NEW YORK (AP) — Pamela Hayden, the longtime voice actor behind Milhouse Van Houten — Bart Simpson’s very cool friend — is stepping away after 35 years of whining.
Hayden, 70, who voiced Milhouse, Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey and Malibu Stacy, will say goodbye to “The Simpsons” on Nov. 24 in a “Treehouse of Horror” episode.
“It was an honor and a pleasure to have worked on such a funny, witty and groundbreaking show,” Hayden said in a statement.
“Pamela gave us a lot of laughs with Milhouse, the unfortunate child with the biggest nose in Springfield. She made Milhouse hilarious and real, and we will miss her,” said Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons.
Casting for her characters is planned.
Milhouse first appeared in a Butterfinger commercial in 1989 and was named after former US President Richard Milhous Nixon. Groening said he adopted that name “because it was the most unfortunate name a child could have.”
The short-sighted character was often the butt of most jokes and was bullied mercilessly by Nelson. In one episode, Bart got Milhouse placed on America’s Most Wanted list, but in another episode he traded Bart’s soul to the man in the comic book store.