born december american actor voice actor comedian writer musician author radio host director producer known long running roles simpsons work saturday night live comedy band radio program born los_angeles california began career child actor member radio comedy group following breakup group wrote film real life started writing television series night cast member saturday night live occasions created wrote starred film spinal tap satirical cult hit joined cast simpsons provides voices numerous characters including burns reverend appeared films including mighty wind directed bears picnic written books host public radio comedy music program satirical news commentary music sketch comedy won primetime emmy award star radio category received emmy grammy award nominations married singer songwriter currently artist residence new_orleans early life born december los_angeles son née book keeper parents jewish immigrants austria poland starting years old piano teacher daughter worked child actress piano teacher later decided career change children agent knew people business daughter work teacher asked parents permission audition months later called parents told gotten audition radio received role seven years old described warm guy dug idea people getting laughs sort people comedy said interview person took wing best friends early days business voice actor voiced animated characters including film debut film mars small later year big film performance childhood teenage years worked television film radio played precursor eddie character pilot episode television series leave beaver filming parents said want regular series instead wanted occasional work normal childhood parents decision accept role series picked television network attended ucla political science major early 1960s decided quit business person says lasted approximately month joined staff ucla school newspaper year editor college humor magazine including june parody worked radio station period according graduating agenda going stay draft attended graduate school harvard_university year worked state legislature sacramento california high school teacher teaching english social studies left teaching following disagreements administration member radio comedy group included group consisted bunch number station los_angeles wanted straight news hired talented vocalists heard friend brought tape station gave time got home message answering machine asking come work tomorrow group radio canceled started performing clubs concert venues interviewed pop chronicles music documentary appeared time album broke left perform sitcom started working producing brooks albums writing film real life started writing television series night mid-1970s started working pilot abc starred picked career saturday night live august hired writer cast member saturday night live additions cast unofficial replacement leaving recommended saturday night live creator describes experience living hell real pleasant place work writers cast members states included cast opening montage added montage episodes season told rest cast writer michaels left saturday night live end fifth season taking entire cast told new executive producer fan offered stay given chance overhaul program bring experienced like turned decided leave rest cast promoting film spinal tap performance saturday night live members offered chance join season accepted treated producers thought backstage environment improved later stated didn realize guests treated better regulars guest accepted offer rejected join cast replaced producer said gifted performer pain butt demanding things hard working people nightmare deal person january left good partially felt said wanted creative wanted think felt voice wasn getting represented wouldn chance upset created wrote starred film spinal tap received deal write draft screenplay company called marble arch decided film written instead filmed minute demo wanted eventually film wild personal behavior musical hard rock heavy metal bands tendencies time core members band portrayed guest respectively actors play musical instruments speak mock english accents film script written breakdown scenes lines filmed days said interview impulse rock roll right rock roll amazed movies got wrong funny people going funny film wanted right tried sell hollywood studios told film work group kept saying story pretty familiar people introducing don know thought resonance public film modest success initial release found greater success cult following video release film ranked 29th american_film_institute list comedy movies american cinema selected preservation culturally historically aesthetically significant guest worked projects characters released albums spinal tap break like wind dead appeared episode simpsons called band played concerts including london july anticipation directed short film entitled spinal tap band released dead commemorate 25th anniversary release film album features recorded versions songs featured spinal tap soundtrack new songs band performed date world tour london june mock band featured film mighty wind characters played guest opening act simpsons known prolific work voice actor simpsons creator fan work fan column write asked wanted series initially reluctant thought recording sessions trouble felt voice acting lot fun traditionally voice actors record parts separately told actors record lines calls executive producer managed convince join cast impression simpsons funny thought pretty cool way work found peculiar members cast adamant known public people voices provides voices burns reverend described regular characters voices easy slip wouldn weren easy modeled burns voice actors ronald_reagan says burns difficult character voice rough vocal needs drink tea honey voice describes burns favorite character saying like burns pure evil lot evil people mistake evil voice burns assistant able perform dialogue characters episode said wow voice seen jumping meant neighbor homer jealous sweet voice flanders christian sweet guy prefer live homer voice based psychiatrist monroe retired seventh season voicing character strained throat criticized perceived declining quality rate seasons worst season looks good vocal principal season controversial episodes simpsons fans critics reacted negatively revelation recurring character season episode criticized interview recalled reading script told writers wrong taking audience built years years investment tossed trash good reason story characters arbitrary audience scheduling availability conflicts decided participate simpsons ride opened characters vocal parts appear ride interview howard stern alluded reason ride getting paid paid episode pay dispute fox threatened replace main voice actors new actors going far preparing casting new voices dispute resolved received episode voice actors demanded paid episode dispute resolved month later pay rose episode salary negotiations voice actors received episode years later fox threatening cancel series production costs cut cast members accepted percent pay cut episode announced leaving voice actors signed contract pay refused stating statement producers saying elaborate happen characters voiced july agreed continue terms voice actors radio work host public radio comedy music program program satirical news commentary music sketch comedy takes aim mega mighty media carried public radio stations united_states merger satellite radio services program longer available available itunes weekly program reading commenting news day manner performing original political comedy sketches songs released music called songs consisting satirical numbers president says criticizes republicans democrats equally says iron law comedy politics fun running place running talking ones actually changing people lives better worse people media calls don work way encountering satellite news feeds worked saturday night live fascinated contents video air refers clips found objects thought wow supply material wonderful fascinating funny haunting good said collects material uses website assembled video clips collection art installation titled silent echo chamber exhibited connecticut exhibit displayed spain appeared episodes sitcom today thank playing nostrils man ugly stand presence originally scheduled appear episodes withdraw recording problem work permit june announced receive star radio category date ceremony star place announced career directed feature film bears picnic wrote plot based hosts week powerful men world film received critics garnered approval rating rotten_tomatoes reviews determined negative received rating signifying generally negative reviews metacritic reviews wrote musical relationship premiered colorado starred guest starred folk music mighty wind portraying band called film written guest directed guest major role guest directed parody oscar consideration played veteran actor convinced going nominated academy_award appeared news anchor fellow simpsons cast members film appearances include right stuff portrait white marriage fisher king small soldiers worked columnist decided waste time bother columns published slate newsweek contributing blogger huffington_post written books man bites town published collection columns wrote los_angeles_times published stupid analyzed hatred people president bill_clinton believes clinton disliked affair powerful women cleared official compound recent book indians novel published comic novel native americans gambling pleasures collaboration improvisation characterize projects indians struggle write said fun thing having written lonely deal took years profoundly disturbing act self discipline released solo comedy albums said dropping anchors songs greed fear recent greed fear mainly wall street economic issues politics like previous albums decided album started getting language economic toxic assets suddenly troubled assets going poisoning system bunch youth dirty faces needed removal system understanding received honorary doctorate big uneasy director documentary film impacts hurricane katrina new_orleans narrated actor film describes failures catastrophic flooding new_orleans metropolitan area includes extended interviews professor engineering professor engineer contract specialist los_angeles district film critical management flood protection projects maintains hurricane katrina tragic floods creating widespread damage caused errors engineering judgment film currently rating rotten_tomatoes based reviews approved critics personal life married divorced married singer songwriter couple launched record label called homes california french quarter new_orleans louisiana london went new_orleans attended edition speaks writes failure federal system flooded new_orleans hurricane katrina coverage mainstream media criticizing role prior dvd release film big uneasy hold screenings film different venues questions audience members filmography film television music video video games discography awards regular voice actors simpsons win primetime emmy award outstanding character voice performance win came season episode funeral
Harry Shearer