Harry Shearer Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

CANNES, France -- One of the most memorable lines — and Rob Reiner's personal favorite — of “This Is Spinal Tap” goes: “There’s a fine line between stupid and clever.”You could say the same thing about the classic 1984 mockumentary. It could have so easily not panned out. No one in Hollywood thought it was a good idea.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Harry Shearer has voiced dozens of characters on Fox’s “The Simpsons,” from Mr. Burns to Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner, but he was replaced as the voice of Springfield physician Dr. Hibbert when producers of the show vowed in 2020 to no longer have white actors voice characters of color.

Fans of The Simpsons have been left shocked by how the voice of Mr. Burns sounds in the latest season of the show.The FOX series has been running for more than three decades, and as a result much of the voice cast have gotten considerably older than when the first season aired.Mr.Burns hasn’t always been played by the same actor, with the late Christopher Collins being the first to take on the iconic role.He was later taken over by Harry Shearer, who also provides the voice for characters including Principal Skinner, Kent Brockman, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders and Reverend Lovejoy, among others.Shearer, who is now 80-years-old, continues to voice characters in what is now the 35th season and a clip from the latest episode has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.Fans have claimed Burns sounds nothing like he once used to, and many have taken to social media to urge Fox to “let the show rest in peace”.“Burns’ voice is just brutal man.

The Simpsons star Harry Shearer has suggested that the recasting of Dr Hibbert has “affected” his former character.The actor was replaced in the role by Kevin Richardson in 2021, after the long-running animated sitcom decided the year before that white actors would no longer voice non-white roles in the series.Shearer previously voiced Hibbert, who is Black, from the show’s inception, and in a new interview with The Times reflected on the change.“Folk say the show has become woke in recent years and one of my characters has been affected,” he said. “I voiced the Black physician, Dr Hibbert, who I based on Bill Cosby.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “The Simpsons” fans are still reacting to the surprise death of Moe’s Tavern regular Larry Dalrymple — aka Larry the Barfly — on Sunday’s episode, “Cremains of the Day.” And “The Simpsons” co-executive producer Tim Long has the explanation for why the show did it. “I’m sorry if some fans are upset, but we really wanted to use Larry’s death as a way to show that even the most peripheral people in our lives have dignity and worth, and that we really shouldn’t take anyone for granted,” Long wrote in an email shared with Variety. “To paraphrase Shakespeare, nothing became Larry’s life like the way he left it: drunk, lonely, and with a butt full of sapphires.” In the episode, Moe discovers Larry dead in the bar.

Turn it up to 11, the sequel to the sequel to the 1984 cult classic “This Is Spinal Tap,” recently began production in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rob Reiner is behind the director’s chair again, and Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer are all reprising their iconic roles as the legendary heavy metal band Spinal Tap.

Alex Ritman The long-awaited sequel to legendary mockumentary “This Is Sequel Tap” is now in production, almost 40 years to the day that the original film was released in March 1984. The feature is shooting in New Orleans, with Rob Reiner directing and Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer all reprising their iconic roles as the legendary heavy metal band. Reiner will also return as the documentarian Martin “Marty” DiBergi.

Rob Reiner has confirmed that the sequel to his 1984 heavy metal mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap is due to begin shooting next year and will feature a number of real-life musicians. “We’re making a sequel,” Reiner said during an appearance on comedian Richard Herring's podcast.

Rob Reiner, director, writer and star of This Is Spinal Tap, is talking about the sequel to the mockumentary and revealing when the follow-up film is set to start filming.

Paul McCartney and Elton John are set to appear in the upcoming sequel to This Is Spinal Tap.Rob Reiner, who directed the original 1984 mockumentary film starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, confirmed various guest stars in the sequel during an appearance on Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast.Speaking on the podcast about the sequel, which was announced in May last year, Reiner said: “We’re going to start shooting in the end of February.“Everybody’s back. Paul McCartney is joining us, and Elton John. And a few other surprises, Garth Brooks.”Along with directing the sequel, Reiner is set to reprise his role as filmmaker Marty DiBergi.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Derek Smalls, the legendary bassist with the ultimate heavy metal band, Spinal Tap, has returned with a brutally contemporary new single: “Must Crush Barbie,” which is described as “an excoriating attack on the pink sensation … that advocate of everything pink and fluffy, Barbie.” The vividly worded announcement continues, “The self-described embodiment of lukewarm water reaches boiling point with Smalls’ first track in five years.” The song is available now via Bottomland Productions / Immortal Records. “Been spending the last year or so as Brand Ambassador for BruegelCoin, the Dutch cryptocurrency,” says Smalls — who may or may not be actor Harry Shearer, co-star of the 1984 classic film “This Is Spinal Tap,” which may or may not be getting a sequel.

As the old saying goes, write what you know and for Women Talking filmmaker Sarah Polley whose up for an Adapted Screenplay Oscar tonight, she’s been through so much of the campaign process that her next movie is set around awards season.

