THE SIMPSONS Loses the Voice of Mr. Burns and Ned Flanders

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Just last week it was announced that The Simpsons has been renewed for two more seasons on Fox. That great news was followed by some bad news — voice actor Harry Shearer has left the show. Shearer provided the voices of characters such as Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner.

Shearer has been with the show for 26-years, and last night he tweeted the news that came from James L. Brooks' lawyer:

from James L. Brooks' lawyer: "show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best.". (1/2)

— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 14, 2015

This because I wanted what we've always had: the freedom to do other work. Of course, I wish him the very best. (2/2)

— Harry Shearer (@theharryshearer) May 14, 2015

As you can see, his message suggests that his departure is most likely due to a contract dispute that they couldn't work out. It's kind of sad that the voice actor will no longer be a part of the team.

All I can say is that I wish him the best, and thank him for all of the hilarious laughs that he has given us over the years. There's no official word on if he will be replaced by another voice actor to take on the characters he played, or if the characters just won't show up. I imagine that he'll be replaced though, because I don't see how you can have The Simpsons without Flanders, Burns, or Skinner. The sad thing is Shearer was those characters.