Harry Shearer
Known for
His voice alone is a cast of dozens: Harry Shearer has been Mr. Burns, Smithers, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner on 'The Simpsons' since 1989. Born in Los Angeles in 1943, a child actor turned satirist, he passed through 'Saturday Night Live' before immortality as bassist Derek Smalls in the mockumentary 'This Is Spinal Tap' (1984), co-writing the film and its songs. He continued in Christopher Guest's improvised comedies like 'A Mighty Wind' (2003) and appeared on camera in 'The Truman Show' (1998) and 'Godzilla' (1998). Radio host, musician and merciless observer of American absurdity, satire is his lifelong register.
Harry Shearer
60 Movies
18 Series
His voice alone is a cast of dozens: Harry Shearer has been Mr. Burns, Smithers, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner on 'The Simpsons' since 1989. Born in Los Angeles in 1943, a child actor turned satirist, he passed through 'Saturday Night Live' before immortality as bassist Derek Smalls in the mockumentary 'This Is Spinal Tap' (1984), co-writing the film and its songs. He continued in Christopher Guest's improvised comedies like 'A Mighty Wind' (2003) and appeared on camera in 'The Truman Show' (1998) and 'Godzilla' (1998). Radio host, musician and merciless observer of American absurdity, satire is his lifelong register.
Movies
Plays Mike Michaelson
The Truman Show
1998
Plays Lenny Leonard (voice)
Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition
2026
Plays Ned Flanders (voice)
Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition
2026
Plays Scratchy / Mr. Burns / Rev. Lovejoy / Ned Flanders / Lenny / Skull / President Arnold Schwarzenegger / Kent Brockman / Principal Skinner / Dr. Hibbert / Smithers / Toll Booth Man / Guard / Otto / Kang (voice)
The Simpsons Movie
2007
Plays Dog Announcer (voice)
Chicken Little
2005
Plays Charles Caiman
Godzilla
1998
Plays Punch-It (voice)
Small Soldiers
1998
Plays Seymour Skinner (voice)
Simpsley
2026
Plays Newsreel Announcer
A League of Their Own
1992
Plays Carl Sagan (voice)
My Stepmother Is an Alien
1988
Plays Jonathan P.E. Rice
My Best Friend's Wedding
1997
Plays Sitcom Actor Ben Starr
The Fisher King
1991
Plays NASA Recruiter
The Right Stuff
1983
Plays Fairy #3 (voice)
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
1992
Plays Handsome Dan
Wayne's World 2
1993
Plays Mr. Burns (voice)
The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful
2024
Writer
Plays Derek Smalls
This Is Spinal Tap
1984
Plays Guido Finucci
Oscar
1991
Plays Gene
Father Figures
2017
Plays Julius Monosoff
Pure Luck
1991
Plays Announcer
Little Giants
1994
Writer
Plays Derek Smalls
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
2025
Plays Jeffrey Marx
The Concorde... Airport '79
1979
Plays Boy
The Egyptian
1954
Plays Moderator
EDtv
1999
Plays G. Gordon Liddy
Dick
1999
Plays Chuck
Speechless
1994
Plays Victor Allan Miller
For Your Consideration
2006
Plays Mark Shubb
A Mighty Wind
2003
Plays Competition Announcer (voice)
Mascots
2016
Plays Simon Feck
Plain Clothes
1988
Plays Audience Research Captain
I'll Do Anything
1994
Writer
Plays Pete - Cameraman / Radio Announcer
Real Life
1979
Plays Caress Moscowitz
My Suicide
2009
Plays Mr. D / Mephisto (voice)
Haunted Castle
2001
Plays Promo Announcer
Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
2006
Plays Mr. Burns / Smithers / Ned Flanders / Kang / Skinner (voice)
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror
2003
Plays Sammy Rhodes
Blood and Concrete
1991
Plays Murray Sports
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
1979
Plays Bernie Wepner
One Trick Pony
1980
Director
Plays Joey Lavin
Teddy Bears' Picnic
2001
Plays Ned Flanders / Dr. Julius Hibbert / Rev. Timothy Lovejoy (voice)
CyberWorld
2000
Plays 'Breezy' Bob Mckee (voice)
Easy Does It
2020
Writer
Plays Derek Smalls
Spinal Tap: The Final Tour
1981
Plays Radio Announcer (voice)
Hometown Boy Makes Good
1990
Plays Trucker's Friend
American Raspberry
1977
TV Shows
Writer
Plays Ned Flanders / Mr. Burns / Smithers / Principal Skinner / Lenny Leonard (voice)
The Simpsons
1989
Plays Self
The History of Comedy
2017
Plays Dr. Wilfred Madison
Jack & Jill
1999
Plays George Bush (voice)
The Golden Girls
1985
Plays Principal Peskin
Dawson's Creek
1998
Plays Gordon Huyck
L.A. Law
1986
Plays Dr. Baldharar
Friends
1994
Plays FBI Agent Timothy Anderson
Miami Vice
1984
Plays Timmy
General Electric Theater
1953
Plays Larry Fenwick
Just Shoot Me!
