IamA (Blank) AMA! Hello, I'm Harry Shearer. Judith Owen may drop by, too. Ask me/us anything. Within reason. Or without reason.

Hey Handsome Dan, you're not listening, are you? I could say anything...

Uh huh.

Hi Harry.

I have a question I have wanted to ask for decades.

Why did you wear a Shrewsbury Town football (soccer) shirt in Spinal Tap? Always seemed incongruous to me.

I was shopping for Tap wardrobe in London before going on the road (for a few gigs) watching Saxon, and the Shrewbury shirt was just on a rack at a street vendor's. It spoke to me. It said, "not Premier League".

Out of the characters you voice in The Simpsons - who is your favourite?

C. Montgomery Burns. He's pure evil. Most evil people make the mistake of diluting it. That's just wrong.

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Thank you. Anybody who hasn't read the summaries of the ILIT and Team Louisiana reports, or seen "The Big Uneasy", doesn't really know what happened 8 years ago today.

Thanks so much for your questions and comments, I've had a fine time with y'all. Now, to continue the merriment, head on over to see episode one of "What's With Honey Poo Poo?" on My Damn Channel (http://www.mydamnchannel.com/harryshearer). And you can always ask me more anything @theharryshearer on Twitter. If you must drive, drive safely.

How much did Mel Blanc teach you about voices? Can you even learn that or do you have to be born with it?

He didn't really teach me anything, he was just very kind and supportive. I think you have to be born with (a) the ear to hear different voices, and (b) the pipes to be able to execute them. Mr. DNA gets a lot of credit.

My favorite fake store name that I've seen in the Simpsons was a hair cutting store called "Hairy Shearers". Who came up with that?

No idea.

No questions, just want to say thanks for entertaining me all these years!

Thank you right back.

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It was perfect. If I said to you, "Jerry Lewis plays a clown in a concentration camp", you couldn't imagine it better.

From Wikipedia

In 1957, Shearer played the precursor to the Eddie Haskell character in the pilot episode for the television series Leave It to Beaver, but his parents decided not to let him continue in the role so that he could have a normal childhood.

What went wrong?

Also, tell us about that.

You don't think I turned out normal? Thank you. It's all true. I have no memory of actually doing that ep, though I've seen myself on the DVD, so I know it happened.

Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?

End.

Which Simpsons character makes you laugh the most?

The cat lady.

When writing, how do you stay on task and write effectively? Any other screenwriting tips would be awesome.

Collaborating helps a lot, cause you police each other. Solo, it's just self-discipline, sad to say When I wrote my first (and so far, only) novel, I gave myself two rules: write something every day, no matter how much or how little, and don't go backwards--i.e., don't start editing first draft before you're finished with it.

when people see you in the street, what is the most common reference that gets shouted at you?

"Look where you're goin!"

Looking broadly at TV comedy, what has been a golden age of creativity in your opinion? And is it harder or easier for the talent to dictate the boundaries as time goes on?

I look back at the first real golden age of TV comedy--the fifteen years from Bilko and Honeymooners through Dick Van Dyke--partly because those shows were written by one, two or a few people. Comedy today is gang-written--16 writers in The Room--and it has less of an individual voice, imho.

I had a dream that a new Spın̈al Tap movie was being made in which you spoke with Mr. Burns' voice for the entire duration. Can you make this dream come true?

Legally, no.

Will you keep doing The Simpsons as long as they keep writing them and do you feel like the quality has gone down over all these years?

I will.

You're a true scholar of media and pop culture. You first satirized reality television over 30 years ago in REAL LIFE. And here you are lampooning Honey Boo Boo. Curious if you have any thoughts on the genre's growth over time.

Thanks. Yes, well, we could never anticipate the growth of so many channels, each with a correspondingly smaller budget for programming, pushing towards ever cheaper content. That's where we are today.

I want to see another Spinal Tap/The Folksmen reunion. One that I could attend. Do you think this will ever happen?

Stranger things have happened. I can say no more. Yet.

Harry,

How much time do you spend a year preparing for Katie Couric to finally 'get' you?

I'm giving it my full attention at the moment.

Harry, what's you favorite Spinal Tap song? Mine's "Rock and Roll Creation" because I thing the bridge is amazing.

I have a soft spot for "Clam Caravan" because it's so much fun to play.

How much creative input have you generally had over the characters you've voiced in the Simpsons? Is there a lot of room for improvising lines, or do you generally stick to the script? With one of the show's best characters (in my opinion!) Mr Burns, for example, how much input did you have from the beginning into creating him?

