Round Springfield", though he appeared in other episodes, such as "Bart the Daredevil" (where he is yellow), "Dancin' Homer", "Old Money", "Flaming Moe's, "Bart Gets an F", "Radio Bart", and "Lisa's Pony". In "Dancin' Homer", he was voiced by Daryl L. Coley.32 At one point he had come into money but he bought and consumed several Fabergé eggs.33 He appeared on Steve Allen's Tonight Show.34 He had taught Lisa to display her emotions through music, prompting Lisa to hold him as an important figure in her life.33 His last appearance was in "'Round Springfield"35 after Bart ends up in the hospital, Lisa wanders off to find him dying in a nearby ward. He explains about his life, family, and work to her as well as giving her advice for her upcoming school performance, giving her his saxophone. When Lisa returns she finds out that Bleeding Gums has died from circumstances that are never revealed. No one, except for Lisa, attends Murphy's funeral. Lisa soon learns that though he may be gone, he still is alive in her.34 It was strongly hinted that Murphy and Doctor Hibbert are long lost brothers, most notably by the quote, "I don't really have a family, all I had was a little brother who grew up to become a doctor. He used to laugh at the most inappropriate times." Hibbert then laughs inappropriately and says "Hey I've got an older brother that I'll never see. He's a jazz musician or some such. Oh well, bye, bye."34 Bleeding Gums Murphy is loosely based on Blind Lemon Jefferson.36 The voice of Bleeding Gums Murphy was provided by Ron Taylor, while his saxophone playing is provided by Dan Higgins.37 As a sign of respect for the character, Murphy has been a fixture of The Simpsons opening sequence since the second season, even after his death, when Bart skateboards past him on the street.38
Burns's Lawyer,39 also known as "The Blue-Haired Lawyer", is voiced by Dan Castellaneta.40 He first appeared in the second season episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car".41 He is Springfield's most prominent and powerful lawyer, known for his blue hair and nasal New York accent. He is one of the few Simpsons characters to have a pasty-colored face. He also occasionally appears to serve as a prosecutor. Unlike Lionel Hutz or Gil Gunderson, he is a competent (though not necessarily ethical) lawyer. He has served as Burns' head lawyer, helping him out with threats of the Power Plant closing down and of Burns losing his money. He is a member of the Springfield Republican Party. His clients often tend to be antagonists of the Simpsons. He represented The Walt Disney Company and tried to shut down the school funfair, citing infringement.4228 His largest role was when he assisted in Bart's emancipation.43 He also represents the estates of Charlie Chaplin and Jimmy Durante.44 In "Papa Don't Leech", he helps Lurleen Lumpkin (Beverly D'Angelo) win her trial.45
The character's demeanor, as well as Dan Castellaneta's voice for the character, are based on lawyer Roy Cohn. Animator Jim Reardon modeled the character's appearance on actor Charles Lane.46
Brandine Spuckler is voiced by Tress MacNeille9 and is the partner of Cletus Spuckler. Brandine and Cletus are depicted as stereotypical hillbillies. Throughout the series, the two are shown to be brother and sister,47 boyfriend and girlfriend,48 mother and son,49 and father and daughter.50 She is apparently the daughter of Cletus and an alien, making Cletus a polygamist.50She has suffered from rabies,51 and admitted to being illiterate. She once interviewed for a job as a stripper.52 More recently, it's shown Brandine is fighting in the Iraq War.53 She comes back revealing Cletus is the father of only two of the kids, casting doubt over the paternity of her other children.53Assuming that all of the children believed to be Cletus' are also hers, Brandine has 45 specifically named children. Brandine and Cletus were married by Homer during his brief stint as a priest, even though Cletus treats the family pig better than her.54 On April 27, 2008, more is revealed about Cletus and Brandine in an episode entitled "Apocalypse Cow"; Brandine had married Cletus at the age of 13, and had married four times before that.55 She was briefly under consideration as a foster mother to Bart and Lisa.56
Charlie is voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant as the 'Dangerous Emissions Supervisor'. He was briefly replaced by Mindy Simmons, but she got fired afterwards. His first appearance was in "Life on the Fast Lane". He was briefly out of work due to a unnamed on-the-job injury, where he collected workers' compensation, however future episodes show him back to work.5758 He has a wife and two kids59 as well as a sister with a wooden leg.60 Due to Homer's negligence, he is set on fire.61 Castellaneta said that he did "an imitation of Lenny" (voiced by Harry Shearer) for the voice.62
Lugash (Dan Castellaneta), is a gymnastics instructor, and has only appeared in Children of a Lesser Clod and Little Girl in the Big Ten (although he can briefly be seen in The Simpsons Movie). He has a thick Romanian accent, and a large, brown curled moustache. He says he came into the United States in 1983 by cartwheeling over the Berlin Wall (though in a later episode, it was revealed that Lugash defected into East Germany).63 He is very harsh, and regularly attends anger management classes. His harsh but effective training techniques helped Lisa achieve a high standard of gymnastic ability. He also has a habit of confiscating his students' cats and dogs, only giving them back when the student has accomplished a physical task, although he once refused to give a girl her dog back and instead gave her a cat.63 Lugash's character may be based on Olympic gymnastics coach Béla Károlyi, known for his harsh temper and strict instruction methods.
