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Harry Shearer

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harry Shearer
Shearer in 2019
Born
Harry Julius Shearer

(1943-12-23) December 23, 1943 (age 80)
Occupation(s)Actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, musician, author, radio host, director, producer
Years active1953–present
Notable workNed Flanders, Montgomery Burns, Waylon Smithers, Seymour Skinner in The Simpsons
Derek Smalls in This is Spinal Tap
Science Vessel in Starcraft
Spouse(s)Penny Nichols (m. 1974–1977; divorced)
Judith Owen (m. 1993–present)
Websitehttp://www.harryshearer.com

Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943, in Los Angeles, California) is an American comedic actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, musician, author, radio host, director and producer. Shearer is famous for playing the voices of many characters for The Simpsons (1989 to present).

Shearer was a child actor. He acted on the Jack Benny radio program.[1]

Shearer was a member of the Credibility Gap comedy group. The radio stations KRLA and later KPPC broadcast the Credibility Gap.[2] He performed on the Pop Chronicles music documentary.[3][4]

Shearer portrayed Derek Smalls in the 1984 comedy movie This is Spinal Tap. Rob Reiner directed this movie.[5]

Shearer speaks the voices for many characters on The Simpsons cartoon. Some of the characters he plays are Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, and Ned Flanders.[6]

Filmography

[change | change source]
Year Film Role Notes
1953 Abbott and Costello Go to Mars Boy Uncredited
The Robe David Uncredited
1977 American Raspberry Trucker's friend
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Captain Khurgee (voice) Uncredited
Cracking Up Various characters Credited as part of "The Credibility Gap"
1979 Real Life Pete Also co-writer
The Concorde ... Airport '79 Jeffrey Marx Uncredited
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh Murray Sports
1980 Animalympics Keen Hacksaw/Mayor of Animal Olympic Island/Burnt Woody/Mark Spritz
Loose Shoes Narrator
One Trick Pony Bernie Wepner
1983 The Right Stuff NASA Recruiter
1984 This Is Spinal Tap Derek Smalls Also co-writer, composer and musician
1987 Flicks Narrator
1988 Plain Clothes Simon Feck
My Stepmother Is an Alien Voice of Carl Sagan
1990 Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School Announcer Short film
1991 Blood and Concrete: A Love Story Sammy Rhodes
Oscar Guido Finucci
Pure Luck Monosoff
The Fisher King Ben Starr
1992 A League of Their Own Newsreel announcer
1993 Wayne's World 2 Handsome Dan
1994 I'll Do Anything Audience Research Captain
Little Giants Announcer Littbarski
Speechless Chuck
1997 My Best Friend's Wedding Jonathan P.F. Ritt
Waiting for Guffman N/A Composer
1998 Godzilla Charles Caiman
Almost Heroes Narrator
The Truman Show Mike Michaelson
Small Soldiers Punch-It
1999 EDtv Moderator
Encounter in the Third Dimension Narrator
Dick G. Gordon Liddy
2000 Catching Up with Marty DiBergi Derek Smalls Short film
Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big Additional voice
2001 Haiku Tunnel Orientation leader
Out There Dr. Gerard
Haunted Castle Mr. D
Mephisto
2002 Teddy Bears' Picnic Joey Lavin Also writer, director and executive producer
2003 A Mighty Wind Mark Shubb
2005 Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School Promo announcer
Chicken Little Dog announcer
2006 For Your Consideration Victor Allan Miller
2007 A Couple of White Chicks at the Hairdresser Marc Gavin
The Simpsons Movie Various characters
2010 The Big Uneasy Narrator Also Director and producer
2011 Flood Streets Actor/Voice/Executive Producer

