Maggie Roswell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maggie Roswell
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| Born | November 14, 1952 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 1973–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Hal Rayle
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 1 |
Maggie Roswell (born November 14, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She is from Los Angeles, California. Maggie is famous for her voice acting on the animated TV show The Simpsons. On the show, she voices many characters. These include Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover, and Luann Van Houten. Her work on The Simpsons even earned her an Annie Award nomination.
Maggie Roswell started acting in the 1980s. She appeared in movies like Midnight Madness (1980) and Pretty in Pink (1986). She also made guest appearances on TV shows such as Happy Days. From 1980 to 1981, she was often on the comedy show The Tim Conway Show. She also did voice acting for animated films and TV shows.
In 1989, Maggie joined The Simpsons for its first season. She played small roles at first. She became a regular cast member when Maude Flanders was introduced in the second season. In 1994, Maggie and her husband, Hal Rayle, moved to Denver. They wanted to raise their daughter there. They also started their own company, Roswell 'n' Rayle. They created and voiced advertisements for different businesses.
Because she lived in Denver, Maggie had to fly to Los Angeles twice a week for The Simpsons. This was very tiring. In 1999, she asked for more pay. However, the Fox network did not offer her the amount she wanted. So, she left the show. Maggie returned to The Simpsons in 2002. She made a deal to record her lines from her home in Denver.
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Maggie Roswell's Acting Journey
Early Acting Roles
Maggie Roswell was born on November 14, 1952, in Los Angeles, California. She grew up there and went to Catholic school. After college, she began her acting career. In the 1970s, she had some small parts on TV shows like M*A*S*H. Her first big acting roles came in the 1980s.
In the 1980 movie Midnight Madness, she played a character named Donna. Donna led a group of college students in a puzzle race. Maggie also starred in The Tim Conway Show in 1980 and 1981. She appeared in the film Pretty in Pink (1986). She also had minor roles on TV shows like Remington Steele and Happy Days. She was even offered a chance to join Saturday Night Live, but she turned it down.
Maggie has also performed on stage. In 1986, she was in improv shows where the audience gave actors characters and situations. In 1988, she acted in a play called Mea's Big Apology. She played Eunice, a cynical woman who worked at an insurance company. Maggie played this role again in 1992.
Voice Acting and The Simpsons
Besides live-action roles, Maggie Roswell also did voice acting for cartoons. She voiced Teegra in the 1983 animated film Fire and Ice. This led to her being hired for The Simpsons in 1989. In the first season, she had only minor voice roles.
Maggie became a regular cast member in the second season. This was when Maude Flanders was introduced in the episode "Dead Putting Society" (1990). Maude is the neighbor of the Simpson family and wife of Ned Flanders. Maggie also voices other characters on the show. These include Helen Lovejoy (the reverend's wife), Miss Hoover (an elementary school teacher), and Luann Van Houten (Milhouse's mom). She also voices many one-time and background characters.
Fellow Simpsons actor Nancy Cartwright said Maggie is great at creating "normal sounds." This means Maggie can easily voice everyday people like reporters, students, or moms. Maggie was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on The Simpsons. She also got an Annie Award nomination in 1997 for her role as Shary Bobbins.
Life in Denver and Pay Dispute
Maggie Roswell met fellow voice actor Hal Rayle in 1986. They got married in 1987. Hal has voiced characters like the Predator in Predator 2 and Marvin the Martian in commercials. In June 1994, Maggie and Hal moved from Los Angeles to Denver, Colorado. They wanted to raise their adopted daughter, Spenser, who was born in 1993.
When The Simpsons was recording new episodes, Maggie had to fly to Los Angeles twice a week. She would go for script readings and recording sessions. This was from March to November each year. It was a lot of travel. Maggie once said she got the idea for how Helen Lovejoy says "B-bye, b-bye, b-bye" from flight attendants.
Maggie and Hal also started their own business called "The Roswell 'n' Rayle Company." They wrote, produced, and voiced advertisements together. They even built a recording studio in their basement. In 1994, they made radio ads for companies like Burger King. Their company still creates comedic ring tones today.
In 1997, Maggie appeared in the film Switchback. She acted alongside Danny Glover and Dennis Quaid.
In 1999, Maggie left The Simpsons because of a pay dispute. She was tired of flying between Denver and Los Angeles. She also said the cost of plane tickets was rising. Maggie was paid $1,500 to $2,000 per episode. She asked Fox for a raise to $6,000 per episode. However, Fox only offered her a $150 raise. This amount did not even cover her travel costs. So, she decided to quit.
Maggie told The Denver Post that Fox wanted to "prove a point." She felt she was a "backbone" of the show. She also said the money she asked for was not too much. She just wanted to cover her travel expenses. After Maggie left, another actress, Marcia Mitzman Gaven, took over her characters. Maude Flanders was even written off the show by being killed in an episode.
Return to The Simpsons
Maggie Roswell returned to The Simpsons in 2002. She appeared in the first episode of the fourteenth season. In this episode, Maude appeared as a ghost. Maggie made a deal with Fox to record her lines from her home in Denver. The dispute was over, and Maggie has been on the show ever since. She also voiced Helen Lovejoy in The Simpsons Movie (2007). Maggie attended the movie premiere with her daughter, Spenser.
In 2004, Maggie had a small role in the film Silver City. In 2009, she starred in a play called Bunny Bunny: Gilda Radner, a Sort of Romantic Comedy. The play was about the life of actress Gilda Radner, whom Maggie played.
Maggie also enjoys singing. In 1999, she performed as a nightclub singer to help a charity for homeless families. In 2003, she sang with a group called The Sirens.
Maggie Roswell is a registered Democrat. She still follows the Catholic faith she grew up with.
Personal Life
Maggie Roswell met fellow voice actor Hal Rayle in 1986. They married in 1987. They moved from Los Angeles to Denver, Colorado, in June 1994. They wanted to raise their adopted daughter, Spenser, who was born in 1993.
