Dan Castellaneta

Life

Daniel Louis Castellaneta was born on the 10th of September, 1958 in Chicago Illinois. He went to school at Oak Park and River City High School and attended Northern Illinois University. After college, he went on the Tracy Ullman Show, where he voice acted the character "Homer Simpson" in little shorts that the show presented. The shorts went over so well that it turned into a half hour cartoon show known as The Simpsons. The show debuted on December 17, 1989, and Dan did the voice over for Homer Simpson, Abraham Simpson, Krusty The Clown, Groundskeepers Willy, Mayor Joe Quimby, Barney Gumble, Hans Moleman, Sideshow Mel, Itchy, Kodos, Arnie Pie, Scott Christian, and a few other characters.

Dan also went on the voice the Robot Devil in the show "Futurama". He also was known to do the voice of Genie in cartoons and video games, whereas the original voice actor, Robin Williams, didn't want to do them. Dan got married to actress/writer Deb Lacusta in 1987. Dan also did the voice of Earthworm Jim for the cartoon series, and some of the games. Dan's video game voice credits include Flux Wildly in Toonstruck, Homer Simpson, Grandpa Abe Simpson, and Barney Gumble in The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield, Earthworm Jim and Boogerman in Clayfighter 63 1/3, and Nordom in Planescape: Torment.

Dan Castellaneta Trivia

• As of 2008, Dan makes $400,000 for each Simpsons episode he does.
• When Dan was a teacher, he used his "voices" to engage the children. The kids were so impressed that they made him rethink his career.
• In the summer of 2008, Dan appeared on stage in Broadway Bound, with JoBeth Williams and Jonathan Silverman.
• Dan's favorite music is by The Beatles, favorite movie is "The Producers", and favorite TV show is "Taxi".
• Dan's mother died on February 5, 2008. As a tribute, the Simpsons aired an episode in where Homer's mom died, and her last wishes were for Homer to stop a nuclear attack.
• Dan wrote a play, The Purple Dawn.
• Sometimes screw-ups turn out to be good. In an episode of The Simpsons, it was scripted that Homer would sing "I am so smart, I am so smart, S-M-A-R-T". But when Dan read it, he screwed up and said "I am so smart, I am so smart, S-M-R-T I mean, S-M-A-R-T". The editors liked the change so much that they kept it in and it is in the episode to this day. The line also appears in the video games The Simpsons: Hit and Run and The Simpsons: Road Rage.
• Dan won an Emmy in 1992 for "Outstanding Voice-Over performance for the Simpsons episode, "Lisa's Pony", and won again in 1993 for the episode "Mr Plow". And once more in 2004 for "Today I Am A Clown".
• Dan guest voiced as himself and talked to Homer.
• In an episode of the Simpsons, the mob leader Fat Tony and his goons were discussing who to "whack, when one brought up that they should kill the Castellaneta family.
• Dan is a vegetarian, doesn't drink, and practices Tai-Chi.
• Dan also did some voicework for Planescape: Torment, portraying Nordom the Modron.