Over the years, The Simpsons have caught the attention of many viewers with its soft-satirical parody of a fictional community in Springfield. One townie that stands out in the animated series, apart from the titular family consisting of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, is character Morris Lester Szyslak who is popularly known as Moe the Bartender. While many have pondered on how show creator Matt Groening came to develop the bad-tempered bar owner, comedian Rich Hall reveals that Moe is actually based on him.
Hall, a 53-year-old writer and TV personality, speculated that he was the inspiration for the Simpsons character since he used to work with one of the producers of the show. Consequently, his hunch was confirmed by Groening.
“I suspected that Moe was based on me because I used to write with George Meyer back when he was one of the original writers on the show. Matt Groening was a fan of my stuff. Other people said: ‘You look and sound just like Moe.’ Then Matt confirmed it,” he said.
For those who are not familiar, Moe, voiced by Hank Azaria, is the proprietor and bartender of Moe’s Tavern, a Springfield bar frequented by Barney Gumble, Homer Simpson, Carl Carlson, Lenny Leonard and others. He is known for his short, violent temper which is coupled with homicidal and suicidal tendencies and a inclination towards obsessive behaviors.
Despite his farce lampoon, Hall, who is a regular on BBC’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks, considers it as a privilege to be part of such an Emmy Award-winning sitcom.
“It’s an honor, once you get over the shock of seeing yourself as a horrible, yellow caricature,” he said.
Catch Moe the Bartender and the rest of residents of Springfield on The Simpsons which airs every Sunday at 8/7c on FOX. Be sure to add it to your personal watch list with the free BuddyTV Guide app.
-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: World Entertainment News Network
(Image courtesy of wordpress.com)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
