Harry Shearer

Actor, writer and comedian Harry Shearer provides voices for several of the main characters on The Simpsons, including Mr. Burns, Smithers, Kent Brockman and Ned Flanders. He also hosts the radio program Le Show out of KCRW in Santa Monica, California.

Fast Facts

1. Born: December 23, 1943
2. Birthplace: Los Angeles, California
3. Spouse: Singer-songwriter Judith Owen
4. Wrote and directed the 2002 film Teddy Bears' Picnic

Career Background

Shearer started his career as a child actor, appearing in a variety of TV and film roles, including the pilot for Leave it to Beaver. Shearer took up writing and contributed to the TV series Fernwood 2-Night and Laverne and Shirley.

He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1979, replacing the departing original cast, including John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. He also wrote sketches for the show. Shearer would leave SNL a few years later, and then returned briefly from the 1984-1985 season.

In 1984, he starred along with Michael McKean and Christopher Guest in the landmark mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap for director Rob Reiner. The film was a significant hit, and the three comedians continued to tour and make appearances as the film's fictional metal band for years to come. Shearer continued to collaborate with McKean and Guest in the mockumentaries A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration.

In 1989, Shearer joined the cast of The Simpsons.

Politics

Shearer regularly discusses contemporary politics with a humorous slant on his radio program, Le Show. A resident of New Orleans, he has been an outspoken critic of the government's efforts at rebuilding the city and regularly contributes his perspective on this and other issues to the blog The Huffington Post.

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