For the past 35 years, Pamela Hayden has been the voice of Milhouse Van Houten. This weekend, that comes to an end. Pamela has retired from The Simpsons and her last Milhouse episode goes to air this week.
Pamela is also Jimbo Jones, Rod and sometimes Todd, Chief Wiggum’s wife Sarah and Lisa’s friend Jenny Powell but her main character is Milhouse.
Milhouse is Bart Simpson’s best friend. The character debuted in a 1988 commercial for Butterfingers before the first Simpsons episode premiered. At the time The Simpsons were still a segment of The Tracey Ullman Show.
The first Simpsons episode to feature Milhouse was at the start, ‘Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire’, episode one of season one. Milhouse was named after Richard Milhouse Nixon, because Matt Groenig felt you couldn’t get a more pathetic person to be named after. (Today there is even a more pathetic person to name a character after. Today they would probably call the character Donald J. Van Houten).
“One thing I love about Milhouse is that he is always getting knocked down but he keeps getting back up. It is a wonderful analogy for life,” she says.
While Pamela Hayden is leaving the series, Milhouse is not. The character will continue with a new voice soon.
Pamela has acted in three episodes of ‘Hill Street Blues’, she was once the voice of Chester the Dog in one episode of The Nanny and she has voiced parts in the cartoons ‘The New Adventures of Batman’ and ‘The Tom and Jerry Kids Show’.
Pamela’s last Simpsons episode is “Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes.”
In a closing statement Pamela said, “Hi everyone, it’s me—Pamela Hayden, aka Milhouse!
By now, you’ve probably heard the news: I’m retiring from The Simpsons.
What an incredible journey it has been! Being a part of this amazing show and voicing Milhouse for so many years has been the adventure of a lifetime.
But what I really want to say is THANK YOU. Thank you to the fans who have supported me, loved Milhouse, and shared so much joy with me along the way. Your kind words, your laughter, and your love mean the world to me—truly, from the bottom of my heart.
Take care, everyone. And remember, everything’s coming up Milhouse!
With love,
Pamela
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