Editing Harry Shearer (section)

===''The Simpsons''===
Shearer is known for his work as a voice actor on ''[[The Simpsons]]''. [[Matt Groening]], the creator of the show, was a fan of Shearer's work, while Shearer was a fan of a column Groening used to write.<ref name="ign3">{{cite web |title=Interview with Harry Shearer (Part 3 of 4) |url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/035/035862p1.html |author=Plume, Kenneth |website=IGN |date=February 10, 2000 |access-date=April 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522141427/http://movies.ign.com/articles/035/035862p1.html |archive-date=May 22, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> When approached by Groening to be in the series, Shearer was initially reluctant because he thought the recording sessions would be too much trouble.<ref name="ign3"/> He felt that voice acting was "not a lot of fun" as, traditionally, voice actors record their parts separately.<ref name="sfgate"/> He was told that the actors would record their lines together,<ref name="sfgate"/> and after three phone calls for executive producer [[James L. Brooks]], Shearer was convinced to join the cast of ''The Simpsons''.<ref name="thejc">{{cite news |url=http://www.thejc.com/arts/arts-interviews/interview-harry-shearer |title=Interview: Harry Shearer |last=Round |first=Simon |date=October 10, 2008 |work=The Jewish Chronicle |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013070111/http://www.thejc.com/arts/arts-interviews/interview-harry-shearer |access-date=February 13, 2009|archive-date=October 13, 2013 }}</ref> Shearer's first impression of ''The Simpsons'' was that it was funny. He – who thought it was a "pretty cool" way to work – found it peculiar that his fellow cast members were adamant about not being known to the public as the people behind the voices.<ref name="avclub"/>

Shearer provides voices for [[Principal Skinner]], [[Kent Brockman]], [[Mr. Burns]], [[Waylon Smithers]], [[Ned Flanders]], [[Reverend Lovejoy]], formerly [[Dr. Hibbert]] until 2021, [[Lenny Leonard]], [[Otto Mann]], [[Rainier Wolfcastle]], [[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|Scratchy]], [[Kang and Kodos|Kang]], [[Dr. Marvin Monroe]], and [[Judge Snyder (The Simpsons)|Judge Snyder]], among others.{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997 |pp=178–179}} He has described all of his regular characters' voices as "easy to slip into. ... I wouldn't do them if they weren't easy."<ref name="ign3"/> Shearer modeled Mr. Burns's voice on the two actors [[Lionel Barrymore]] and [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref name=voice>{{cite news |title=Real People are Models for 'Simpsons' Voices |publisher=Times-Union |date=April 28, 1994 |author=Marder, Keith |page=C4}}</ref> Shearer says that Burns is the most difficult character for him to voice because it is rough on his vocal cords and he often needs to drink tea and honey to soothe his voice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/FamousNews/FamousMagazine/July%202007.aspx?FamousArticles=4395 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026153459/https://www.cineplex.com/Movies/FamousNews/FamousMagazine/July%202007.aspx?FamousArticles=4395 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 26, 2007 |title=Burns, Baby, Burns |access-date=May 5, 2008 |date=July 2007 |author=Dittman, Earl |publisher=[[Cineplex Entertainment]] }}</ref> He describes Burns as his favorite character, saying he "like[s] Mr. Burns because he is pure evil. A lot of evil people make the mistake of diluting it. Never adulterate your evil."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejc.com/node/6832 |title=Interview: Harry Shearer |access-date=November 4, 2008 |date=October 10, 2008 |author=Round, Simon |work=[[The Jewish Chronicle]] |archive-date=October 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012084310/http://www.thejc.com/node/6832 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shearer is also the voice of Burns' assistant Smithers, and is able to perform dialogue between the two characters in one take. In the episode "[[Bart's Inner Child]]", Shearer said "wow" in the voice of Otto, which was then used when Otto was seen jumping on a trampoline.<ref name=Jean>Jean, Al (2002). Commentary for "[[Blood Feud (The Simpsons)|Blood Feud]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Ned Flanders had been meant to be just a neighbor that [[Homer Simpson]] was jealous of, but because Shearer used "such a sweet voice" for him, Flanders was broadened to become a [[Christian]] and a sweet guy that someone would prefer to live next to over Homer.<ref name="JeanWFF">Jean, Al (2003). Commentary for "[[When Flanders Failed]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Dr. Marvin Monroe's voice was based on psychiatrist [[David Viscott]].<ref>Groening, Matt (2001). Commentary for "[[There's No Disgrace Like Home]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Monroe has been largely retired since the [[The Simpsons season 7|seventh season]] barring a few cameo appearances because voicing the character strained Shearer's throat.<ref>Jean, Al (2001). Commentary for "[[Some Enchanted Evening (The Simpsons)|Some Enchanted Evening]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref>

