Harry Shearer, the voice of Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, and Principal Skinner on The Simpsons, is returning to the show after publicly leaving it in May.
Update (July 7): Shearer is back on The Simpsons! The actor has worked out a new deal with the show to stay on board for another four seasons, and Fox has the option to pick up two more. Each of the voice actors, including Shearer, will be making a whopping $300,000 per episode, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Is anyone surprised Shearer agreed to the new deal? That’s a lot of money for voice acting work — he would’ve been crazy to say no.
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Original story (May 14): The 25-year Simpsons veteran, who’s been with the show since its launch in 1989, revealed overnight that he would not be signing a new contract to continue on with the long-running animated series in its 27th and 28th seasons because he did not agree with the scheduling commitment.
He tweeted last night:
from James L. Brooks' lawyer: "show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best.". (1/2)
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 14, 2015
This because I wanted what we've always had: the freedom to do other work.
Of course, I wish him the very best. (2/2)
— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 14, 2015
Shearer wanted to have time to do other projects, according to CNN, but the new, $14 million ($14 million!) contract with The Simpsons required him to turn in his work in a timely manner. On one hand we certainly understand Shearer’s situation: At 71 years old, the actor wants to work on projects outside of The Simpsons before he retires or just gets too old to work. On the other hand… $14 million for voiceover work!
Said Simpsons producer Al Jean in a statement, “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 voiceover talent available.”
Shearer voiced a minimum of 23 characters including Kent Brockman, Waylon Smithers, Reverend Lovejoy, Dr. Hibbert, Lenny Leonard, Otto Mann, Rainier Wolfcastle, and Dr. Marvin Monroe. Whoever replaces him will have big shoes to fill, as Shearer voiced the third highest number of characters behind Dan Castellaneta (26 characters including Homer, Krusty) and Hank Azaria (24 characters including Moe and Apu).