Cookie Kwan (Tress MacNeille), is an Asian American Realtor.64 She is the stereotypical competitive Asian.64 She touts herself as being "number one on the West Side", although she also works on the East Side.64 She is very aggressive toward anyone whom she deems a threat to her business, evidenced by when she threatens Gil Gunderson.64 She had once attempted to seduce Ned Flanders,65 had an illegitimate baby with Mayor Quimby,66 and flirted with Homer.67 She is friends with Lindsey Naegle.67 She is a Republican.68 In her younger years, she had gone to Camp Land-A-Man with Patty and Selma Bouvier, Helen Lovejoy, Luann Van Houten, and Marge Simpson.69
Eleanor Abernathy (Tress MacNeille), better known as the Crazy Cat Lady, is a woman with the appearance and behavior of a stereotypical mentally ill person. She first appears in the episode Girly Edition; Lisa questions how someone who loves animals so much can be considered crazy and is then bombarded by cats.70 She is always surrounded by a large number of cats, and in every appearance she screams gibberish and/or throws cats at passers by.70 Kent Brockman later reveals her true name to be Eleanor Abernathy.71 She gives Lisa her cat, Snowball V, who looks exactly like her original Snowball II.72 She briefly becomes sane in "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass" thanks to some pills that she shows the Simpsons but returns to her bizarre behavior after Marge mentions the pills are Reese's Pieces.73 With medication, she is very intelligent. When participating in a mayoral election, unlike the other candidates, she discusses situations such as health care, economy, and public education in between her screams and gibberish.71
In the 18th season episode Springfield Up, which flashes back to the childhood of various adult Springfielders, it is revealed that she actually has a somewhat tragic life story. When she was eight, she was a smart and ambitious young girl, similar to Lisa Simpson, who wanted to be both a lawyer and a doctor "because a woman can do anything".74 She was studying for law school at sixteen,74 and by twenty-four she had earned a MD from Harvard Medical School and a JD from Yale Law School.74However, at 32, she suffered exhaustion, turned to alcohol, and became obsessed with her pet cat.74 By the time she is forty, she assumes her present appearance and behavior.74
Database first appeared in the episode "Bart's Comet" as a member of "the super friends". He has since had speaking parts in several episodes. His real name is not known, and he is usually seen with his fellow nerd Martin Prince. Database is a common target for Nelson, Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney. Database's father is shown in Lemon of Troy, although he never speaks and is only in the background; he has since not been seen. Database was part of the group of boys who invaded Shelbyville in Lemon of Troy and was also part of the Pre-Teen braves in the episode The Bart of War. He is seen in The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show where he asks Homer, "On the Itchy & Scratchy CD-ROM, is there a way to get out of the dungeon without using the wizard key?" He's part of the school band as seen in The PTA Disbands. Principal Skinner also chooses him, as well as Lisa Simpson, Martin Prince, and Milhouse to head the CTU operation in "24 Minutes". Database is voiced by Nancy Cartwright.21 He is Matt Groening's least favorite character in the show.75
Dave Shutton, voiced by Harry Shearer,9 is a reporter for The Springfield Shopper. Writer John Swartzwelder named Shutton after a friend of his.76 His first (and most relevant) appearance was in the season two episode Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish. Since then, his roles have become less relevant and have been reduced to cameos and appearances in crowd scenes.77427879 His latest speaking appearance was in "Old Yeller Belly", when he hooks Santa's Little Helper to the world of Duff Beer. According to "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", Part 2, Kent Brockman doesn't like Dave Shutton and thinks he's unprofessional.808182 He last appeared in "The Bart of War".