I created the voice from scratch, just from seeing a one-line description of the character in an early script. As to dialog, very little improv happens; TV is a writers' medium.

How much longer do you think The Simpsons will last?

Til Fox gets another 8'clock comedy hit with which to replace us. So, about 43 more years.

What's your favorite quote of any character you voice?

Voice: CM Burns. Voice or physical: Derek Smalls.

What's your most memorable moment from a guest celebrity voice on The Simpsons?

Without doubt the episode on which MJ guested. He was 45 min late to a readthrough in his manager's house, during which we were all so, I don't know, surprised or flustered or something that there was almost no small talk while we waited. Then, during a second readthrough at Fox (we used to do those), he read his spoken lines, and nodded across the table when his character was supposed to break into a version of "Ben". At that point, a white guy sitting across the table from him began singing that part in a very MJ-ish voice. I whispered to Yeardley, "we're probably paying just enough for the talking Michael, but we can't afford the singing Michael".

Thoughts on Tina Fey?

She must know something about Lorne the rest of the women on that show didn't know.

Does it ever seem odd or disjointed to you that Fox as a comedy channel has such brash, left-leaning comedy, Simpsons, Family Guy etc... Yet so much of the FOX network is a conservative mouthpiece, essentially despised by left-leaning people?

No, because the corporation as a whole just goes where it thinks there's a market.

Shearer, eh? EXCELLENT.

M.Burns is my favourite character by far. I love your voice. <3

Relieve the hounds!

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I think if you're lucky you get one thing in life that you want. If you're very lucky you get two. So be very careful in choosing what it is you really want.

Any closer to finishing 'Saucy Jack'?

Yes, Michael finished the title song, and it's performed in the "Unwigged" show we did four years ago, out on DVD.

Hi,hi, hi!!!

When over zealous fans call up facts in questions that you may not know the answer to, what do you do? Do you answer as honestly as you can? Or do you fudge the answer? Do you have a team helping you answer the question, if it is via internet, or rely on your co-stars to help fill in the gaps?

I used to do Simpsons trivia at a local bar, and the amount of knowledge some people had was scary.

That doesn't happen to me. People, I guess, assume that I'm not a trivia maniac about the stuff I work on. One tends to do them and then move on.

Which episode of The Simpsons is the absolute worst?

I hate it in AMAs when people only ask about favorites.

If I answered you, some people in LA would be mad at me. And we can't have that.

Harry, it's your last night in New Orleans. Where do you go? Where do you eat? Where do you go see music?

I eat a starter at each of about 12 favorite restuarants, and walk along Frenchmen St. to hear music from about 10 different clubs. See, I cheated.

I've got a two-parter for you!
i) what is your favourite movie of all time ever? and, ii) what is the strangest thing a fan has ever asked you/to do?

PS You are super talented.

Thanks. No real answer to ii, fans have been too nice. 1) would be "Dr. Strangelove", with the original "To Be Or Not To Be" being a verrrrry close second.

What are your favorite television shows these days?

The one where Anderson Cooper giggles.

Absolutely love Le Show! You've been doing it constantly since 1983--how do you continue to find inspiration?

Also, I'll be starting my own talk radio/variety show this week, do you have any advice for new, aspiring radio hosts in this day n' age?

Cheers!
(and an apology of the week for becoming the competition!)

I find inspiration in the fact that they named our species wrong--we may be homo but "sapiens" doesn't seem accurate.

Did Jerry Lewis ever give you any crap for speaking out about "The Day The Clown Cried"?

No, I think Jerry was more upset about the piece I did about the Telethon that appeared in Film Comment in the late 70s.

Hi Harry, did you ever consider giving up and getting a normal job when times were hard?

If so, what serious jobs did you try your hand at?

Not when times are hard, but between my child acting and my adult showbiz days, I tried teaching school, journalism, and working at the Calif. State Legislature.

Listening to Le Show for 20 years, I get the impression that your cynicism is boundless. Do you think people have the power to change big issues that aren’t under their direct control, or have you given up?

It's not cynicism--that's what the people in DC have. It's skepticism, and no, I don't think people have that power. But we should act as if we do.

What do you think is the most important international issue of the moment?

At the moment, it seems to be the run-up to a military intervention in Syria by US/UK.

"Just Plain Sam" got me through my senior year of high school; I fell in love with your basso profundo then, and have nursed a vague compulsion to chew your eyebrows ever since...but I digress.

What sort of mental contortions do you employ to keep all the voices in your head separated -- and to bring them out on cue as necessary?

