Kirk Douglas’s Unruly Stint Behind The Simpsons’ Microphone

Kirk Douglas, a towering figure of classic Hollywood, is remembered for his roles in enduring films such as Spartacus and Paths of Glory. Yet, his formidable reputation off-screen often rivalled his on-screen presence. Known for his uncompromising nature, Douglas was infamous for his difficult temperament, which sometimes led to heated rows with fellow actors—he once nearly came to blows with John Wayne. Even as the years passed, Douglas’s stubborn streak remained undiminished, as became clear during his guest appearance on The Simpsons in the 1990s.

For many celebrities, lending their voice to The Simpsons was something of a badge of honour. The animated series had already welcomed the likes of Leonard Nimoy, Albert Brooks, Glenn Close, Frank Weller, Sam McMurray, and Mark Hamill. However, Nancy Cartwright, who has voiced Bart Simpson for decades, recounted in her autobiography My Life as a Ten-Year-Old that persuading Douglas to take the role seriously proved a real challenge. The technical demands of voice recording require focus, but Douglas arrived with his chauffeur waiting outside, determined to stick to a strict limit:

“I’m only going to give you two takes.”

Recording Mayhem in the Booth

The session became even more complicated when Douglas flatly refused to wear headphones in the booth. This decision meant director Josh Weinstein was unable to communicate with him directly, leaving Cartwright to step in and guide the three-time Oscar nominee herself. Douglas repeatedly misread the line “I changed all that,” instead saying, “I charged all that.” The team worried that correcting him might provoke his ire, given his reputation for being rather prickly.

Cartwright, thinking on her feet, managed to sidestep the two-take rule by faking a loud sneeze, deliberately interrupting the session. This gave her the chance to review the lines with Douglas, who, after the brief pause, finally delivered them as intended. It was a small victory in a session that had threatened to go off the rails.

A Lasting Impression on The Simpsons

Despite his apparent lack of regard for the production or its staff, Douglas’s performance became a memorable part of the show’s history. In the episode ‘The Day The Violence Died’, Bart tracks down Chester J Lampwick—voiced by Douglas—who claims to be the true creator of The Itchy and Scratchy Show. The ensuing legal chaos, involving Roger Meyers Sr (voiced by Alex Rocco), nearly sees the cartoon pulled from the air as the network faces bankruptcy. The episode cleverly explores the volatile personalities of Hollywood and the ongoing struggle for creative recognition.

What set ‘The Day the Violence Died’ apart from other episodes was its approach to guest casting. Rather than having celebrities play exaggerated versions of themselves, the show brought in Douglas and Rocco to inhabit original roles. Douglas, perhaps indifferent to the significance, nonetheless became part of the most celebrated era of the animated series.