Disco Stu, voiced by Hank Azaria,83 is a man whose mind is mentally stuck in the disco era.84 He is normally featured wearing a rhinestone-encrusted leisure suit. Stu was introduced as the punchline to a joke in "Two Bad Neighbors". In a garage sale, Homer attempts to sell a jacket on which he had once tried to write "Disco Stud" in rhinestones, but having made the letters too big he did not have room for the final '"d". Another customer recommends it to Stu, but Stu replies "Disco Stu doesn't advertise".84 Stu's speech pattern is similar to that of Duffman, also voiced by Hank Azaria; he speaks in the third person, often referring to himself as "Disco Stu" (emphasizing "Stu" and then pausing before saying anything else). According to "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", Stu actually is aware disco is dead, does not like disco music at all, and worries that his personality may make him a "one-note guy". He is a Roman Catholic, having gotten an annulment from Pope John Paul II after a brief marriage to Selma Bouvier.85 In his younger years, he had a budding career as a sea captain, going by the name of "Nautical Stu".86 He is seen flirting with Marge in "Little Big Mom", but retreats immediately after discovering she has kids.
Stu was originally voiced by repeat guest star Phil Hartman. However, when the animators remodeled the character—show runner Bill Oakley described the original Disco Stu as "a black, wrinkly John Travolta"—and Hartman was not available to dub the voice, Hank Azaria took over the role.87
Out of 25, IGN named Stu the 24th top peripheral character in The Simpsons.88
Dr. Marvin Monroe is a psychotherapist, who first appears in the first season episode "There's No Disgrace Like Home". Homer pawns the family television in order to afford a session with Monroe for him and his dysfunctional family. The failed attempt at therapy culminates with the Simpsons shocking each other endlessly, to the point of causing a blackout. Unable to help the Simpsons, Monroe refunds double what the Simpsons paid, and the Simpsons buy a new TV.
Monroe appears in "Some Enchanted Evening". 70% of that episode's original animation had to be redone, although the scenes involving Monroe were mostly untouched, said co-director David Silverman.89 The script of "Some Enchanted Evening" describes Monroe as "a heavy, chain-smoking, compulsive eater."90 The original idea behind the character, said Matt Groening, was that he was born Marilyn Monroe and was "very caught up over that", which is why he became a therapist.91 Monroe's voice is based on psychiatrist David Viscott's.92
Since the seventh season, Monroe has been retired. That is because voicing the character strained Harry Shearer's throat and, eventually, the voice became too annoying for Groening, which, he acknowledges, is the point.9394 The character's retirement was marked by the broadcast of a Dr. Marvin Monroe Memorial Hospital over Lou's walkie-talkie in "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)".95 Since then, several references to Monroe being dead have been made: a glimpse of his gravestone in "Alone Again, Natura-diddily", a Dr. Marvin Monroe Memorial Gymnasium seen in "Bye, Bye, Nerdie", and an interstitial in the "138th Episode Spectacular". However, Monroe is seen alive in the fifteenth season in "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" to purchase a copy of Marge's novel "The Harpooned Heart", stating simply that he's "...been very ill" when asked about his absence by Marge.
Velimirovic83 is a surgeon and first appeared in the eleventh season episode "Pygmoelian" performing cosmetic surgery on Moe's face. In "Large Marge", he gave Marge breast implants. He made his most recent appearance in season nineteen's "Husbands and Knives" performing stomach stapling on Homer. He is based on actor George Hamilton96 and is voiced by Hank Azaria.83
Dolphin Starbeam (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is part of Jimbo Jones' gang of bullies (along with Kearney, and occasionally Nelson Muntz, and Bart Simpson). Dolph is recognized by his asymmetrical haircut which covers one eye and wears cutoff shorts and Chuck Taylor All-Stars style basketball shoes. He is left-handed and appears to have a hunch back. He looks to be 14-15 years old, but it is said in some episodes that he is in sixth grade, which would make him twelve (that or he's been held back once or twice). He does not talk as much as other bullies. It turns out Dolph is Jewish and attends Hebrew school.
According to his profile in 24 Minutes, Dolph speaks "Spanish, German, Hebrew, Arabic, Korean, Latin, Old English, Klingon, and Esperanto."
