One of ‘The Simpsons’ Greatest Villains Was Almost Voiced by James Earl Jones

Dr. Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, otherwise known as Sideshow Bob, first graced our screens in the Season 1 Simpsons episode “The Telltale Head.” Voiced by Kelsey Grammer of Cheers fame, Bob started out as Krusty the Clown’s sidekick, and later became Bart’s archenemy after Bart foiled his plan to frame Krusty for a crime he didn’t commit. The character would prove to be a fan favorite, appearing in over 40 episodes and popping up in comic book and video game adaptations as well. Grammer even won an Emmy for his portrayal of Bob at the 2006 ceremony.

Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon had previously worked with Grammer on Cheers and remembered him having a mellifluous singing voice, which helped convince the producers to hire him. Grammer’s Cheers character, Frasier Crane, of course, shares some traits with Bob, leading people to refer to Bob as “Frasier pickled in arsenic.” Bob’s voice was also modeled after that of theater actor Ellis Rabb, who Grammer had worked with years earlier. Distinct as Grammer’s take was, it’s hard to imagine what the character would’ve sounded like if anyone else had gotten the job.

Kelsey Grammer’s Sideshow Bob Role Almost Went to James Earl Jones

However, according to the DVD commentary track for the episode “Krusty Gets Busted,” another A-list actor was initially suggested to voice Bob. As it turns out, when the script was first written, there was talk of getting James Earl Jones to play the part. This reportedly was due to his iconic performances as Darth Vader in the Star Wars films. Presumably, Grammer was chosen because of his singing ability—something Jones wasn’t known for himself.

Jones did end up lending his voice to The Simpsons a few times over the years, though. In the first-ever “Treehouse of Horror,” he played two different characters, in addition to narrating the “Raven” segment. Jones returned for “Treehouse of Horror V,” as the voice of an alternate-Universe Maggie. And finally, he provided the closing narration in 1998’s “Das Bus.” Following Jones’s death in 2024, a rerun of the episode “Cremains of the Day” was dedicated to his memory: