Voice of The Simpsons’ Mr. Burns Criticizes Decision to Prohibit White Actors From Playing Non-White Roles  

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Harry Shearer, who voices both Mr. Burns and Dr. Hibbert for The Simpsons, criticized the show’s decision to bar white actors from playing non-white characters.

“I have a very simple belief about acting,” Shearer said during a Monday interview with Matt Chorley on Times Radio. “The job of the actor is to play someone who they’re not.”

Shearer, who previously voiced the role of a Black doctor Julius Hibbert, noted that his opinion is not tied to the fact that he will no longer be playing certain characters. He explained that it won’t affect him, as they “don’t get paid by the voice.”

The Simpsons announced in June that the series would no longer have white actors voice non-white characters. The decision followed nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, sparked by the killing of George Floyd, and the claim of another Simpsons star, Hank Azaria, who said he would stop voicing Indian-American character Apu after 30 years playing the role.

Mike Henry, the white actor who has voiced Black character Cleveland Brown on The Simpsons, also announced on Twitter that he will be stepping away from the role.

“It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years,” he wrote. “I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role.”

Shearer spoke out against the decision and claimed that actors should be able to play roles outside of their own experiences — pointing out that he has little in common with Mr. Burns but is still allowed to voice the character.

“I think there’s a conflation between representation, which is important — people from all backgrounds should be represented in the writing and producing ends of the business so they help decide what stories to tell and with what knowledge — and performance,” Shearer added. “The job is playing someone I’m not.”