Eddie and Lou, voiced by Harry Shearer9 and Hank Azaria,21 are Springfield police officers. They first appeared in the first season episode "There's No Disgrace Like Home".97 The two do not have surnames, "kinda like Cher";98 in his younger years, Lou referred to himself as "Lou the cop".99 The two say they like being cops because "you get to run red lights, park wherever you please, hot and cold running chicks and when you go home at night, you know you've made a difference".100
Lou is the police sergeant and a competent officer of the Springfield Police. He is a foil to Chief Wiggum, and often takes the time to point out Wiggum's mistakes. Lou has been shown to resent Wiggum, and is aware of his chief's ineptitude.101 In the episode "Pranksta Rap", Lou mentions that he has been writing negative letters to the editor under the pen name "Worried in West Springfield", calling for Wiggum's resignation. Lou was married to a woman named Amy.102 In "The Bart of War", it is shown that Lou is divorced from his wife, and Eddie has been seeing her occasionally.103 Lou is a Democrat.104 Lou finally starred in "Stop or My Dog Will Shoot", where he is featured prominently as the new owner of Santa's Little Helper.19 The episode reveals Lou has a girlfriend named Charquelle,19 and is very independent.19 Instead of going to University, he joined a grunge band with Homer, Lenny, and Carl.99 Lou is much more developed as a character than Eddie, and almost nothing is known about Eddie but it is believed that Wiggum considers him the graceful one and can't understand why he is single.
Al Jean and Mike Reiss named Lou after Major League Baseball player Lou Whitaker.97 Azaria based Lou's voice on actor Sylvester Stallone's.105 Lou originally appeared yellow in "There's No Disgrace Like Home".97 In "Bart vs. Thanksgiving", Eddie was animated to Lou's voice and Lou was animated to Eddie's.106
In 2001, Hank Azaria won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for voicing Lou and various other characters in the episode "Worst Episode Ever".107108
Gil Gunderson is voiced by Dan Castellaneta40 and first appeared in the ninth season episode "Realty Bites" as a real estate agent with Lionel Hutz's Red Blazer Realty.109 He is a spoof of actor Jack Lemmon's portrayal of Shelley Levene in the 1992 film adaptation of the play Glengarry Glen Ross.109 (Lemmon himself voiced a character similar to Levene in the eighth season episode "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson".)110 Show runner Mike Scully said that the writers thought that Gil would be "a one-shot thing".111 "Dan Castellaneta was so funny at the table read doing the character," Scully elaborated, "we kept making up excuses in subsequent episodes to put him in."109 Writer Dan Greaney said that it was a great take-off on Levene to make Gil more desperate than he was. Even so, the writers like to write Gil with "a little bit of the old sparkle" left in him.112
In 2006, "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II", the only episode to center on Gil, won a Writers Guild of America Award in the animation category.113
Gloria (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is Snake's girlfriend. She is a meter maid. She first appears in "A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love," dating Mr. Burns. She ends up leaving him to return to her ex-boyfriend Snake. Gloria visits Snake in prison in "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." She made a silent appearance in "The Old Man and the Key" beside her boyfriend at a drag race. She appears once again in "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes", where she is now pregnant. However in In "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words" they have broken up.
God, voiced by Harry Shearer, has had many appearances in the series, including "Homer the Heretic", "Thank God It's Doomsday", and a quick scene with him, Buddha, and Colonel Sanders in "Pray Anything". He is portrayed in the traditional depiction of the Abrahamic God in the Western world: a gray-haired Caucasian man in a white robe with a booming voice (though it is revealed in "A Star Is Burns" that he speaks in "Flanderese", responding to Ned Flanders' "Thanks, God!" with "Okely-dokely!"). His face is only seen in a picture owned by Homer in "Pray Anything" (though this was likely an artist's depiction), a picture owned by Ned Flanders in "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily", and the opening sequence for "Treehouse of Horror XVI". In all other episodes, only his beard is seen as the camera only films him up to the shoulders (God is a head taller than everyone else in the Simpsons universe). His body is usually surrounded by a glowing light, though not always. He does not seem to be all-knowing; for instance, when referring to his son, he states that he does not know "what you people did to him" but "He hasn't been the same since". Also, in the Treehouse of Horror XIV segment "Reaper Madness" Homer tricks God by dressing Selma up as Marge. In the episode "Simpsons Bible Stories," where stories in the Bible are played by Simpsons characters, Ned Flanders plays the character of God in the story of Adam and Eve while Homer and Marge play Adam and Eve. In this episode, God sounds like Ned Flanders; and while he is not actually seen we do see God's arm pop out of a cloud wearing Ned's trademark green sweater. One of God's distinctive features is that he is the only Simpsons character to be drawn with five fingers on each hand and five toes on each foot, though not always (there have been scenes where God has only four fingers like everyone else in the show).
