Most fans of “The Simpsons” are already aware that a lot of its characters are voiced by the same person. Dan Castellaneta, for instance, doesn’t just voice Homer; he also voices Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Sideshow Mel, and even Santa’s Little Helper. Harry Shearer, meanwhile, does the voice for Ned Flanders, Lenny, Principal Skinner, Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, Otto, Reverend Lovejoy, and so on.
When it comes to the kid characters who aren’t Lisa (voiced by Yeardley Smith), the show usually relies on Nancy Cartwright. In addition to her most famous role, Bartholomew “Bart” Simpson, Cartwright voices Todd Flanders, Ralph Wiggum, Kearney Zzyzwicz, Database, and even Maggie Simpson. She also voices the school bully, Nelson Muntz, although she wasn’t the original choice for the role. In her 2001 memoir, “My Life as a Boy,” Cartwright wrote about how voice actress Dana Hill was first chosen for the role of Nelson, but scheduling issues got in the way.
“The producers were still putting together this ensemble of [actors] and, come Monday, at the recording, [Hill] was nowhere to be found and the part was assigned to me,” Cartwright explained. “I didn’t have time to ask why and I still don’t have a clue … I asked myself, ‘What does a bully sound like?’ Well … what you hear is what you get.”
Nelson’s first appearance was in season 1’s “Bart the General,” a very kid-friendly outing that feels like an episode of “Recess.” This episode introduces Nelson at his most intimidating; when he beats up Bart, it’s barely played for laughs, as Bart is sent home badly bruised and reduced to tears. It’s also clear that Cartwright hadn’t yet settled on Nelson’s trademark laugh; his laugh in this episode goes “Haw, haw, haw,” not “Ha-haw!”
