# In the simpsons, which characters are based on actors outside the simpsons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102 "2014-12-02T04:41:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/41 "2014-12-02T20:30:18Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Edna Krabappel’s name is a reference to [Miss Crabtree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Marlowe#Miss_Crabtree) from the Our Gang comedies, but the two characters have little in common aside from being grammar school teachers. If “connection by name and occupation only” counts, Miss Hoover is named for Matt Groening’s first-grade teacher, Mrs. Hoover. (In fact, the first time she is referenced on the series, Lisa calls her Mrs. Hoover.) ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/42 "2014-12-02T20:46:45Z")
“Duff Man” is based on Budweisers former mascot, [Bud Man](http://skateandannoy.com/blog/2010/04/bud-man-says-a-lot-of-things/) ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/43 "2014-12-02T20:50:31Z")
[Mr. Burns’ character](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Burns#Character) has an especially (ahem) rich basis: > [@](#): > > The show’s creator Matt Groening principally based Burns on his high school teacher Mr. Bailey. Drawing further inspiration from oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, David Rockefeller and fictional character Henry Potter from _It’s a Wonderful Life_, Groening made Burns the “embodiment of corporate greed.” Animator David Silverman parodied Burns’s appearance on Fox founder Barry Diller, and modeled his body on a praying mantis. (Burns’ first name is probably a reference to Charles Foster Kane’s, though I like to think the abbreviation to “C.” is also a reference to [C. Wright Mills](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._Wright_Mills).) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/44 "2014-12-02T21:06:29Z")
Barney Gumble is in part based on Frank Fontaine’s [Crazy Guggenheim](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ic5vMbXQvU)character, from Jackie Gleason’s “Joe the Bartender” sketches, as well as Norm Peterson from _Cheers_. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/45 "2014-12-02T21:23:04Z")
> [@Don\_Draper](#): > > According to Wikipedia [Krusty the Clown](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Kaye). Given Groening’s professed admiration for **SCTV** , another likely basis is [Bobby Bittman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUW0wV3XFaY). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/46 "2014-12-02T21:46:27Z")
Just thought of one previously overlooked - Lucius Sweet, who is exactly as rich and famous as Don King and looks just like him too. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/47 "2014-12-02T22:42:22Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > Dr. Hibbert is based on Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable character. I think they’ll probably be de-emphasizing that connection in future episodes. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/48 "2014-12-02T22:53:25Z")
Leon Kompowsky was based on John Jay Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/49 "2014-12-02T23:35:56Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Isn’t that exactly what fair use laws are for though? I mean, the character of “Louie” doesn’t cause any lost revenue for “Goodfellas” or Sivero, and Fat Tony and co. are clearly a parody of gangster movie gangsters, including Sivero’s portrayal of Frankie Carbone. > > I’d think he’d be honored that his character was iconic enough to be parodied in such a way, not trying to sue the Simpsons some 23 years after the character was introduced. Fair use is rarely this simple. Are they creating a facsimile of his persona in order to avoid hiring him? The Simpsons often does Hote celebrities and actors to play themselves. Or are they creating something different, like a commentary or criticism for educational or public comment purposes or creating a parody? And it’s not for you to say whether he should value the “honor” of being portal rayed that way in lieu of getting his permission. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/50 "2014-12-02T23:41:49Z")
I always thought McBain was more Jean Claude van Damme than Schwarzenegger. Maybe I’m wrong? And of course Krusty is part Al Jolson, of the _The Jazz Singer_ fame. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/51 "2014-12-03T08:42:10Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > Dr. Hibbert is based on Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable character. Uh oh. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/52 "2014-12-03T09:08:50Z")
