After 26 seasons of giving life to nincompoops, do-gooders, and even God, actor Harry Shearer has announced he'll be leaving The Simpsons. A stalwart of the show, Shearer has voiced central characters such as Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Reverend Lovejoy, and Principal Seymour Skinner.
In a tweet sent in the wee hours of Thursday, Shearer said he was leaving "because I wanted what we've always had: the freedom to do other work."
That message came on the heels of a quote from the lawyer for Simpsons producer James L. Brooks, saying the "show will go on, Harry will not be part of it, wish him the best."
Shearer, 71, later sent a note saying, "Thanks, Simpsons fans, for your support."
The development comes shortly after The Simpsons was renewed by Fox TV for two more seasons — and after reports emerged that the show's producers were having trouble reaching terms with all of their cast.
Earlier this week, Simpsons creator Matt Groening told TMZ, "We're hoping everybody's in."
Today, executive producer and show runner Al Jean tweeted, "The show will go on, made by people who love it and see in it the most wonderful vehicle for satire ever."
Jean tells CNN Money that the characters Shearer portrays will not be "killed off" but producers will turn to "the most talented members of the voice over community."
Shearer voices a wide range of characters on The Simpsons, including: Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, Lenny Leonard, Eddie Muntz, Rainer Wolfcastle, and Scratchy.
In addition to his Simpsons workload, Shearer has also acted on stage and in movies and recorded several CDs of musical satire. For the past 30 years, he has hosted a public radio show, Le Show. And in 2014, his TV series Nixon's the One, which originally aired on Britain's Sky network, streamed online.
Shearer, who lives in New Orleans, has also been a vocal critic of how the Hurricane Katrina disaster was handled, directing and narrating the documentary The Big Uneasy.
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