Television

[change | change source]
Year Series Role Notes
1953, 1955 The Jack Benny Program Jack Benny, as a child
Episode 4.2: "Jack as a Child"
Episode 5.12: "Jack Takes the Beavers to the Fair"
1955 The Donald O'Connor Show Himself Episode 1.7
1955 It's a Great Life Terry Episode 2.4: "The Paper Drive"
1955 Death Valley Days Unnamed character Episode 4.2: "The Valencia Cake"
1956 Private Secretary Chuckie Wills, shoeshine boy Episode 4.16: "The Little Caesar of Bleecker Street"
1957 General Electric Theater Timmy Episode 5.28: "Cab Driver"
Leave It to Beaver Frankie Bennett Pilot: "It's a Small World"
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Street Kid Episode 2.31: "The Night the World Ended"
1976 Serpico Hippy TV film/Pilot: "The Deadly Game"
1976–82 Laverne & Shirley Various characters Appeared in six episodes;
also co-wrote episode 1.12: "Hi, Neighbor"
1979 The T.V. Show Various characters Pilot; also writer, producer and composer
1979–80, 1984–85 Saturday Night Live Various characters Appeared in 32 episodes;
also co-wrote 39 episodes
1981 Likely Stories, Vol. 1 Various characters TV film; also co-wrote
1982 Million Dollar Infield Jack Savage TV film
1985 The History of White People in America Rabbi TV film; also director
1986 Viva Shaf Vegas Rabbi TV film; also director, writer and executive producer
The History of White People in America: Volume II Rabbi TV film; also director
Spitting Image: Down And Out In The White House Additional voice Pilot/TV special
1987 Spitting Image: The Ronnie and Nancy Show Additional voice TV special
Down and Out with Donald Duck Additional voices TV special
1988 Portrait of a White Marriage Unnamed character TV film; also director
Miami Vice FBI Agent Timothy Anderson Episode 4.12: "The Cows of October"
Merrill Markoe's Guide to Glamorous Living Unnamed character TV special
1989–present The Simpsons Ned Flanders, Charles Montgomery Burns, Waylon Smithers, Seymour Skinner and various other characters Longest-running role
1990 The Golden Girls George H. W. Bush Episode 5.26: "The President's Coming! The President's Coming! Part 2"
Hometown Boy Makes Good Unnamed character TV film
Murphy Brown Chris Bishop Episode 3.1: "The 390th Broadcast"
1991 Sunday Best Various characters
1993 Dream On Steve Episode 4.6: "Home Sweet Homeboy"
L.A. Law Gordon Huyck Episode 8.6: "Safe Sex"
Animaniacs Ned Flat Episode 1.40: "Fair Game/Puppet Rulers"
1994 Ellen Ted Episode 2.9: "The Trainer"
1995 Sliders Radio DJ Episode 1.1: "Pilot"; uncredited
Friends Dr. Baldharar Episode 1.21: "The One with the Fake Monica"
The Show Formerly Known as the Martin Short Show Mr. Blackwell TV special
Frontline Larry Hadges Episode 2.10: "Changing the Face of Current Affairs"
1996 State of the Union: Undressed Newt Gingrich TV special
Chicago Hope Nowhere man Episode 3.7: "A Time to Kill"
1997 Tracey Takes On... Ronald Littleman Episode 2.12: "Race Relations"
ER John Smythe Episode 3.19: "Calling Dr. Hathaway"
The Visitor Louis Faraday Episode 1.1: "Fear of Flying"
1998 George & Leo Unnamed character Episode 1.17: "The Poker Game"
1999 Seven Days Walter Landis Episode 1.19: "EBE's"
Just Shoot Me! Larry Fenwick Episode 4.1: "A Divorce to Remember"
1999–2001 Jack & Jill Dr. Wilfred Madison Appeared in four episodes
2000–01 Dawson's Creek Principal Peskin Episodes 4.8: "The Unusual Suspects" and 4.22: "The Graduate"
2001 That's Life Dean Episode 2.9: "Oh, Baby!"
2002 The Agency The President Episode 1.14: "The Gauntlet"
2003 MADtv Mark Shubb Episode 8.21
2009 Never Mind the Buzzcocks Himself Series 23 Episode 6
2012 Nixon's the One Richard Nixon TV special
2012 Have I Got News For You Himself Series 44 Episode 5
2014 The Kumars Himself Sky1 Sitcom
2014 Outnumbered Mr Johnson Series 5 Episode 5

Music video

[change | change source]
Year Song Role Artist
1990 "Do the Bartman" Seymour Skinner Nancy Cartwright

Video games

[change | change source]
Year Game Role
1996 Blazing Dragons Sir Burnevere, Sir George's Valet
1996 The Simpsons Cartoon Studio Various characters
1997 Virtual Springfield Various characters
1998 StarCraft Science Vessel
2001 The Simpsons Wrestling Various characters
2001 The Simpsons: Road Rage Various characters
2002 The Simpsons Skateboarding Various characters
2003 The Simpsons: Hit & Run Various characters
2005 Chicken Little Dog announcer
2007 The Simpsons Game Various characters
2012 The Simpsons: Tapped Out Various characters

Other websites

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References

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  1. Plume, Kenneth. "Interview with Harry Shearer (Part 1 of 4) – feature – at IGN". Movies.ign.com. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
  2. Deming, Mark. "The Credibility Gap > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
  3. Show 34 - Revolt of the Fat Angel: American musicians respond to the British invaders. [Part 2] : UNT Digital Library
  4. Gilliland, John (1969). "E-J — University of North Texas Libraries" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu.
  5. Rabin, Nathan. "Harry Shearer | Animation | Interview". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
  6. "Welcome to The Simpsons.com". Thesimpsons.com. Retrieved 2009-12-28.