The Simpsonsrecasting Dr. Hibbert’s voice actor has created a bizarre paradox concerning a pair of Springfield characters. In 2021, The Simpsons recast the recurring character Dr. Hibbert, a member of the lineup since season 2. The jovial physician is no longer voiced by veteran comic Harry Shearer, with acclaimed voice actor Kevin Michael Richardson taking over the role.

The decision to replace Dr. Hibbert’s original voice actor was made by The Simpsons showrunners in response to online criticism over using a white voice actor to portray a black character. Shearer was not left off the series entirely, as he remains the voice behind several iconic characters including Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner and Waylon Smithers. Likewise, the actor replacing him in the role, Kevin Michael Richardson, also has a long history with The Simpsons, tackling dozens of different one-off and reoccurring characters since his first appearance in the season 21 episode “Homer the Whopper”.

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In The Simpsons season 32, episode 9 “Sorry Not Sorry”, Richardson also took over the role of one of the long-running animation’s oldest characters, Bleeding Gums Murphy, albeit in a brief appearance. Bleeding Gums Murphy, who died in season 6, was a mentor to Lisa Simpson and her primary inspiration for continuing the master the saxophone. He was originally played by voice actor Ron Taylor, who tragically passed away in 2002, so when the show more recently decided to bring Murphy back for an episode, Kevin Michael Richardson took over the role. This led to an unexpected situation wherein—according to one throwaway joke back in Murphy’s debut—he and Dr. Hibbert are actually brothers being voiced by the same Simpsons actor.

In “‘Round Springfield” (The Simpsons season 6, episode 22), Bleeding Gums Murphy mentions that he has lost touch with his family, although he did have a younger brother who became a doctor and had an odd habit of laughing at wildly inappropriate times. This prompts an inappropriate laugh from his physician Dr. Hibbert, who chimes in and mentions that he has an older brother who he never sees, a character who works as a “jazz musician or some such.” Although season 33 is set to bring up Bleeding Gums Murphy again soon, as his son appears in the upcoming episode “The Sound of Bleeding Gums” (The Simpsons season 33, episode 17), the show has shown no sign of noting the strange similarity between the brothers.

Since Shearer originally voiced Hibbert and Taylor voiced Murphy, the paradox of the two brothers sharing one voice didn’t exist back in The Simpsons season 6 episode when they interacted. However, now that The Simpsons has recast both brothers with the same actor, the two family members are both played by Richardson. It is unlikely that this odd paradox will be mentioned since the late Bleeding Gums Murphy is one of few dead recurring stars and therefore a character unlikely to return in Simpsons season 33. That said, the decision is nonetheless a strange one. Whether the writers of The Simpsons forgot the two characters were brothers when recasting their actors or chose to double up intentionally, Kevin Michael Richardson now voices both estranged members of the Hibbert/Murphy clan on the long-running series.

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Cathal Gunning
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Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies and TV online since 2020. His obsessions include The Simpsons, Stephen King, the Scream series, and the horror genre in general. He has spent more time thinking about Stranger Things than the writers of Stranger Things, and he has never seen a Star War.

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