1997
Plays John Smythe
ER
1994
Plays Street Kid
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
Plays Louis Faraday
The Visitor
1997
Plays Steve
Dream On
1990
Plays Harry (voice)
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
1995
Plays The President
The Agency
2001
Plays Richard Nixon
Playhouse Presents
2012
Plays Ned Flat (voice)
Animaniacs
1993
Writer
Plays Interviewer
Laverne & Shirley
1976
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Simpsley
Full Filmography
Simpsley
Seymour Skinner (voice)
2026
Film
Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition
Lenny Leonard (voice)
2026
Film
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
Derek Smalls
2025
Film
The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful
Mr. Burns (voice)
2024
Film
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
Ned Flanders / Kent Brockman / Mr. Burns (voice)
2021
Film
Easy Does It
'Breezy' Bob Mckee (voice)
2020
Film
Father Figures
Gene
2017
Film
The History of Comedy
Self · 14 episodes
2017–
TV
Mascots
Competition Announcer (voice)
2016
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Harry Shearer and where are they from?
Harry Shearer is 82 years old, born on December 23, 1943 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Harry Shearer?
Harry Shearer is best known for roles in The Truman Show, The Simpsons Movie, Casper.
How many movies has Harry Shearer been in?
Over a 73-year career (since 1953), Harry Shearer has appeared in 60 movies and 17 TV shows.
What was Harry Shearer's first movie?
The career of Harry Shearer began with Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953).
What is Harry Shearer's most recent movie or series?
Harry Shearer's most recent release is Simpsley, which premiered on July 3, 2026.
What TV shows has Harry Shearer appeared in?
On television, Harry Shearer has appeared in The Simpsons, Friends, Dinosaurs, ER.
Harry Shearer
1943-12-23 · Los Angeles, California, USA
Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, musician, radio host, writer, and producer. Born in Los Angeles, California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of The Credibility Gap, a radio comedy group. Following the breakup of the group, Shearer co-wrote the film Real Life (1979) with Albert Brooks and worked as a writer on Martin Mull's television series Fernwood 2 Night.
Shearer was a cast member on Saturday Night Live between 1979 and 1980, and 1984 and 1985. Shearer co-created, co-wrote and co-starred in the film This Is Spinal Tap (1984), a hit satirical rockumentary. In 1989, he joined the cast of the animated sitcom The Simpsons, providing voices for characters including Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Lenny Leonard, Kang, Principal Skinner, Kent Brockman, Otto Mann, Scratchy, and formerly Dr. Hibbert. Shearer has appeared in films including The Truman Show (1998) and A Mighty Wind (2003), and has directed two, Teddy Bears' Picnic (2002) and The Big Uneasy (2010). Since 1983, Shearer has been the host of the public radio comedy/music program Le Show, incorporating satire, music, and sketch comedy. He has written three books.
Shearer has won a Primetime Emmy Award and has received several other Emmy and Grammy Award nominations. He has been married to singer-songwriter Judith Owen since 1993. He became an artist in residence at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2013.Harry Shearer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.