The Simpsons actor explains what happened to Marge’s voice

Many of us of a certain generation grew up in front of the television watching The Simpsons.

Since their debut as filler on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 (viewers will remember the first short, in which Homer awkwardly suggests to the family that they “all go out for iced chocolate milkshakes”), nearly 800 episodes of the cult show have helped make Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Homer and Marge household names.

Despite their ripe age of 35, the appeal of the animated series remains undiminished, but it is understandable that some actors have changed over time.

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Marge has been voiced by Julie Kavner, who also plays Patty and Selma Bouvier, since the beginning of The Simpsons, and the matriarch has always had a harsh tone, which the actress has said in interviews is due to a bump on her vocal cords.

Kavner’s voice has aged since the early days of The Simpsons, and Marge’s voice has aged as well. Producers have reduced the character’s higher registers because they put too much strain on the actress’ vocal cords. The actors’ voices aren’t the only aspects of the show that have changed over time.

In 2017 A documentary film, The problem with Apucriticized the character as a stereotype, and the Kwik-e-Mart owner made his last full appearance after actor Hank Azaria – who also voices Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Snake Jailbird, and Professor Frink – announced that he and the production team had agreed for him to step down as the voice of Apu.

Following the death of actress Marcia Wallace in 2013, her character, Springfield Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Edna Krabappel, was written up from the series. Characters Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz were also written up from the series following the murder of actor Phil Hartman.

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