Many people don’t know that the actor who provides many of the most popular character voices on “The Simpsons” was once a child actor who worked with Abbott and Costello and Jack Benny.
Harry Shearer was in movies and on TV in the 1950s. Of course for these last 36 years, TV audiences have known him for his many voices on “The Simpsons” – Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, and Mr. Smithers, among many others.
So that’s a long time to be polishing his skills as not just an actor but as a writer.
But it took until 2006 for him to write his first book of fiction, a satirical novel called Not Enough Indians The basic premise of the story is that a dying small town tries to turn itself into an Indian tribe to land a casino. What could possibly go wrong?
Harry and I met one afternoon In the fall of 2006 at a popular Washington D.C. hotel to talk about his book when he was on a book tour.
So here now, from 2006, Harry Shearer.
Harry Shearer will be 82 next month. He lives in New Orleans.