God is the final boss in The Simpsons Game, challenging the player to DDR.
Grady and Julio (Scott Thompson and Hank Azaria) are a gay couple who become Homer's flatmates when he leaves Marge in "Three Gays of the Condo". Julio reappears in "There's Something About Marrying", marrying another man, and in "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" as one of the hostages, and makes brief speaking cameos in "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" and "E Pluribus Wiggum". In "Homer and Lisa Exchange Crosswords", Grady gets Homer to break up him and Julio.
Helen Lovejoy, voiced by Maggie Roswell and Marcia Mitzman Gaven, is Rev. Lovejoy’s judgmental and gossipy wife and the mother of Jessica Lovejoy.
She introduced herself in the episode "Life on the Fast Lane" as "the gossipy wife of the minister." In the episode "Marge in Chains", she promises to "use [her] gossip for good instead of evil." When she was younger, she went to Camp Land-A-Man with Marge Simpson, Patty and Selma Bouvier, Luann Van Houten, and Cookie Kwan. A younger Helen Lovejoy is seen getting low marks as she did not put her forks in order.
Helen has a strong dislike and/or hate of Mayor Quimby. Whenever they are both seen together (and this is usually when Helen and her group of pious women charge into his office), both glare furiously at each other. This was more notably seen in "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment", where she demands that there should be a new Chief of Police, while smashing her fist on the table.
In the episode "E Pluribus Wiggum" it is seen that she is a Republican.
Her catchphrase is "Won't somebody please think of the children!?" which she always says among a crowd when something bad is happening in the city.
Herman is the owner of Herman's Military Antiques and is voiced by Harry Shearer.9 He has only one arm; he tells Bart that the other arm was lost when he stuck it out the window of a moving bus. A brilliant military tactician, Herman was instrumental in Bart’s victory in water balloon combat against Nelson and in the negotiation of the peace treaty between the two combatants in "Bart the General", which is probably his most significant appearance.
Herman possesses a small nuclear bomb, designed by the US Government during the 1950s to be dropped from a B-52 onto Beatniks. He keeps it in a plot of land behind his store, and usually only brings potential buyers to see it on special occasions. When Homer and his friends visited Herman's store to buy dozens of guns, explaining that they were forming a vigilante movement, Herman brought him to see the Bomb. The Bomb has a sign next to it which reads "Do Not Ride The Bomb", a rule which Homer promptly broke (spoofing Dr. Strangelove).
He is friends with Abraham Simpson, to whom he sold a fez, claiming it was previously owned by Napoleon; Herman then advertised Abe's old hat as "the hat McKinley was shot in". He also tried to sell counterfeit jeans out of the Simpsons' garage, but was foiled by Marge Simpson, though he was not put in jail because the evidence was stolen by the Springfield PD. He once captured Chief Wiggum and Snake and held them hostage (in an homage to a scene from Pulp Fiction), but was thwarted (accidentally) by Milhouse Van Houten wielding a flail. The writers were pleased that Herman already existed as otherwise they would have had to create a character for his scenes.114
The character's facial appearance is based on "a young, vibrant John Swartzwelder", said Matt Groening.115 Harry Shearer does an impression of George H.W. Bush for the voice.116 The original idea behind Herman, said Groening, was that each time he appeared, he would give a different explanation for how he lost his arm. However, the second joke, involving Herman having stuck his arm in a ball return at a bowling alley, got cut, and the writers never pursued the idea.117
Jack Larson was a slick spokesman and now president for Laramie Cigarettes and once owned the Springfield Isotopes. He also was the spokesperson in a commercial for the Little Miss Springfield pageant, with Laramie cigarettes as the main sponsor. This advertisement was seen by Homer while watching TV at Moe's Tavern, as seen in the season four episode, "Lisa the Beauty Queen". Lisa did not win but was given the position after the first winner was struck by lightning (conducted by the beauty queen's crown and scepter). He was also seen in "Bart the Murderer", calming the crowd after a truckload of Laramie Cigarettes were stolen by Fat Tony and the Springfield Mafia (much to his distaste).
Janine "Janey" Powell, voiced by Pamela Hayden, first appeared in Bart the General and was once Lisa Simpson's closest friend. She has been at Lisa's sleepovers and Lisa is seen watching cartoons at her house on numerous occasions.