In 2004, Shearer criticized what he perceived as [[The Simpsons#Perceived decline in quality|the show's declining quality]]: "I rate the last three seasons as among the worst, so [[The Simpsons (season 4)|season four]] looks very good to me now."<ref name="legget">{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Leggett |title=Harry Shearer |publisher=UK Teletext |date=August 4, 2004}}</ref> Shearer has also been vocal about "[[The Principal and the Pauper]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 9)|season nine, episode two]], 1997), one of the most controversial episodes of ''The Simpsons''. Many fans and critics reacted negatively to the revelation that [[Principal Seymour Skinner]], a recurring character since the first season, was an impostor. The episode has been criticized by both Shearer and Groening. In a 2001 interview, Shearer recalled that after reading the script, he told the writers, "That's ''so'' wrong. You're taking something that an audience has built eight years or nine years of investment in and just tossed it in the trash can for no good reason, for a story we've done before with other characters. It's so arbitrary and gratuitous, and it's disrespectful to the audience."<ref name="Weekly">{{cite web |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2001-04-25/culture/shearer-delight/ |title=Shearer Delight |author=Wilonsky, Robert |date=April 27, 2001 |access-date=May 1, 2009 |work=[[SF Weekly]] |archive-date=June 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610122552/http://www.sfweekly.com/2001-04-25/culture/shearer-delight/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In a December 2006 interview, Shearer added, "Now, [the writers] refuse to talk about it. They realize it was a horrible mistake. They never mention it. It's like they're punishing [the audience] for paying attention."<ref>{{cite news |title=Tapping into the many roles of Harry Shearer |date=2006-12-07 |page=8E |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |last=Goldstein |first=Meredith}}</ref>

Due to scheduling and availability conflicts, Shearer decided not to participate in ''[[The Simpsons Ride]]'', which opened in 2008, so none of his characters have vocal parts and many do not appear in the ride at all.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tmz.com/2008/04/15/mr-burns-sucks-in-real-life-too/ |title=Mr. Burns Sucks in Real Life Too |access-date=April 30, 2009 |date=April 15, 2008 |work=[[TMZ]] |archive-date=October 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014152756/http://www.tmz.com/2008/04/15/mr-burns-sucks-in-real-life-too/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 2010 interview on ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'', Shearer alluded that the reason he was not part of the ride was because he would not be getting paid for it.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHUZ55Tx0ys&t=35m4s | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903231828/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHUZ55Tx0ys&feature=youtu.be&t=35m4s| archive-date=2015-09-03 | url-status=dead|title=Harry Shearer on The Howard Stern Show (March 3, 2010)|access-date=May 20, 2015 |date=March 3, 2010|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> Similarly, Shearer was unable to appear in the ''[[Family Guy]]'' crossover episode "[[The Simpsons Guy]]" due to further scheduling conflicts. Therefore, his characters are again mute. When asked about how he felt about the crossover, Shearer replied, "Matter and anti-matter."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2014/08/08/harry_shearer_on_revolutionizing_comedy_and_why_nixon_was_the_last_great_character_of_our_time/|title=Legendary comic Harry Shearer: Nixon was the last great tragicomic character of our time|last=Gupta|first=Prachi|work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]|date=August 8, 2014|access-date=March 22, 2015|archive-date=March 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320095432/http://www.salon.com/2014/08/08/harry_shearer_on_revolutionizing_comedy_and_why_nixon_was_the_last_great_character_of_our_time/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Until 1998, Shearer was paid $30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing for casting of new voices.<ref name=Glaister/> The dispute, however, was resolved and Shearer received $125,000 per episode until 2004, when the voice actors demanded that they be paid $360,000 an episode.<ref name=Glaister>{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544690429.html |title=Simpsons actors demand bigger share |access-date=February 5, 2009 |date=April 3, 2004 |author=Glaister, Dan |work=The Age |location=Melbourne |archive-date=November 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116081914/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544690429.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The dispute was resolved a month later,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/simpsons-cast-goes-back-to-work/ |title='Simpsons' Cast Goes Back To Work |access-date=February 5, 2009 |date=May 1, 2004 |work=[[CBS News]] |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110113625/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/01/entertainment/main615066.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> and Shearer's pay rose to $250,000 per episode.<ref>{{cite news |title=Meet the Simpsons |date=May 6, 2004 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|Daily Express]] |author=Sheridan, Peter}}</ref> After salary re-negotiations in 2008, the voice actors received $400,000 per episode.<ref>{{cite news |title=Simpsons cast sign new pay deal |work=BBC News |date=June 3, 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7434296.stm |access-date=February 5, 2009 |archive-date=June 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620154525/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7434296.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel the series unless production costs were cut, Shearer and the other cast members accepted a 30% pay cut, down to just over $300,000 per episode.<ref>{{cite news |last=Block |first=Alex Ben |title='The Simpsons' Renewed for Two More Seasons |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/simpsons-renewed-two-more-seasons-245748 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=October 15, 2011 |date=October 7, 2011 |archive-date=January 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125073424/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/simpsons-renewed-two-more-seasons-245748 |url-status=live }}</ref> On May 14, 2015, Shearer announced he was leaving the show. After the other voice actors signed a contract for the same pay, Shearer refused, stating it was not enough. Al Jean made a statement from the producers saying "the show must go on," but did not elaborate on what might happen to the characters Shearer voiced.<ref>{{cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/5/14/8604495/harry-shearer-leaves-the-simpsons-no-mr-burns-flanders |title=The Simpsons loses the voice of Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, and Principal Skinner as Harry Shearer quits |website=The Verge |date=May 14, 2015 |access-date=December 21, 2016 |archive-date=November 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130115053/http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/14/8604495/harry-shearer-leaves-the-simpsons-no-mr-burns-flanders |url-status=live }}</ref> On July 7, 2015, Shearer agreed to continue with the show, on the same terms as the other voice actors.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/15/harry-shearer-simpsons-returns?hootPostID=c9207bc716489e677082ac3971988718 |title=Harry Shearer returning to ''The Simpsons'' |access-date=July 7, 2015 |date=July 7, 2015 |author=Snierson, Dan |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-date=July 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710095305/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/05/15/harry-shearer-simpsons-returns?hootPostID=c9207bc716489e677082ac3971988718 |url-status=live }}</ref>