It's the same mechanism that keeps all the songs you know in a different compartment of your brain, I guess.

You're an great bass player, what have you been doing recently with music?

Thank you, I'm adequate, sometimes. I've been playing upright on some gigs with Judith in London, and I practice on upright every day.

What voice will you use for your last words on your death bed? (Pretty grim but I'm curious)

The voice of a bitter old fart. I'm working on it now.

How did you end up playing with Fall Out Boy on Conan? It was cool to see you randomly appear and the Simpsons reference of their band name is funny but i was watching in disbelief just saying, "how did that happen?"

They called and asked if I would do it. I was as floored as you were. Great guys.

what current cartoon show, or any show for that matter, would you have liked to work on most?

I don't really have a yearning to be part of any other show. I mean, as kid, if I could have been magically transformed into the third member of Bob & Ray, I would have done it in a second. But that was then.

Do you ever bust out any of the voices just to see the reactions you will get from strangers? The voices of all the simpsons characters are so iconic that they are probably identifiable by most people you will ever meet.

No, for many reasons.

because you have to do it so much in the Simpson's, do you ever find yourself having conversations with yourself at other times? Or accidently talking in one of your signature voices. All I can imagine is you having an argument with yourself in the bathroom talking back and forth as Mr. Burns and Smithers.

I got more important things to do in the bathroom.

Harry, just want to say I'm a huge fan of the Simpsons.

Now, my question is this: How do you voice so many characters? Is there some sort of secret to voicing them all?

No secret, just, as noted above, the luck to have gotten a couple of great gifts from the DNA trunk.

First of all, HUGE fan. I have a few questions

1)When did you decide to become a voice actor?

2) Who is the favorite character that you've done during your career?

3) How would one become a voice actor?

You don't have to answer all of them, but I'd appreciate it. You've been a mainstay person in my life from the beginning. I grew up watching The Simpsons and it helped mold my childhood.

(edit: words and numbers)

I never decided to become a voice actor. I act with everything all the time. But when I started doing radio, first with the Credibility Gap and then my own Le Show, I was willy nilly acting only with my voice. Matt G was (is?) a Le Show fan, and so the call from the Simpsons seemed to spring from that. Becoming a voice actor is very hard because, due to the versatility of the people who do it, it's a small world that's very hard to break into. I recommend making a recording of your own voices--i.e., not you imitating my or Mel Blanc's or Seth's voices--and sending it to agents who specialize in voice actors, followed by intense prayer.

Thanks for doing this Harry, been a fan for many, MANY years!! Out of your amazing career, is there any one film you regret doing? Not necessarily "hate", but look back and think, "man that one was a little iffy". And please don't say Handsome Dan, because that was amazing too

No I wouldn't say that one, I'd say "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh".

Hello Harry.

Seems like you and Norm Macdonald have worked together on many things. Everybody he graces seems to have a decent "Norm-story". Do you have any to share?

Norm and I have never crossed paths, actually. So I like him.

Do you do Atty the Atom live during the Le Show broadcast/recording, or do you record his bits beforehand?

No, I do him live. I just fell into doing that one day, without any forethought. Now I can't stop him.

Can you please tell me where the Fighting Hellfish treasure is now?

No idea. But if I see it, I'll call you.

I read somewhere that you are one of the only people to have seen the notoriously vanished Jerry Lewis movie, "The Day The Clown Cried"...any chance you can shed some light on the extent of its awfulness?

Yes, as I think I once said in Spy magazine, it was like looking at a painting of Auschwitz on black velvet.

Any stories about Jack Benny? You were in an episode of his tv show.

I was in many, I worked for him for 8 years. The most generous man, and one of the smartest about comedy. Once I was accepted into the family of that show, it was a warm and supportive place to be. And utterly professional--we were there to do our work, and there were no scenes, no sturm and drang about comedy. It was just assumed that everybody was there because they knew what they were doing. A wonderful experience.

Acknowledge me!

You are acknowledged.

Mr Shearer, thanks for doing this AMA. Huge fan of your work including Le Show and especially The Big Uneasy which was a massive eye opener for me. Do you ever feel there will be a time that the Corp of Engineers will truly apologize for their failings before and after Katrina?

Thanks, and I'm so glad you saw the film. I think the closest we ever came to seeing a Corps apology was on May 30, 2006, when the then head of the Corps, Lt. Gen Strock, took responsibility for the catastrophic failure of the Corps' "hurricane protection system", that led to the flooding. Interestingly, he either retired or was retired within two months. But aside from that, the Corps of Engineers operates inside a culture of impunity. And why shouldn't they? After they were complicit in the deaths of more than 2000 people and the near-destruction of a major metropolis, their bosses--Congress--told them, "Here's a lot more money, try again, maybe do better." Some accountability.

