I saw Dan Castellaneta claim Homer was partly based on Mr Magoo, which I didn’t know but I could see.
I always assumed Gil was based on Jack Lemmon’s characters in Glengarry Glenross. So that wasn’t surprising when he verified that in the same interview.
Professor Frink seems based on Jerry Lewis
McBain is Schwarzenegger obviously, Drederick Tatum is Mike Tyson
Are other characters based on other actors or characters outside the simpsons?
Mexican comedian Chesperito (Roberto Gomez Bolanos) was the inspiration for Bumblebee Man. He did a children’s show where he played the character of the Crimson Grasshopper. Bolanos died this week at the age of 85.
Fat Tony, so far as I know, is Tony Soprano.
ETA, nevermind, he showed up in 1991.
However, one of his underlings is modeled after Joe Pesci.
Itchy & Scratchy = Tom & Jerry
According to Wikipedia Krusty the Clown is based off an entertainer from Matt Groening’s youth:
although I had always suspected he was at least partially based off of Danny Kaye.
Apparently genial supervillain Hank Scorpio is at least partially based on Richard Branson.
I don’t see that. Krusty is more closely modelled after about a dozen old-school Borscht Belt comics. Thus, it was perfect casting to have his father voiced by Jackie Mason.
Jerry Lewis specifically in the Nutty Professor.
Not an actor, but Dr. Nick is based on Gábor Csupó and Elvis’ quack Dr. Nick, except he is Greek instead of Hispanic.
Chief Wiggum’s voice is based on Edward G. Robinson.
Minor characters: Rex Banner is Eliot Ness via the actors who played him. Booberella is Elvira and/or Vampira. The Yes Guy/That Jerk That Goes Ye-e-e-es is Frank Nelson.
Adam West and James Woods are of course the actors playing possibly insane versions of themselves. No typo, they were on the Simpsons first, just less insane than FG.
According to Wikipedia, Moe Szyslak is based mostly on Louis “Red” Deutsch, with small helpings of Rich Hall and a gorilla.
Dr. Hibbert is based on Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable character.
Mayor Quimby = JFK
Isn’t Krusty the Clown also supposed to be inspired by David Letterman? Is that just an urban legend?
Was Troy McClure based on anyone in particular?
It was in the new recently that actor Frank Sivero, who played gangsters in Godfather II and Goodfellas, is suing the Simpsons for $250 million because their gangster character “Louie” (One of Fat Tony’s henchmen) is based on the characters he played, mostly Frankie Carbone from Goodfellas. If you see Carbone side by side with Louie, it looks pretty close
I never heard that Homer was based on Mr. Magoo, and can’t see it at all. In the early days, Dan Castallenata clearly was basing Homer’s voice on Walter Matthau, though.
Kind of combination of Ted and John Kennedy, isn’t he?
His appearance may be far off, but clearly Sideshow Bob is based on Frazier – and not just because Kelsey Grammar voices him. In his original introduction, he was shown to be very much like the character.
His brother is definitely based on Niles; it was referred to when he was introduced. Again, this wasn’t just the fact that David Hyde Pierce did the character.
There was also the one-shot character Arthur Fortune, owner of the Fortune Megastore chain.
Doug McClure and Troy Donahue. You might remember them from such films as The Land That Time Forgot, Humanoids from the Deep, Nudity Required, American Rampage, and Dial N for Nurder (not really).
I don’t really see that. He was just a Bond supervillain. Branson was parodied (barely, they essentially portrayed him as himself though he didn’t do the voice) in an episode where Mr. Burns is infuriated to see a billionaire that isn’t evil, but nice, and tries (unsuccessfully) to change his own image.
Principal Skinner’s relationship with his mother was modeled on Norman Bates in Psycho.
I always saw Fat Tony as a stereotypical generic “Italian Mob” character.