Her description on the Simpsons POG set described her as "Lisa's fair-weather friend" and this is probably an accurate description. Though she is sometimes seen hanging out with Lisa, other times she teases her along with the other children. She is not portrayed as being nearly as intelligent or nerdy as Lisa. Janey may have had a crush on Milhouse Van Houten, who has a crush on Lisa. She enjoys reading babysitting books. In one episode where Lisa and other girls were playing a party game with candle wax to predict the careers of their future husbands, Janey is dismayed to have her wax form the shape of a dustpan.
Jasper Beardly (voiced by Harry Shearer)9 is one of the elder residents of Springfield. His most distinguishing features are his ultra-low, gravelly voice and very long beard. Jasper made his first appearance in "Homer's Odyssey", but did not speak until the episode "Bart the General" when he argued with Abe over the newspaper. He is a veteran of World War II. Jasper also tried to avoid the draft by disguising himself as a woman and staying in Springfield to play in the local women's baseball league, along with his friend Abe, who was also avoiding the war (according to the episode "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play"). However, Grampa's attempts to dodge the war were unsuccessful, and he was eventually assigned to the Flying Hellfish. In the parade scene of "Lisa the Iconoclast", Jasper is seen in uniform, wearing a shoulder patch resembling that of the 2nd Infantry Division.
In the subplot of the season nine episode, "Lisa the Simpson," Jasper was put in crude "suspended animation" in the Kwik-E-Mart's freezer, and under advice from Dr. Nick Riviera, Apu kept him frozen. When Jasper's frozen form became popular with customers, Apu started exploiting the spectacle, and transformed the Kwik-E-Mart into a special interest store dealing with weird items, or perfectly ordinary ones which had been made out to be abnormal, called the Freak-E-Mart. Jasper (or "Frostillicus," as Apu renamed him) was accidentally unfrozen, and stepped out into what he thought was a future world, just as Apu was considering selling him to the Rich Texan. According to a deleted scene from the Season Eight episode "In Marge We Trust", it was revealed that Reverend Lovejoy succeeded Jasper as Minister of the First Church of Springfield. In the episode "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" Jasper mentions he is a diabetic. His left leg is prosthetic, as revealed in "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)". Jasper is also blind, revealed in "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show".
Jebediah Obadiah Zachariah Jedediah Springfield is the founder of the town of Springfield. He is voiced by Harry Shearer.9 Springfield, along with his partner Shelbyville Manhattan, led a band that left Maryland in search of "New Sodom" (a misinterpretation of the Bible), but they parted ways over political differences: Manhattan wanted to found a town where people were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield wanted a town devoted to chastity, abstinence, and a flavorless mush called "rootmarm", so Manhattan went on to found the rival town of Shelbyville.
In the winter of 1807, Jebediah reportedly built Springfield’s first hospital singlehandedly, using wood and mud. Springfield is said to have killed a bear with his bare hands, though revisionist historians have determined that the bear in fact probably killed him. A bronze statue depicting this stands in the center of the Springfield town square in front of the town hall. He also is said to have once tamed a buffalo, although he later secretly admitted that it had already been tamed—he merely shot it.
Springfield had many famous quotations, such as "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man". He also wears a coonskin cap. The Springfield Marathon commemorates an occasion on which he ran across six states in order to avoid his creditors. In "The Telltale Head" Bart beheaded the statue, thinking that this would make him more popular. In reality, the town became depressed and angry, leaving Bart to endure "The Tell-Tale Heart"-style guilt before replacing it. The video game The Simpsons Road Rage references this episode: if one rams the statue while playing, the head will fall off. This can also be done in The Simpsons Hit & Run where Bart or Apu can kick or ram Jebediah's head off. In the video game Bart's Nightmare, Bart imagines himself being attacked by Jebediah heads. In The Simpsons Game in the second level stationed at a museum, a commentary played throughout the museum mentions when Lisa revealed his true name and nature then says "forget I said that."
On an expedition to Springfield's historic "Fort Springfield", Bart Simpson uncovered inconsistencies in the Jebediah legend, such as that he invaded a Native American village the same day as the first Whacking Day. In "Lisa the Iconoclast", Lisa Simpson discovered Jebediah Springfield's biggest secret: he was actually a bloodthirsty pirate and enemy of George Washington, whom he fought with and lost after Washington crushed Springfield's genitals in a set of iron false teeth. He was named Hans Sprungfeld, and had changed his name in 1795 to hide his identity. He was well known for his silver tongue (literally; a metal prosthetic tongue, his original tongue having been bitten off by a Turkish pirate in a grog house fight). Before he died, he wrote his confession on a scrap of canvas that he hid in a fife. The canvas scrap formed the "missing piece" of the famously incomplete 1796 portrait of George Washington; Springfield picked it up during a fight against Washington which occurred while the latter was having his portrait painted. In the end of the episode Lisa was about to reveal this secret to the people of Springfield when she gave up, seeing that the myth of Jebediah has brought out the good in everyone.
