The Simpsons fans were left devastated when Pamela Hayden, who voiced some of the most beloved characters, announced her exit – but we haven’t seen the last of her just yet.
The 70-year-old has been a staple of the cartoon for almost 35 years, and was behind the voices of Milhouse, Jimbo Jones, Janey Powell, Rod Flanders and Chief Wiggum’s wife, Sarah.
Last week, she confirmed her departure in a statement, with her final TV episode airing yesterday on Fox, titled Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes.
As the credits rolled, viewers flocked to pay tribute to Pamela on social media, thanking her for lending her voice to Milhouse and co – but this won’t be the last time we hear her legendary tones in Springfield.
In fact, she will be voicing characters for the upcoming batch of Disney+ special episodes, hitting our screens later this year.
Writer Carolyn Omine revealed that last night’s instalment wasn’t actually her ‘final performance’, sharing that there are still three more episodes to enjoy.
Quote-tweeting a video montage from the official Simpsons account, she clarified: ‘A beautiful tribute to a beautiful soul. We already miss her. One correction: This Sunday is not her final performance.
‘The last show she recorded was O C’mon All Ye Faithful. But she appears in The Past and the Furious and Yellow Planet which air after O C’mon.’
O C’mon All Ye Faithfull will be available to stream on Disney+ on December 17, with The Past and the Furious and Yellow Planet following it up.
However, the Treehouse of Horror episode marked Pamela’s final episode of the main run season 36 run on Fox, with fans thanking the star for her efforts online after it aired.
Reddit user an_actual_coyote wrote: ‘Raising a glass for Ms. Pamela Hayden! Thanks for the decades of laughter!’
‘So happy for her to go out when she decides and even more grateful for the decades of happiness she’s given me but I’m so sad,’ SenBarks penned.
‘Just another great character that will never be part of the show again. :(.’
Johnny_Holiday posted: ‘If the last time we see Milhouse is him playing cup and ball, then that’s a perfect farewell.’
Over on Twitter, MySummerLair added: ‘This is it for Pamela Hayden as Milhouse on @TheSimpsons. Everything’s Coming Up Pamela…thank you for your service and your work. #TheSimpsons.’
Although she voiced a string of other Springfield locals, there’s no denying that Milhouse is Pamela’s most iconic character – he made his debut in 1989 and has been by Bart Simpson’s side ever since.
‘Bart needed someone to talk to in the school cafeteria. We named him Milhouse because that was the most unfortunate name a kid could have,’ creator Matt Groening said in a statement.
‘Pamela gave us tons of laughs with Milhouse, the hapless kid with the biggest nose in Springfield. She made Milhouse hilarious and real, and we will miss her.’
Despite her exit, this won’t be the last we see of Milhouse and co, as TV bosses will be auditioning a new voice actor to pick up the characters.
Sharing her thoughts on who could step into her shoes, Pamela told Variety: ‘It is a sticky wicket in the sense that, I don’t think it’s ever good to just do an impression. It is a difficult task put your stamp on a character, but to still make it sound like the character that has already originated.
‘You want them to bring their own gift to the party.’
‘How many actors can say they’ve worked on a show for 35 years straight?,’ she added of her exit.
‘That alone is amazing. But it was time for me to devote my time to other creative endeavors that I have, like filmmaking. It was a tough decision, but I feel like it was the right one.
‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime job on a once-in-a-lifetime show. But being an actor, I think you’re kind of used to taking risks. That’s the kind of person I am. I’m not about playing things safe. And there were other things I wanted to do. I think you throw it against the wall and see what sticks.’
The Simpsons airs on Fox on Sundays.
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