Charna Flam Veteran entertainment publicist Andrew Freedman died Feb. 8 in New York after being diagnosed with liver cancer in August. He was 67. Freedman worked with clients including Gayle King, Barbara Walters, Joan Collins, Margo Martindale, Christopher McDonald and Harry Shearer. Prior to his career as a publicist, Freedman served as communications specialist to Sen. Ted Kennedy during his 1980 presidential campaign, which was followed by his campaign work for Sen. George McGovern in South Dakota and Reps. Jim Howard and Andy Maguire in New Jersey. Following his campaigning involvement, from 1984-1991 Freedman worked at NBC and served as a spokesman for the network’s programming. Freedman oversaw the network’s press operation for the U.S.-Russian Reykjavík and Geneva summits, the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the network’s presidential election coverage and managed media relations for NBC Nightly News, “Meet the Press” and the “Today” show.

The band is getting back together. A sequel is in the works to the 1984 rock mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap," with director Rob Reiner returning alongside stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer. The movie package will launch sales at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

Get ready to turn the volume back up to 11!

Ready to rock?Castle Rock Entertainment, Rob Reiner’s company that recently re-launched its film division after going somewhat dormant, is back and with a big new project to shop around the Cannes Film Festival: “Spinal Tap II,” a sequel to 1984’s immortal comedy classic “This is Spinal Tap.” And what’s more – everybody is back, including Reiner (as director and in the film as Marty DiBergi), Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest, sources with knowledge confirm to TheWrap.No plot details for “Spinal Tap 2” have been revealed but it’ll undoubtedly be another faux documentary chronicling the sunset years of England’s most controversial rock band and navigating a very different pop culture landscape. (If you thought “Smell the Glove” was offensive back then!)The package should generate a lot of interest at Cannes, especially since they are showing the original film on the beach as part of the Cinema de la Plage sidebar on Wednesday, May 18.

Jordan Moreau The band is getting back together.A sequel to the 1984 rock mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” is in the works, with director Rob Reiner returning alongside stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer.The movie package will launch sales at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. It will be released on March, 19 2024, tied to the 40th anniversary of the original.

EXCLUSIVE: After relaunching its film division last October, Castle Rock Entertainment has set a first project out of the gate that will have a familiar ring. It’s Spinal Tap II, a sequel to the fabled rock mockumentary that set the film company on a run of hits, many of them directed by Rob Reiner. He made his directorial debut on the 1984 cult classic This Is Spinal Tap.

This Is Spinal Tap, has died at the age of 70.Harry Shearer, who also starred in the 1984 mock documentary on the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap, announced the news via Twitter before it was confirmed by Yahoo News. No cause of death has been reported at this time.Ric Parnell, our drummer in This is Spinal Tap, passed away today.

The Simpsons in Plusaversary is a short film which will kick off a Disney+ Day party.

the new voice actor for Dr Hibbert in The Simpsons, has revealed he didn’t accept the role when he was first asked.The actor, whose also worked on The Cleveland Show and American Dad, said in a new interview that he felt “very fortunate” to have been asked despite initially turning it down.“The overall goal was to at least stay in the ball park of Mr Shearer’s performance,” Richardson told the BBC, referring to Harry Shearer who voiced Dr Hibbert for 30 years.“I was just very fortunate to be

"The Simpsons" has officially recast the voice actor behind one of its Black characters originally voiced by longtime cast member Harry Shearer. Springfield’s jovial physician Dr.

Kevin Michael Richardson will be taking over the voice role of Dr. Hibbert on The Simpsons.

The Wrap, Harry Shearer, who is white, will no longer voice the black character Dr. Hibbert.

Jordan Moreau Kevin Michael Richardson will be taking over the voice role of Dr. Hibbert on “The Simpsons,” replacing Harry Shearer, who portrayed the Black character since 1990.Shearer voiced Dr.

This Is Spinal Tap have set up a licensing body to exclusively manage the cult film’s rights.Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, creators of the iconic mockumentary, have set up a wholly-owned entity to manage the licensing of the film and all rights related to it.It comes after the film’s creators settled their rights dispute with French media group Vivendi and its StudioCanal division, in which Shearer alleged in a 2016 suit that despite decades of cult success,

A.D. Amorosi David Lander, the 73-year old actor and comedian best known as ‘Squiggy’ on the ABC sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” died from complications related to multiple sclerosis on Friday night.Hours before his passing, Variety spoke to Lander’s longtime friend and one-time collaborator Harry Shearer.

Denise Petski Senior Managing EditorThe team behind the iconic 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap — Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest — are getting back together for a virtual reunion/fundraiser October 14 to benefit Pennsylvania Democrats. “Every dollar raised goes directly towards ending Trumpism by winning Pennsylvania,” according to the invitation.