The Simpsons is the longest-running American scripted primetime TV series in history. The first episode aired in December 1989 and the show has been going strong ever since, with the 36th season premiering in September 2024.
Its legendary characters like Homer, Marge and Bart are household names. But have you ever wondered about the talented people who bring these beloved characters to life?
Read on to meet the voice actors behind The Simpsons, discover who they play and find out who's richest today.
All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Born in Los Angeles in 1952, Maggie Roswell is an actress and comedian with an estimated net worth of $5 million (£4m).
Roswell began her career as an actress. She worked steadily throughout the 1970s and 1980s, making guest appearances on popular TV series such as Remington Steele and Happy Days.
She transitioned into voice acting with her role in the 1983 fantasy film Fire and Ice. However, Roswell is undoubtedly best known for her long-running vocal role on The Simpsons. She joined the cast in season one with a guest appearance as belly dancer Princess Kashmir but was swiftly hired as a series regular.
Maggie Roswell plays...
In season two, Roswell began voicing Maude Flanders, the devout Christian wife of Ned Flanders, the Simpson family's neighbour.
In 1999 Roswell unexpectedly quit The Simpsons following a pay dispute with Fox. She was earning around $2,000 per episode (equivalent to around $4k/£3k today) but requested a raise to $6,000 ($11k/£9k today) to cover her travel expenses for flying from Denver to LA to record the show. Fox's refusal resulted in Maude's character being killed off.
However, Roswell returned in 2002 after reaching a deal with Fox to record her lines from Denver. She portrayed Maude as a ghost in the season 14 premiere and continues to voice various characters today, including Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover and Luann Van Houten.
Born in 1951, Tress MacNeille is an American voice actress with an estimated net worth of $10 million (£8m).
A diverse performer, she's voiced characters in children’s series including Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, The Smurfs, and My Little Pony. She's also the current voice of the iconic Disney character Daisy Duck, featuring in shows such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ and DuckTales.
MacNeille joined The Simpsons in 1990, making her debut in the eighth episode of season one. She's collaborated extensively with Simpsons creator Matt Groening over the years, voicing the villainous Mom in Futurama since its 1999 debut and taking on various vocal roles in his Netflix series Disenchantment.
Tress MacNeille plays...
MacNeille is best known for voicing Agnes Skinner, the sharp-tongued mother of Principal Skinner.
She also voices Lunchlady Doris, Lindsey Naegle, Cookie Kwan and various other minor characters.
In fact, the versatile actress has appeared in every episode of the show since 1999.
American voice actress Pamela Hayden has an estimated net worth of between $16 million (£13m) and $25 million (£21m), thanks to her decades-spanning career.
Hayden joined The Simpsons in season one in a role that marked a big break for her. Before that, her most notable role was as a main cast member on the 1980s animated kids' show Turbo Teen.
Hayden's work on The Simpsons has helped her secure additional voice acting roles in popular series such as The Tom & Jerry Kids Show, Hey Arnold!, and Recess.
Pamela Hayden plays...
Hayden's most notable Simpsons role is voicing Milhouse Van Houten, Bart Simpson's loyal best friend.
She also brings to life Rod Flanders, Jimbo Jones, Sarah Wiggum and many other minor characters.
Hayden appeared in every episode of the show between 2009 and 2024. However, last November, she announced her retirement from both The Simpsons and voice acting altogether, leaving the fate of the characters she portrays hanging in the balance.
Born in 1957, American actress Nancy Cartwright is worth an estimated $60 million (£50m).
Cartwright has been a main cast member on The Simpsons since day one, voicing one of the show's most iconic characters (more on that soon).
However, her long-running Simpsons role is far from her only famous and lucrative gig. Cartwright has voiced Chuckie in Rugrats since 1992, when she replaced Christine Cavanaugh. She’s also voiced characters in several animated films, including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, to name just a few.
Nancy Cartwright plays...
Cartwright provides the voice of Bart Simpson, the mischievous eldest child of the Simpson family.
In addition to Bart, Cartwright voices other fan-favourite characters such as Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum and Todd Flanders, along with other minor roles.
Though she predominantly voices male characters, Cartwright has also lent her talents to female roles. Most notably, she provides sound effects such as laughter and crying for Maggie Simpson.
American actor Hank Azaria has an estimated net worth of $80 million (£66m), built through his decade-spanning career as both a voice and screen actor.
Azaria's notable on-screen work includes roles in movies such as Pretty Woman, Along Came Polly and Godzilla. He’s also voiced characters in popular films like Happy Feet 2 and the Smurfs franchise. On the small screen, he’s provided additional voices in animated sitcoms, including Family Guy and The Cleveland Show.
Azaria has been a main cast member on The Simpsons since day one.
Hank Azaria plays...
Azaria voices three beloved supporting characters on the show: the grumpy bartender Moe Szyslak, the incompetent police chief Clancy Wiggum and the sarcastic comic book store owner Jeffrey Albertson.
He's also the voice behind several minor characters, including Professor Jonathan Frink and Snake Jailbird.
Azaria previously voiced Kwik-E-Mart store clerk Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, but stood down from the role due to a row over negative racial stereotypes.
