The following contains light spoilers for The Simpsons season 36 episode 4, "Shoddy Heat," now streaming on HuluThe Simpsons brings back a guest star from season 19 for an entirely new role in season 36. The Simpsons has become one of the greatest metrics of fame in Hollywood, with the long-running animated series boasting almost a thousand guest stars over the course of its run. These have ranged from sports stars and important politicians to trending musicians and legendary actors. For the most part, The Simpsons offers famous guest stars a chance to poke fun at themselves or to take on a ridiculous role within the world of Springfield.
However, a few guest stars have actually gotten the chance to put their stamp on 36 seasons of The Simpsons and play different characters from separate corners of the universe. The latest celebrity to get that distinction returns to the show after seventeen years, taking on a character that fleshes out Abe Simpson's backstory. It's a fun performance, but also one that feels very different from their previous appearance on the show.
Topher Grace's Season 36 The Simpsons Character Is Different From His Season 19 Role
Topher Grace Has Played Bart's New Friend & Abe's Former Partner
Topher Grace returns to The Simpsons in season 36, but in an entirely different role from his previous appearance in season 19. In season 36's "Shoddy Heat," Grace appears as William "Billy" O'Donnell. A former partner of Abe Simpson when the latter was briefly a private investigator prior to the events of The Simpsons, O'Donnell went missing years ago. This sets off the plot of the episode, as Lisa works to uncover the truth of his fate. It's a minor but entertaining role for Grace, who plays the character as a goofy but pragmatic contrast to the comically serious Abe.
The Simpsons season 36 episode 4 finally offers an answer to one mystery that has surrounded Homer since the iconic series began over 35 years ago.
This is a far cry from Grace's former role on The Simpsons. In season 19's "The Debarted," the That 70's Show star played Donnie. A new student at Springfield Elementary who quickly befriends Bart, Donnie is secretly an informant for Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers to monitor Bart's pranks. While O'Donnell is important to "Shoddy Heat" more as a plot device than a character, Donnie's growing reluctance to turn on Bart serves as the key emotional arc of "The Debarted." However, both episodes serve as parodies of crime thrillers like Miami Vice or The Departed, giving them a thematic connection.
Topher Grace Is The Rare Simpsons Guest Star With Multiple Unique Roles
Most Guest Stars Play Themselves Or Get One Springfield Resident
While there have been hundreds of notable guest stars on The Simpsons over the years, Topher Grace is among the handful who've actually appeared on the show in different roles. For the most part, guest stars on The Simpsons play one character (such as Kelsey Grammar's longstanding role as Sideshow Bob) or as parodies of themselves. However, a few performers have been cast in multiple roles. This includes regular guest stars like Jon Lovitz, the now deceased Phil Hartman and Albert Brooks playing several The Simpsons characters since the show's early days.
Topher Grace can now count himself among those handful of actors with multiple appearances on
The Simpsons
outside of a parody of their public persona.
There have been a few more unique guest stars who've come onto the show to play multiple roles seasons apart. This includes Anne Hathaway, George Takei, Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Topher Grace can now count himself among those handful of actors with multiple appearances on The Simpsons outside of a parody of their public persona. Grace fits well into The Simpsons, with a dry delivery in both season 19 and season 36 that highlights how easily he slots into the blunt and silly world of Springfield.
The Simpsons is a long-running animated TV series created by Matt Groening that satirically follows a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield. Homer, a bit of a schmoe who works at a nuclear power plant, is the provider for his family, while his wife, Marge, tries to keep sanity and reason in the house to the best of her ability. Bart is a born troublemaker, and Lisa is his super-intelligent sister who finds herself surrounded by people who can't understand her. Finally, Maggie is the mysterious baby who acts as a deus ex machina when the series calls for it. The show puts the family in several wild situations while constantly tackling socio-political and pop-culture topics set within their world, providing an often sharp critique of the subjects covered in each episode. This series first premiered in 1989 and has been a staple of Fox's programming schedule ever since!
:quality(85):upscale()/2024/10/31/801/n/49351082/b84152bf6723c91b32cc73.86821940_.jpg)
:quality(85):upscale()/2024/11/01/729/n/49351082/edfd0f616725023b36fdf0.07661898_.jpg)
English (US) ·