One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Excellent: Harry Shearer, Voice Of Mr. Burns, Returns To 'The Simpsons'
Harry Shearer at the premiere of 'The Simpsons Movie' (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Whether you were shouting "boo" or "Boo-urns" when Harry Shearer announced seven weeks ago that he would not be joining the rest of The Simpsons cast for more seasons, we have good news for you: Mr. Burns is back!
Shearer—the voice of Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, and countless other characters on the very-long-running animated comedy—has agreed to join the rest of the show's original cast members for two more seasons, after very publicly proclaiming that he was leaving. The actor has signed the same contract as the other five primary voice actors on the show—Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Hank Azaria—for an estimated $300,000 per episode, according to Entertainment Weekly.
It seems the dispute Shearer had with Fox back in May, when he announced his departure, was not about money, but rather the flexibility of his schedule. At the time, Shearer suggested on Twitter that the show didn't allow him the freedom to work on other projects. The team behind the show remained hopeful that Shearer might return, and after eventual discussions with Shearer, the parties have apparently come to an agreement.
To remain on schedule, Fox did begin production on the latest season of the show without Shearer, but he will now rejoin the cast for subsequent episodes.
In other words:
We are extremely pleased to announce that all principal cast members of #TheSimpsons have now been signed. Woo Hoo! pic.twitter.com/pRHW8WJ2oY
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) July 7, 2015
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