Born in 1943, American actor Harry Shearer has an estimated net worth of $85 million (£70m). He’s built his impressive fortune via a number of iconic roles, both vocally and in live-action.
His notable on-screen work includes roles in comedy films such as This Is Spinal Tap and Wayne’s World 2. On the small screen, he’s guest-starred in many popular sitcoms, including ER, Friends and The Golden Girls.
Despite his diverse portfolio, Shearer’s most lucrative gig is his long-standing vocal role on The Simpsons. He's been a main cast member since the show’s first season.
Harry Shearer plays...
Shearer brings to life some of the show's most beloved characters, including the villainous power plant owner Mr. Burns and his long-suffering assistant Waylon Smithers.
He also voices Seymour Skinner, the elementary school principal, Ned Flanders, the Simpson family's devout neighbour, and Reverend Lovejoy.
If this raft of iconic roles wasn’t impressive enough, he also voices various minor characters such as Lenny Leonard, Otto Mann and Scratchy, to name just a few.
Born in 1964, Yeardley Smith is an American actress with an estimated net worth of $85 million (£70m).
She began her acting career in the 1980s, making her on-screen debut in the 1985 comedy Heaven Help Us. That same decade, she landed her breakout role on The Simpsons and has been a main cast member since the show’s inception.
Other notable roles include guest appearances in popular TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory and The Mindy Project, as well as vocal roles in animated sitcoms like Family Guy.
Yeardley Smith plays...
Smith is the voice behind one of the show's most iconic characters, Lisa, the intelligent and idealistic middle child of the Simpson family.
Smith originally auditioned to voice Bart Simpson, but producers felt her voice was too feminine, with the role ultimately going to Nancy Cartwright.
While she primarily voices Lisa, over the decades, she's also provided voices for other minor characters, such as Cecile Shapiro and Grandma Flanders.
Born in 1957, American actor and writer Dan Castellaneta boasts an estimated net worth of $85 million (£70m).
He's built his impressive fortune by voicing characters in a range of popular TV series, including Futurama, Hey Arnold! and Back to the Future: The Animated Series. Meanwhile, his live-action credits include roles in Space Jam and The Pursuit of Happyness.
Castellaneta has been a key member of The Simpsons cast since the show’s inception.
Dan Castellaneta plays...
Dan Castellaneta voices Homer, the bumbling, doughnut-loving patriarch of the Simpson family.
In addition to Homer, he voices supporting characters such as Grandpa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, the grumpy Scottish janitor Groundskeeper Willie and Homer’s best friend Barney Gumble.
But that’s not all – the versatile star also brings to life a wide variety of minor characters like Mayor Quimby, Sideshow Mel and Itchy.
Born in 1950, actress Julie Kavner is the wealthiest current cast member, with an enviable estimated net worth of $90 million (£74m).
Before joining The Simpsons, Kavner was already an Emmy-winning actress, earning fame and acclaim for her role as Brenda Morgenstern on the 1970s sitcom Rhoda.
However, she's best known for her work as a voice actress, having been a vital member of The Simpsons cast since day one. In addition to her work on the show, she's landed vocal roles in movies like The Lion King 1½ (also known as Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata) and the animated TV series Family Guy.
Julie Kavner plays....
Kavner voices Marge, the loving and nurturing matriarch of the Simpson family.
In addition to Marge, she also voices her sisters, Patty and Selma Bouvier, as well as Marge’s mother, Jacqueline Bouvier.
Kavner also brings to life a variety of minor characters, including Eunice Bouvier and Gladys Gurney. Like her on-screen husband, she's an irreplaceable part of the series.
Next up, we have a couple of honourable mentions: Kelsey Grammer (pictured) and Joe Mantegna. While not regular or supporting cast members, these guest stars are integral to The Simpsons.
Mantegna, worth an estimated $25 million (£21m), is best known for his role as David Rossi on Criminal Minds and his acclaimed performances in films like The Godfather Part III and House of Games.
Meanwhile, Grammer boasts a phenomenal net worth of $80 million (£66m). He's best known for his Emmy-winning role as Dr. Frasier Crane, first on Cheers and later on the spin-off Frasier.
Kelsey Grammer and Joe Mantegna play...
Mantegna voices the smooth-talking mob boss Fat Tony, a recurring character known for running Springfield's mafia. He joined the show in the third season in 1991.
Meanwhile, Grammer voices the villainous Sideshow Bob, Bart Simpson's archnemesis. Bob made his debut in the first season in 1990 and has appeared in 22 episodes over the years, with his most recent appearance in 2023.
Finally, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening is worth an incredible $600 million (£492m).
Before The Simpsons, the 70-year-old writer, cartoonist and producer was best known for his acclaimed comic strip Life in Hell, which debuted in 1977.
The Simpsons began as a series of animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. The shorts proved so popular that Fox developed them into a full half-hour series. The first episode, a holiday special titled Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, aired in December 1989, with the full first season premiering in January 1990.
While The Simpsons is undoubtedly Groening’s most famous creation, he's also helmed other successful animated shows, most notably Futurama and the Netflix series Disenchantment.
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