Hi Harry. I've always been a big fan of SNL growing up, but didn't actually know who you were until I was a teenager and got into film. A History of White People and then The Big Uneasy have both inspired me in different ways, and could have been what pushed me to want to make film in the first place. So thank you.

For my question, I wanted to ask about what the transition was like, if any, from T.V. to film and from acting to writing/directing. In this new digital age, do you see the entertainment industry becoming more or less about "who you know?" Any advice you could give for a young filmmaker? Thanks again, keep on doing what you do.

Well, the transition wasn't really a transition. I co-wrote "Real Life" with Albert Brooks (and Monica Johnson), and then worked on "Fernwood 2Night" with Martin Mull, both before SNL and Tap. So it was kind of bouncing back and forth, sometimes one medium, sometimes another. Sometimes acting, sometimes writing. I started directing when I did a short for SNL and then another one for the early Letterman show, and then I directed two specials for Cinemax and the "History of White People" series for HBO. I think the digital age has so far been only half-liberating: it's easier to make content, but in terms of feature films, the distribution pipeline is still controlled by a few companies. It's getting better, thanks to Netflix, but it's still easy to make something and very difficult to get people to see it without someone spending big $$ on your behalf to market it. But you learn every time you do a project, so don't turn anything down.

Hey Harry, thanks for doing this. How many hours a week do you spend prepping for Le Show? How long does it take to record an episode? Is it basically live?

Lastly and not a question: Your Tom Brokaw is the best ever. I will never forget the time you threw it to Tom to say "Alan Mulally."

Thanks. It's about 5-6 hours of prep a week, although if I do a song there's more time involved, because I'm not that strong a swimmer. The show goes out live usually, though while I've been acting in the play in London, I've had to pre-record because we do a Sunday matinee.

Do you ever get confused between voices (especially during a Burns-Smithers conversation)? It must get so overwhelming having to remember a databank of various voices

No, they stay as separate as different songs do in our brains. At least, so far.

One more question... any reason why "Nothing Ever Happens in Blaine" didn't make it into the final cut of "Waiting for Guffman"?

That's been a burr under my saddle for years. I think the answer, as with most such situations, is that you have to take out things you love when they impede the flow of a film.

Hi Mr. Shearer, I look forward to Le Show every Sunday! I can't think of any questions, but I want to share my gratitude with you, for producing a proper news variety show and keeping the quality high with every episode. You're creating a movement, and everybody needs one, every day.

Thanks for the encouragement. It's quiet out there sometimes.

Who is your favorite bassist: Mark Shubb or Derek Smalls?

Derek. He's louder.

Did you know growing up that you would do so much writing and voice acting? As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Well, I loved being in show biz as a kid, but I thought I'd go into government or journalism as an adult. Boy, am I glad I didn't.

Harry, what time is it?

It's now.

Hi Harry! Just wanted to say thank you for all you do for the City of New Orleans and all the great characters over the years. My two favorites are Ned Flanders and Derek Smalls - EXCELLENT! ;) You are my favorite on the Simpsons, you do the best voices with Hank and Dan a close second.

Do people recognize you on the street simply from your voice?

Yes, that does happen more and more. Thanks for the kind words.

I finally have a chance to ask a question on an interesting AMA (and have it be read)..... I have no question. Thanks for you unending entertainment. Keep up the great work sport!

I'll do my best.

I love you!

Your acid-jazz performance in Spinal Tap is gold, and your A Mighty Wind character is so loveable.

You're amazing in everything you do.

Thank you, I appreciate that. I do try to have fun.

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As I said earlier in the thread, make a recording of your OWN voices--not your version of voices already being done, those people have gigs. Then look up reputable agents who specialize in voice talent and sent them your tape/CD/thumbdrive. Then pray.

If you had to write the series finale of The Simpsons, what would you want to have in the episode?

Lots of explosions.

One of my favorite segments from Late Night with Conan was you and Dan improvising Homer and Dr. Hibbert. It's brilliant.

My question is: What's your favorite memory/story of time you've spent with Conan O'Brien?

Playing b'ball with him before he got famous. He was very tall even then.

I saw the world premier of "Teddy Bear's Picnic" at the Rio Theater in Monte Rio with you there. As a former employee of the Grove, I just wanted to say thank you for such an accurate portrayal of the goings on. Also, how much fun was Henry Gibson in that role?

