Harry Shearer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harry Shearer
Shearer in 2009
Born	Harry Julius Shearer (1943-12-23) December 23, 1943 (age 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupation	Actor comedian musician radio host writer producer
Years active	1951–present
Spouse(s)	Penny Nichols ​ ​ (m. 1974; div. 1977)​ Judith Owen ​ (m. 1993)​

Harry Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, musician, and writer. He is famous for his many voices on the cartoon show The Simpsons. He also helped create the funny movie This Is Spinal Tap and was a cast member on Saturday Night Live.

Shearer started acting when he was a child in Los Angeles, California. He was part of a comedy group called The Credibility Gap in the 1970s. Later, he became well-known for his unique voice work and comedy. He has won an Primetime Emmy Award for his acting.

Early Life and First Acting Jobs

Harry Shearer was born in Los Angeles, California, on December 23, 1943. His parents were immigrants from Poland and Austria. When Harry was seven years old, he got his first acting job on a radio show called The Jack Benny Program. He really liked working with Jack Benny, who was very kind.

One of Harry's early mentors was Mel Blanc, a famous voice actor who voiced characters like Bugs Bunny. Harry made his first movie appearance in Abbott and Costello Go to Mars in 1953. He also appeared in The Robe that same year. He continued acting in TV, movies, and radio throughout his childhood.

In 1957, Harry was offered a regular role in the TV series Leave It to Beaver. However, his parents wanted him to have a normal childhood. So, they decided he should only do acting jobs sometimes, not as a regular on a show.

Harry went to UCLA in the 1960s. He studied political science. He also worked at the school newspaper and a radio station. After college, he taught English and social studies for a short time.

From 1969 to 1976, Harry was part of a radio comedy group called The Credibility Gap. They started as news reporters but added comedy. The group performed on the radio and in clubs. After the group broke up, Harry worked with other comedians like Albert Brooks and Martin Mull.

Comedy and Film Career

Working on Saturday Night Live

In 1979, Harry Shearer joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL). This is a famous TV show known for its live comedy sketches. He was hired as both a writer and an actor. He was on the show from 1979 to 1980, and then again from 1984 to 1985.

Harry found his time on SNL challenging. He felt he wasn't always included with the other cast members. He left the show for good in 1985, feeling that his ideas weren't being used enough.

Creating Spinal Tap

One of Harry Shearer's most famous projects is the movie This Is Spinal Tap (1984). He helped create, write, and star in this film. It's a funny movie that makes fun of rock bands and music documentaries.

In the movie, Harry plays Derek Smalls, one of the band members. He and the other actors played their own instruments and used fake English accents. There wasn't a full script, so many lines were made up on the spot! The film was made in just 25 days.

Harry said they wanted to show rock and roll accurately, but in a funny way. When they first tried to sell the movie, studios didn't think it would work. But the film became a big hit later on, especially after it came out on video. It's now considered a classic comedy.

Harry Shearer as "Derek Smalls" in 2019

Harry and his co-stars have continued to play their Spinal Tap characters. They have released several albums and even performed concerts, including at Live Earth in London.

Voicing Characters on The Simpsons

Harry Shearer is very well-known for his voice acting on the popular cartoon show The Simpsons. The show's creator, Matt Groening, was a big fan of Harry's work. Harry was at first unsure about joining the show because voice actors usually record their parts alone. But he was told that the actors would record together, which convinced him.

Harry voices many beloved characters on The Simpsons, including:

• Principal Skinner
• Kent Brockman
• Mr. Burns
• Waylon Smithers
• Ned Flanders
• Reverend Lovejoy
• Lenny Leonard
• Otto Mann
• Scratchy
• And many others!

He says that most of his characters' voices are easy to do. He based Mr. Burns's voice on old actors and politicians. Mr. Burns is his favorite character because he is "pure evil." Harry can even do conversations between Mr. Burns and Smithers by himself in one take!

Harry has sometimes shared his thoughts on the show's quality. He felt that some later seasons were not as good as earlier ones. He also disagreed with a famous episode where Principal Skinner was revealed to be an impostor. He felt it was disrespectful to the audience.

Harry has had some disagreements about his pay for The Simpsons over the years. But he has always returned to voice his characters, ensuring the show could continue.

Radio Work and Other Projects

Hosting Le Show

Since 1983, Harry Shearer has hosted a public radio show called Le Show. It's a mix of funny news commentary, music, and comedy sketches. The show is broadcast on many public radio stations across the United States. You can also listen to it as a podcast.

On Le Show, Harry often makes fun of politics and current events. He says he criticizes both major political parties equally. He believes comedians should make fun of whoever is in charge.

Harry is also interested in "found objects," which are video clips from news that don't usually get shown. He collects these clips and uses them on his show and website. He even turned some of them into an art exhibit.

In 2008, Harry received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio.

Directing and Writing Films

Harry Shearer has also directed movies. His first feature film as a director was Teddy Bears' Picnic (2002). He also wrote the movie.

In 2003, he starred in the funny folk music movie A Mighty Wind with his Spinal Tap co-stars. They played a different band called The Folksmen. Harry has also appeared in other movies like The Truman Show (1998) and Godzilla (1998).

Harry has written three books. His first book, Man Bites Town (1993), was a collection of columns he wrote for the Los Angeles Times Magazine. He also wrote a novel called Not Enough Indians (2006), which is a funny story about Native Americans and gambling.

Harry has released several solo comedy music albums. His album Greed and Fear (2010) was about economic issues.

Directing The Big Uneasy

In 2010, Harry Shearer directed a documentary film called The Big Uneasy. This movie is about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. The film argues that the terrible flooding in New Orleans was caused by human errors in engineering, not just the hurricane itself. It criticizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Harry often talks and writes about the levee failures in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. He believes the mainstream media didn't cover the true reasons for the flooding.

Personal Life

Harry Shearer married singer-songwriter Judith Owen in 1993. They even started their own record label together called Courgette Records. Harry lives mostly in New Orleans, Louisiana, but also has homes in California and London. He loves New Orleans and has attended its famous Jazz & Heritage Festival every year since 1988.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Web

Music video

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Harry Shearer para niños