The Simpsons premiered its 25th season on Sunday night, but the show hasn’t completely settled in its ways. In a recent phone conference, executive producer Al Jean told reporters that another regular character will be killed off this year:
“I’ll give you a clue that the actor playing the character won an Emmy for playing that character, but I won’t say who it is,†Jean said cagily.
The show hasn’t been shy about killing off characters in the past; most notably, Maude Flanders met her demise in 2000’s “Alone Again, Natura-Diddily.â€
But Jean’s clue doesn’t give much away about the identity of the soon-to-be-deceased Springfield resident, as the show has won 14 Emmys for its voiceover work in the past (and since so many actors do multiple voices, those 14 cover 24 Simpsons characters). Recently, one of the most talked about characters has been Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, who was the subject of a piece by Totally Biased writer Hari Kondabolu last year about the representation of Indians on TV. The clip gained so much traction that Hank Azaria, who voices Apu (and has won a few Emmys for doing so), addressed the matter recently in this Huffington Post article entitled “Is It Time To Retire Apu?â€
Below, a list at all of the show’s wins for “Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.†Let the speculation begin!
2010 - Anne Hathaway, as Princess Penelope
2009 - Dan Castellaneta, as Homer Simpson
2006 - Kelsey Grammer, as Sideshow Bob
2004 - Dan Castellaneta, as Homer, Krusty the Clown, Willie, Sideshow Mel, Barney, Grampa, Itchy
2003 - Hank Azaria, as Moe, Carl, Chief Wiggum, Apu, Johnny Tightlips, Bumblebee Man, Cletus
2001 - Hank Azaria, as Apu, Comic Book Guy, Carl, Lou, Police Chief Wiggum, Moe
1998 - Hank Azaria, as Apu
1993 - Dan Castellaneta, as Homer Simpson
1992 - Dan Castellaneta, as Homer and Grampa Simpson (and others)
1992 - Marcia Wallace, as Mrs. Krabappel
1992 -Â Yeardley Smith, as Lisa Simpson
1992 - Julie Kavner, as Marge
1992 -Â Jackie Mason, as Rabbi Krustofsky
1992 -Â Nancy Cartwright, as Bart Simpson