‘The Simpsons’ Fires White Actor Who Played Black Doctor For 31 Years
“The Simpsons,” the longest-running American animated TV show, will recast a voice actor who has played a black doctor for over three decades.
White actor Harry Shearer played the character in question, Dr. Hibbert. He will be replaced by black actor Kevin Michael Richardson, who also voices “Family Guy” and “American Dad!”.
Harry Shearer will no longer voice black 'Simpsons' character https://t.co/hl8IbzvzUO pic.twitter.com/rRLEJsMULB
— New York Post (@nypost) February 22, 2021
“‘DiaryQueen’ featured Harry Shearer as the voice of Dr. Hibbert for the last time,” 20th Television said in a statement provided to The Wrap. “Next Sunday’s episode ‘Wad Goals’ will have Kevin Michael Richardson voicing Dr. Hibbert — and from there on out he will voice the character.”
Shearer started voicing Dr. Hibbert in the show’s second season back in 1990.
“Moving forward, ‘The Simpsons’ will no longer have white actors voice nonwhite characters,” Fox said in a June statement at the time, shortly after BLM-led destruction exploded following the death of George Floyd, who allegedly died of a drug overdose while under police custody.
Other animated shows and characters were also reorganized.
“Family Guy” star Mike Henry, who is white, was fired from playing black character Cleveland Brown.
Kristen Bell announced that she would no longer voice Molly, a mixed-raced character on Central Park.
Hank Azaria, who plays bartender Moe and convenience-store owner Apu, will no longer play the character of Indian descent.
“My eyes have been opened,” Azaria said in a January interview. “I think the most important thing is we have to listen to South Asian people, Indian people in this country when they talk about what they feel, how they think about this character, and what their American experience of it [is].”
It is likely that this trend of race-based recasting will continue in the entertainment industry.