Lisa’s dance teacher was based on older Shirley Temple. Rainier Wolfcastle, of course, is also Arnold. The one-shot cowboy actor guy was Roy Rogers. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/53 "2014-12-03T11:53:52Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > Dr. Hibbert is based on Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable character. And to confuse things, “Bill Cosby” appears on six episodes, such as this one: [www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp22ts2URHs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp22ts2URHs) The first two or three seasons, The Simpsons were broadcast in the Thursday 8PM slot against Mr. Cosby (The Cosby Show); and whom didn’t like the Simpsons, naturally. Oh, and the Capitol City Goofball is pretty much the Philly Phanatic. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/54 "2014-12-03T12:21:01Z")
Ron Howard is, I think quite wonderfully, played as a combination of Ron Howard the director melded with Richie Cunningham, perhaps more so in Homer’s mind. And he gets called ‘Potsie’! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/55 "2014-12-03T16:02:45Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Lisa’s dance teacher was based on older Shirley Temple. “Tappa-tappa-tappa. Tappa-tappa-tappa.” “I’m ever so pissed!” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/56 "2014-12-03T16:09:50Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > And it’s not for you to say whether he should value the “honor” of being portal rayed that way in lieu of getting his permission. If nothing else, the timing seems awfully sketchy, since the Louie character debuted on the Simpsons some 23 years ago, and Sivero hasn’t said a thing until now. Is he in debt or something? It can’t be because he’s suddenly offended that they’re parodying a character that he played in a movie nearly a quarter of a century ago, because that would be absurd. Had he done this in say… 1991 or 1992, I could see it, but in 2014, it seems really odd. Gangster stereotypes seem notoriously fixed to me- Italian american guys with bad hair and fashion sense, exaggerated accents, and some percentage being obese. I mean, you could make the same argument that the Simpsons could sue David Chase for Fat Tony; he is fat, named Tony, a Mafia boss, etc… Sivero’s character in Goodfellas just had some gloriously awful hair and eyebrows, and probably stuck in someone’s head as a great visual shorthand for a gangster. And if Sivero’s not honored, he needs to pull that stick way out of his butt, because that’s super-uptight. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/57 "2014-12-03T17:32:31Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > Dr. Hibbert is based on Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable character. > [@NDP](#): > > I think they’ll probably be de-emphasizing that connection in future episodes. > [@njtt](#): > > Uh oh. ☹ I don’t know why anyone thinks this would be a problem for _The Simpsons_. Hell, they’ll probably make hay with it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/58 "2014-12-10T05:12:15Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > I think only the name and general kiddie show/“clown-ness” (red nose, etc.) was based on Rusty Nails. Note the picture [here](http://home.comcast.net/~kptv/Shows/rusty.htm). He doesn’t even look like the “Rusty the Clown” parade [balloon](http://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Rusty_the_Clown). [Krusty’s appearance is based on Homer’s](http://media.tumblr.com/00d099fda373c0852ff377016b7a9a88/tumblr_inline_mhajh0bGjR1qz4rgp.jpg). One of the original ideas for the series was that it was going to eventually be revealed that Homer actually was Krusty under the make-up. This idea later got dropped. ---
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/59 "2014-12-10T22:46:26Z")
From “The Day the Violence Died” (1996) Roger Meyers Jr.: Okay, maybe my dad did steal Itchy. So what? Animation is built on plagiarism. If it weren’t for someone plagiarizing the Honeymooners we wouldn’t have the Flintstones. If someone hadn’t ripped off Sergeant Bilko, there’d be no Top Cat. Huckleberry Hound, Chief Wiggum, Yogi Bear? Hah! Andy Griffith, Edward G. Robinson, Art Carney. Your honor, you take away our right to steal ideas, where are they gonna come from? so Chief Wiggum = Edward G. Robinson ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102/60 "2014-12-10T23:07:24Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Isn’t that exactly what fair use laws are for though? I mean, the character of “Louie” doesn’t cause any lost revenue for “Goodfellas” or Sivero, and Fat Tony and co. are clearly a parody of gangster movie gangsters, including Sivero’s portrayal of Frankie Carbone. > > I’d think he’d be honored that his character was iconic enough to be parodied in such a way, not trying to sue the Simpsons some 23 years after the character was introduced. Some men will do strange things for 250 million dollars. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-simpsons-which-characters-are-based-on-actors-outside-the-simpsons/706102.md?page=4)