I just found out what inspired Moe from the Simpsons voice and I am shocked

Television of the 20th Century Fox

“Hey, is there a Butz here? Seymour Butz? Hey guys, I want Seymour Butz!”

Moe Szyslak has been a key character in The Simpsons since it first aired nearly 35 years ago. He is known for his bar, Moe’s Tavern, and for being a long-time victim of Bart’s prank calls – but did you know that his voice is actually provided by a veryfamous actor?

His personality is supposed to be a mix of different inspirations, but that voice? It’s inspired by one guy: Al Pacino.

The inspiration behind Moe Szyslak’s voice

In an interview with GQ, Hank Azaria, who lends his voice to Moe, said: “Moe is kind of like a weird version of a young Al Pacino with a gravelly voice.”

Hank Azaria is also the voice of Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Snake and Professor Frink in the series.

Speaking to Awards Daily, Hank spoke about his experience portraying so many characters on the show, revealing, “It’s fun. When it’s really confusing, when you’re in a situation where Chief Wiggum is talking to Moe, you can always do one and the other.”

“Editing is a beautiful thing. There are a handful of episodes where it feels like my characters dominate everything, and it’s really fun to see how it all comes together. It’s me talking to myself the whole time.”

Hank also took over the controversial voice of Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon until 2020, when he stepped down from the role, which was described as a team decision.

At the time, he said: “I’ve thought about it a lot and, as I said, it’s been an eye-opener. I think the most important thing is to listen to Indians and hear their experiences with it.”

Hank added, “I really want to see Indian and South Asian writers in the writers’ room… whether they have a voice or not.”

“I’m completely ready to step down. It just feels right to me.”

Since then, Hank has also stopped playing characters like Carl Carlson or police officer Lou after the Simpsons’ bosses decided that white actors would no longer lend their voices to people of color in the series.

The Simpsons are on Disney Plus.

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