Fantastic to hear from you, and thanks. Henry was just nonstop fantastic. First, I had pretty much decided on another actor to play that role when Henry walked into the audition and just stole it with the wicked intensity of his performance. Second, while filming, Henry kept coming up with great ideas, pieces of dialog for his character, in the most unassuming, non-intrusive and creative manner. Many of his suggestions were incorporated into the final product. He was a joy.

Have you ever caught yourself dreaming in one of your character's voices, and if so which one is closest to an alter ego?

No, but I don't remember all that many of my dreams. I do have very benign dreams, though. For me, a nightmare is going to the Post Office and discovering they're out of stamps. True story, I really did have that dream. Pissed me off, too.

Electric bass or double bass and why?

Definitely upright. They're both excellent instruments, and each has its own challenges, but making that big ol' piece of wood vibrate is a feeling unlike almost any other. I said almost. And I was referring to the bass.

Hi Harry! I'm a huge fan. Did you and Michael McKean ever write any actual songs for "Saucy Jack?"

Yes, Michael finished the title song and performs it on the "Unwigged" DVD. It's a start....

Hi Harry! Thanks so much for doing an AMA! How hard is it not to crack up when you are ad-libbing with the other Spinal Tap crew?

We improvise. Sorry to be pedantic, but ad-libbing is about talking, improvising (done right) is about listening. We're all pretty good about avoiding laughter, unless Mr. Fred Willard is among us, at which point all bets are off.

Was in intentional to have three of the major voice actors from The Simpsons to appear in the Matthew Broderick Godzilla remake?

I think so. I think Dean Devlin was a big Simpsons fan, and maybe Roland E. was, too.

Hello! Thanks for all the entertainment. I've got the Simpsonic CDs and love your work as Smithers, though who could forget your role in Godzilla! Anyway, what's your take on the fact that Smithers was supposed to be black, did it influence your style at all? Secondly, how do I go about getting an autograph? Thanks!

You can send a request through the email at harryshearer.com. I keep hearing this about Smithers supposed to be black, and I actually have no memory of it from the time. Of course, all I remember about the early days of the show was the ping-pong table in the Zanuck Theater, where we used to record....

Simple question: What is your favorite color? :)

White, because it includes all the others. Yich, I disgusted myself.

Alright, since you cheated on the last one (NO is a good city for such cheating). First day at Jazz Fest, what food do you head for first? For us, it's crawfish bread (first, and then last on the way out to fill the girlfriend's purse).

There's very good jambalaya out there, and then there's the cochon de lait po-boy....

And how could I forget the creole hot sausage po-boy?

Favorite soft drink?

Sparkling water. Preferably with very mild carbonation, a la Hildon.

Hello Harry, what is Misty Fjords up to these days?

Her eyeballs.

Hey Harry, thanks so much for doing this AMA! I know it was quite a while ago, but any fond memories of shooting the Leave It To Beaver pilot back in the day? Keep up the awesome work, looking forward to it all!

...purple monkey dishwasher

Thanks, no, I actually have no memory of that shoot. If I didn't have the DVD, I wouldn't believe I had done it.

Hello Harry! I don't have any questions for you. Just wanted to tell you that you're amazing and keep up the fantastic work!

Well, okay, maybe one question - Any chance of a Spinal Tap sequel?

One never says never. But...never.

Hope I'm not too late! No question, really, but as a person who makes a living talking into a microphone (radio), thanks for all you do.

Okay, one question...isn't it weird that the generation that grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons now watches them on Sunday night?

That's called maturity.

Hey, Harry!

How does it feel to have been born with the gift of a golden voice? Le Show has been a personal favourite podcast of mine for quite a while now and I've often just sat down specifically to listen to, what I would describe as, your vocal hot chocolate.

Love from Yorkshire!

You know, my dad was a baritone who trained as an opera singer, so in a very real sense I owe it all to him.

Is there any voice you wish you could do but just can't pull off?

I've tried for years (only once in public) to do a kick-ass Geraldo Rivera impersonation. Can't do it. But it took me a long time to "get" Dick Clark, so there's hope.

Thanks for all the hilarity over the years Which was your favorite of the "mockumentaries" to make?

"This is Spinal Tap", because it was a total collaboration start to finish, and because it had the hardest road from concept through fruition.

Thanks for doing this AMA Harry - any chance we'll see you in another Christopher Guest movie?

Chris has had his hands full for the past year with his TV series, as have I with mine ("Nixon's the One", coming next year). One hopes that if he returns to movies, he'll call me. Never have a better, or more frightening, time than working in those films.