Simpsons Actors on Strike

ameoba writes "The next season of The Simpsons is in doubt as the voice talent is on strike due to a pay dispute. Fifteen seasons of some of the greatest prime-time TV around seems worth the money to me. ."

Comments

The Actors

[cablepokerface]

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dan Castellaneta .... Homer Simpson/Grampa/Barney Gumble/Krusty the Klown/Groundskeeper Willie/Mayor Quimby/Hans Moleman/Sideshow Mel/Others (voice)
Julie Kavner .... Marge Simpson/Patty Selma Bouvier/Others (voice)
Nancy Cartwright .... Bart Simpson/Nelson Muntz/Todd Flanders/Ralph Wiggum/Kearney/Others (voice)
Yeardley Smith .... Lisa Simpson (voice)
Hank Azaria .... Moe Szyslak/Chief Wiggum/Apu/Comic Book Guy/Cletus/Prof. Frink/Others (voice)
Harry Shearer .... Montgomery Burns/Waylon Smithers/Ned Flanders/Kent Brockman/Rev. Lovejoy/Principal Skinner/Dr. Hibbert/Rainer Wolfcastle/Others (voice)
Marcia Wallace .... Edna Krabappel (1990-) (voice)
Phil Hartman .... Lionel Hutz/Troy McClure (1991-1998) (voice)
Tress MacNeille .... Jimbo Jones/Agnes Skinner/Others (voice)
Pamela Hayden .... Milhouse Van Houten/Rod Flanders/Others (voice)
Maggie Roswell .... Maude Flanders/Helen Lovejoy/Others (1990-1999, 2002-) (voice)
Russi Taylor .... Martin Prince/Others (1990-) (voice)
Doris Grau .... Lunchlady Doris (1989-1996) (voice)
Karl Wiedergott .... Additional Voices (1998-) (voice)
Marcia Mitzman Gaven .... Maude Flanders/Helen Lovejoy/Others (1999-2002) (voice)

Re:A thought.

[(eternal_software)]

And keep in mind, they did this previously. Back in 1998, they thought that $30,000 an episode wasn't enough, so they got raised to $125,000 PER EPISODE.

Apparently, that isn't enough money to get by on these days.

If they killed Maude Flanders for $1500...

[holden caufield]

Remember the last time there was a dispute over voice talend money? Maude Flanders paid dearly for it.

http://www.snpp.com/other/articles/actordisputes .h tml

And that was over plane tickets...who knows what Fox might do now?

Re:Don't die

[Omega1045]

Why do you say this? The Simpsons, season after season, is a top 20 show. Look at some of the other shows of this caliber, and see what their actors are making. Think about Friends. While that show is usually a top 5 show, I think the two are comparable for the money they make from first run, syndication, products, etc. The 6 friends stars make A LOT more money than the talented cast of the Simpsons.

As far as their market worth goes, I think that Fox can pay them what they are asking. It is still a fraction of what the stars of many other shows are getting.

Re:Simpson's are worth it.

[pholower]

I agree with you on that, however, if the writer is good, they can land a job at another production. Voice actors are usually only good for one production. After that it is retirement. if you were one of the voice actors on the simpsons wouldn't you want as much money as you could get before the show went off air and you had to live off that money for the rest of your life?

Re:could the fans help

[SweetpeaAeryn]

Fan campaigns work. www.watchfarscape.com is evidence of that. We have a 4 hour mini-series of Farscape on the way, and our show was already completely cancelled when we got it. If Simpsons fans want to save the show from cancellation, I believe they can.

Re:Simpson's are worth it.

[I Be Hatin']

Voice actors are usually only good for one production. After that it is retirement.

What the fuck are you talking about? Don't you realize that the main stars have had long careers already ?

Re:New talent?

[whopis]

Maude Flanders and Edna Krabappel are (were) performed by different actresses. Marcia Wallace does the voice of Edna.

Re:Well...

[Snowspinner]

Lunch Lady Doris's recent appearances, however, have been rather curtailed by her death in 1996. =/

Re:Don't die

[Omega1045]

While I understand the argument, I don't buy into the idea that you could replace the cast of the Simpsons. I think I would be able to tell the difference. I think of old Bugs Bunny cartoons that were done by Mel Blanc, and newer ones done after he died. I can tell the difference even with some of the talented people they have had doing the voices recently, like Joe Alaskey.

Also, there is something to be said for chemistry. The current cast sure seem to work very well together. I would hate to break that up.

In the end, I think the actors will get some sort of raise since everyone else involved is making more money than god on the show. They can afford to give the actors a bigger share of the pie.

Re:Seems pretty funny

[TaoJones]

Old Alfred was right, actors are cattle.

To clarify a frequent misquote (in his own words no less):

"I didn't say actors are cattle. What I said was, actors should be treated like cattle."
Alfred Hitchcock

More Cocky quotes. In a way it's a shame Cocky will be remembered as a cinematographical genius in the horror genre, and not as a comedic smartass who made scary movies.

Twain, Dahl, Hitchcock, Bierce - what is serious and what is farce?

Talk about...

BaDaBoom boom

Talk about...

Appy-polly-loggies to M on that one :)