Corky James "Jimbo" Jones is voiced by Pamela Hayden9 but was originally voiced by Tress MacNeille in his first appearance in the first season episode "The Telltale Head".118. He wears a purple knit cap and a black T-shirt emblazoned with a menacing skull. He can often be seen hanging around Nelson, Kearney, and Dolph, and he is generally acknowledged as the leader of this clique. He enjoys intimidating his schoolmates and shoplifting. Despite his reputation as a bully and delinquent, it is suggested he is a Christian and he will sometimes morally object to certain actions.citation needed It is hinted that he comes from a well-off family, most notably in season six's The PTA Disbands when - with the school closed for a teacher's strike - he and his mother watch soap operas and sip tea together in a very nice living room. A terrible running joke with this character is that his mother, called Carol, is said at various points to be sexually available, possibly working as a prostitute. She sometimes walks around topless, which impresses Jimbo's friends. In season seven's Bart the Fink, Bart discovers that Jimbo's real name is Corky (though in season eight's Lisa's Date with Density, Nelson refers to Jimbo as "James" when Nelson is defending Lisa, implying that this could be his real name or a middle one). Jimbo is named for executive producer James L. Brooks.118
Constance Harm is voiced by repeat guest star actress Jane Kaczmarek. She is a harsh, unforgiving disciplinarian.119 She enjoys creating cruel punishments for criminals in her court. She might be a transsexual based on her statement in "The Parent Rap": "you remind me of me, when I was a little boy". Her name is a play on "constant harm". The character is a parody of Judge Judy. Judge Harm first appears in "The Parent Rap", and a season later in "Barting Over", assisting in Bart's emancipation. In "On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister", she revealed she has a husband. Her most recent appearance was in "Rome-old and Juli-eh", telling Homer that he could not file for the "cool kind" of bankruptcy that he was expecting to solve all his problems. Although Judge Snyder resolves court cases, Judge Harm has mainly been used for handing down negative verdicts, such as sentencing a family member to prison. She also appears in "The Wandering Juvie" and "Brake My Wife, Please".120 Judge Harm is not to be confused with the unnamed female judge from earlier seasons who was voiced by Maggie Roswell.
Roy Snyder is voiced by Harry Shearer.26 He is a Springfield judge. The character was originally named "Judge Moulton", but show runners Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein did not know that, and called him "Snyder".121 His appearance is modeled on Robert Bork.121 Snyder's skin color has gone back and forth between yellow and brown repeatedly throughout the series.122
Kearney Zzyzwicz (voiced by Nancy Cartwright) is one of Springfield Elementary's many bullies. He has a buzz cut, and wears a white torn shirt along with studded wristbands. Although he looks and sounds to be around Jimbo or Dolph's age, he is revealed to be much older, and may possibly have been held back due to his behavior. He was in third grade with Otto Mann, celebrated the United States Bicentennial, remembers the Watergate scandal, regularly shaves, and has custody of a child from a divorce. According to the season 13 episode, She of Little Faith, Kearney dated Jimbo's mother, claiming that "she came on to me!", and as a result he was beaten up by the rest of the gang and Bart Simpson. In the same episode, it is revealed that he is on the church council of the First Church of Springfield.123 He often relies on (or tricks) Homer into procuring alcohol for himself and his friends (as seen in The Springfield Connection and Last Tap Dance in Springfield), though it is implied that Kearney is of age to buy alcohol for himself (as seen in El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer, where he is briefly seen in Moe's Tavern). Kearney's last name was revealed (in a computer file) on the season 18 episode, "24 Minutes". According to the season eight episode, "Lisa's Date with Density", Kearney drives a Hyundai (though in A Milhouse Divided, he was seen riding the bus with his school-age son) and in "Treehouse of Horror XIX" he is a registered voter. In Mypods and Boomsticks, it is revealed that Kearney may be questioning his gender identity when, as the bullies prepare to beat up Bart's new friend, he remarks, "I'm going to punch extra hard, because I secretly think you're cute."
