One of the most comforting things about the long-running cartoon is that none of the characters ever age, and very few main characters die in episodes – which makes the cartoon feel like a pretty comforting and familiar watch for fans.
However, today is certainly the end of an era, as the voice behind one of the show’s most recognisable characters is stepping down.
Confirming the news via social media, the official Simpsons Instagram account posted a montage to Hayden, featuring some of her most famous Milhouse moments.
“Thank you for 35 years of Milhouse and so many more, Pamela Hayden,” the caption added, alongside confirmation that her final episode will be the upcoming Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes airing on Sunday, 24 November.
“The time has come for me to hang up my microphone, but how do I say goodbye to The Simpsons?……not easily,” Hayden said of her departure in a statement.
.png)
Pamela Hayden has confirmed that she is retiring from The Simpsons (Instagram/thesimpsons)
“It’s been an honour and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show, and to give voice to Milhouse and Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey, Malibu Stacy, and many others.” she added.
“I’ll always have a special place in my heart for that blue-haired 10-year-old boy with glasses.”
Fans were of course devastated by the news, with one fan writing: “Whoa a retirement? Thanks Pamela for your years of commitment to the role,” while a second added: “Everything is no longer coming up Milhouse.”
Meanwhile, others were understandably concerned about the future of Bart’s best friend, with several wondering if the character would be recasted.
“Is this the untimely end of Milhouse,” one concerned fan commented, while another wrote: “Does this mean no more Milhouse?!”
Things are no longer coming up Milhouse (Instagram/pamelaahayden)
“Pamela’s talent and joy and love for her characters has added a magic to The Simpsons that will never be forgotten. Everything’s coming up Pamela,” showrunner and executive producer Matt Selman said in a statement, while creator Matt Groening added: “Pamela gave us tons of laughs with Milhouse, the hapless kid with the biggest nose in Springfield.
Casting for actors replacement actors is scheduled to take place in the near future, according to reports from Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter.
.png)
You spend years of your life watching someone, only for them to die right in front of your eyes.
For fans of The Simpsons, they haven’t had to deal with many of these moments, but there was one that stuck with everyone due to how unexpected it was.
He has brought many laughs over the years, especially due to his ramblings and penchant for drinking Duff beer like it’s water with the gang.
However, in episode 765, the show runners made the bold decision to pull the trigger on a character that was popular among the show’s fanbase for 35 years.
During ‘Cremains the Day’, Larry suddenly drops dead at the bar.
Larry the Barfly was the latest Simpsons character to die. Disney
What follows this is a touching moment between Homer, Moe, Lenny and Carl at Larry’s funeral, when they realise that they know next to nothing about their long-time friend.
And fans were gutted about this twist in the show’s arc and were quick to call out the show for breaking their hearts.
They shared on X their thoughts on his death.
One user wrote a day before the episode aired: “Just learned they are killing off Larry on The Simpsons tomorrow. I need a minute.”
While another said: “Really enjoyed last night’s Simpsons episode. But I couldn’t stop wondering why there was no mention of Larry’s best friend, Sam.”
A third said: “Holy s**t Larry from the Simpsons died, rest in peace my drunken king.”
This led to co-executive producer Tim Long telling TMZ that he’s ‘sorry’ for upsetting fans and that his death was meant to pack a punch to fans.
But why did they choose Larry of all people?
The group mourn the loss of Larry the Barfly. Disney
Long went on to share that he wanted to ‘hit the audience hard’ with Larry’s death, because despite his minimal role in The Simpsons, he was beloved.
He shared to Variety in an email: “I’m sorry if some fans are upset, but we really wanted to use Larry’s death as a way to show that even the most peripheral people in our lives have dignity and worth, and that we really shouldn’t take anyone for granted.”
It can be seen in the subsequent scenes after his death that it pulls together the Tavern crew to think about their friend, how they treated him and how they could manage such a long relationship without gaining any personal details about him.
It was meant to be a self-reflective moment for the characters, and it did exactly that.
In his email, Long added: “To paraphrase Shakespeare, nothing became Larry’s life like the way he left it: drunk, lonely, and with a butt full of sapphires.”
The Simpsons fans have been left reeling this week following the loss of a long-serving character who has been on our screens since the animated sitcom’s debuted in 1989.
Being a loyal regular at Moe’s Tavern earned him his strange nickname and it looks like his excessive drinking habits are the only legacy he is leaving behind, seen as though people barely know anything about him.
The most Larry has been in the spotlight was during the latest episode of The Simpsons titled Cremains the Day that aired on 21 April, which was also when he was bumped off.
He suddenly drops dead in the middle of Moe’s Tavern, much to the shock of his boozing buddies including Homer, Lenny, Carl and the landlord himself, Moe.
After attending his funeral, the group realise that they know almost nothing about their pal after 35 years.
The lads mourn the loss of Larry the Barfly in one of the latest episodes. (Disney)
Homer wonders if they are ‘terrible people’ for being so unaware of what was going on in Larry’s life, especially after the late Barfly’s mother describes the group as her son’s ‘best friends’.
The blokes manage to muddle through the funeral service by telling a vague story about a fishing trip, before later deciding to sprinkle his ashes at his ‘special place’, Serenity Falls.
Long story short, the urn containing the remnants of Larry ends up back right exactly where he belongs – on a stool in Moe’s Tavern.
The Simpsons co-executive producer, Tim Long, told fans that the death of the longstanding character was supposed to evoke a strong response from diehard fans, as it ‘speaks to how beloved the show still is’.