Lewis is an African American character on The Simpsons. His best friend is Richard and he can be seen playing the bassoon in the opening sequence of the show.
Although one of the most minor characters in the show, Lewis appears frequently in scenes involving the Springfield children, and occasionally speaks. He is usually seen with Richard. Lewis is perhaps best knowncitation needed for his exclamation of "In your face, fishwife!" when the children broke curfew to watch the horror movie The Bloodening at a drive-in cinema in Wild Barts Can't Be Broken. He also failed to vote for Bart Simpson (along with his other classmates) when he stood for class president, helping to ensure his defeat to Martin Prince. He is often considered Bart's second best friend after Milhouse.citation needed
While Lewis has never had significant amounts of dialogue, he has been voiced by Nancy Cartwright, Jo Ann Harris, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, and Russi Taylor throughout the series.
Lindsey Naegle is voiced by Tress MacNeille26 and first appeared in the eighth season episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show".124 In that episode, she was named "Network executive".125 She appeared again later in "Girly Edition" as "Channel 6 Executive".126 In "They Saved Lisa's Brain", she was introduced as "Lindsey Naegle", as a member of the Springfield Chapter of Mensa, and has since become a recurring character.124 The writers modeled Naegle on a number of network executives that they have come in contact with while working on the show.127
Naegle prototypes have appeared throughout the series, such as the OmniTouch Rep from "Make Room for Lisa" and Laramie Executive Mindy from "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)".128
Chris Turner, the author of the book Planet Simpson, called Naegle "an excellent allegory for the modern corporate age: you don't see through her because there's nothing else to see."129
Lois Pennycandy is the executive assistant to Krusty the Clown.130 She swayed Krusty into visiting Bart Simpson, the child who saved Krusty from jail time,131 and later reunited him with his estranged father the Rabbi Hyman Krustofski.130 She was at Krusty's side during the sideshow auditions where Robert Terwilliger became Krusty's new sideshow,132 and was at Krusty's "funeral" when Krusty was presumed dead after crashing his private jet into a cliff.133 In a phone conversation with Marge Simpson, Marge asked her, "How can [Krusty] hurt someone who loves him so?" Pennycandy replied, "Oh, Mrs. Simpson, I've wasted my womanhood asking that same question", while looking at a framed photo of Krusty the Clown.130 At a bachelor charity auction for the Springfield Fire Department, she combined her bid with four other women to share the same bachelor.134 Her only speaking roles are in "Like Father, Like Clown" and " Krusty Gets Kancelled." She was voiced by Pamela Hayden. Pennycandy made her most recent appearance in "G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)" dressing Krusty in an anti-PETA fur coat.
Luigi Risotto is voiced by Hank Azaria.40 He is the proprietor of Luigi's, a local Italian restaurant. He is a parody of the “Italian pasta/pizza chef” stereotype (and in fact is on a bowling team called “The Stereotypes” along with Cletus Spuckler, Captain Horatio McCallister, and Groundskeeper Willie), but seems to be aware of his status as a stock character. He often treats his customers rudely, insulting and belittling them. In the episode "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas", he reveals he does not speak Italian ("I speak-a, how you say, fractured English. It's what my parents spoke at the home."). It is hinted that Luigi is an illegal immigrant, even though he tried to run for mayor, telling Springfielders, "I make you the good government, just how you like it!" The animators copied Luigi's appearance from a chef that was on the front of a pizza box.135
Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon is the wife of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and the mother of their eight children. She first appeared as a little girl in Apu's flashback in the seventh season episode "Much Apu About Nothing", in which Apu tells her that he is sorry that their arranged marriage will not happen, before getting on a plane departing for the U.S. to pursue the American Dream.136 She claims that Fried Green Tomatoes is her favorite book, movie, and food. She has excellent culinary abilities, demonstrated by her ability to make a wide variety of dishes using only chickpeas, lentils, and rice. She is also one of Marge's best and only friends.
In "The Sweetest Apu", Apu has an affair with a Squishee lady. After Homer discovers this, he and Marge confront Apu, who caves into the guilt and vows to apologize to Manjula, who sets him a number of grueling tasks in penance.136 Star News Online listed Jan Hooks as one of the four hundred reasons why they love The Simpsons.16
Writer Richard Appel had pitched the idea of Apu marrying years before he wrote "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons" for season nine.137 For that episode, it took several attempts by the character designers to model Manjula because making women look appealing in Matt Groening's drawing style is hard for the animators to do.138139 Writer David Cohen named Ma