To be fair, a Springfield resident meeting their maker is a rare occurrence, so it’s a huge deal when one does.
But now people have seen Larry’s 35-year tenure wrap up at such short notice, fans of The Simpsons voiced their fears that a popular character might not be far behind him.
The quiet character used to booze alongside the likes of Barney Gumble. (Disney)
Concerns were raised for Springfield’s resident drunk, Barney Gumble, after fans noticed that he didn’t make much of an appearance in the Cremains the Day episode.
People shared their panic on social media following the news of Larry’s death.
One person said: “When I saw that The Simpsons killed someone in Moe’s Tavern and I didn’t see Barney in the bar scenes, I was already preparing myself.”
Another wrote: “Thought this news was about Barney Gumble for a second.”
While a third added: “I thought it was going to be Barney with all the build up. Who tf is Larry?”
But it was the fourth person who put it best when they chimed in and said: “Nothing can kill Barney Gumble.”
All the Duff Beer in the world couldn’t drown this guy – and who else would Moe have for company if they killed off his most loyal customer?
The Simpsons has been on our screens for as long as we can remember, with its first episode coming out in December 1989 on American broadcaster Fox.
Arguably the most iconic animated series ever made, the fandom around it goes far and beyond the show getting a few predictions about the future right.
The show is so popular in fact, that it is in the middle of its 35th season, with fans still eager to see what Homer, Marge, Lisa and Bart Simpson get up to with their pals in Springfield.
But for a series to run for that length of time, sometimes you have to throw some spanners in the works to keep things a bit fresh, whether it be introducing new characters, or sometimes, killing off existing ones.
So in this, episode 765, the show runners have made the bold decision to pull the trigger on a character that was popular among the show’s fanbase.
Larry the barfly was a beloved character on the show. (Disney)
The victim was none other than Larry the Barfly, aka Larry Dalrymple, a regular at Moe’s Tavern and one of Homer’s best friends.
During the episode ‘Cremains the Day’, the famous barfly, who is often seen in the background at Homer’s favourite drinking spot, drops dead at the bar.
Following the sad event, bartender Moe, Homer and his pals Lenny and Carl turn up to his funeral, but they realise that they know almost nothing about their ‘friend’ even though they spent so much time together.
Homer asked if they were ‘terrible people’ for putting themselves in this position.
Larry’s mother, Iris, paid an emotional tribute to her late son at the funeral, but said: “My Lawrence always talked about his best friends, the fellows at Moe’s Tavern.
“It would warm my heart if they came up and shared fond memories of my son.”
Reluctantly, the group make up a vague fishing story to unconvincingly tell at the funeral, thought it was enough for his mother to give them a picture of Larry, which revealed that his last name was ‘Dalrymple’ for the first time.
The four then go to sprinkle his ashes to his ‘special place’, Serenity Falls.
Larry was a staple in Homer’s friendship group. (Disney)
Long-running Simpsons writer Matt Selman credited the team behind the emotional episode after it aired, on X, formerly Twitter: “‘Cremains of the Day’ — @TheSimpsons episode 765, brilliantly written by John Frink, stunningly co-run by @mrtimlong & daringly directed by Gabriel DeFrancesco.”
Fans were caught off guard completely about the death, sharing their thoughts on the social media site.
One user posted a day prior: “Just learned they are killing off Larry on The Simpsons tomorrow. I need a minute.”
Another pointed out: “Really enjoyed last night’s Simpsons episode. But I couldn’t stop wondering why there was no mention of Larry’s best friend, Sam.”
Just ask any Grey’s Anatomy fan, who’s dealt with a whopping 15 of them over the years.
Now, The Simpsons producer Tim Long has apologised after the death of a longtime character left fans reeling.
In the show’s most recent episode, producers pulled the plug on a character who’s been there since the very start.
During ‘Cremains the Day’, Larry the Barfly, aka Larry Dalrymple, who is often seen in the background at Moe’s Tavern, drops dead at the bar.
Following the sad event, Homer, Moe, Lenny and Carl attend Larry’s funeral, but realise that they know almost nothing about their ‘friend.’
Homer asks if they were ‘terrible people’ for putting themselves in this position.
Disney
After Larry’s mother, Iris, pays an emotional tribute to her late son, the group, who Iris describes as Larry’s ‘best friends,’ unconvincingly tell a vague fishing story at the funeral.
They then go to sprinkle his ashes at his ‘special place’, Serenity Falls.
Simpsons fans were caught off guard by Larry’s death and took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts.
One user wrote a day before the episode aired: “Just learned they are killing off Larry on The Simpsons tomorrow. I need a minute.”
Another pointed out: “Really enjoyed last night’s Simpsons episode. But I couldn’t stop wondering why there was no mention of Larry’s best friend, Sam.”
And a third said: “Holy s**t Larry from the Simpsons died, rest in peace my drunken king.”
Disney
Following the outpouring of love for the character, co-executive producer Tim Long has apologised for Larry’s death.
He told TMZ that he’s sorry to fans upset about the death, and the sad episode in general, but says he likes that fans seemed to take it hard because it speaks to how beloved the show still is.
Long also revealed that the creative team meant for Larry’s death to hit viewers as hard as it did, even though he never had a big moment on the show.
He says it doesn’t matter how small Larry’s role was, because characters on The Simpsons don’t die often. So it’s a massive deal when they do.
Rest in peace Larry the Barfly.
Featured Image Credit: Disney