Summary
- A live-action reboot of The Simpsons would be perfectly timed as other childhood cartoons have been given the same treatment.
- The dream cast for a live-action The Simpsons includes talented actors like Danny McBride, Kate McKinnon, and Jim Carrey.
- Each actor has qualities that align with the characters they would be portraying, making for an exciting and potentially hilarious film.
Nearly every beloved animated television series and film has been given a live-action reboot, and The Simpsons would be a zany movie to make with some of the best actors in Hollywood playing 17 main characters. As the longest-running program in TV history, the sitcom about a working-class family in Springfield, U.S.A., The Simpsons has become deeply embedded in American pop culture and retains as much popularity and fandom as a Disney, Star Wars, or Marvel character.
Live-action movie reboots of childhood cartoon favorites like The Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic The Hedgehog, and Disney animated films are all the rage. One of the last few popular cartoons to be made into a live-action version of itself is The Simpsons. After 34 seasons and one animated movie featuring numerous pop-culture references and nearly one thousand celebrity cameos, now is the perfect time for another film with the following dream cast:
17 Homer Simpson - Danny McBride
There is more to Homer Simpson than dimwitted ideas and over-the-top selfish reactions. Homer can also be thoughtful, clever, eager to impress, and take ability for mistakes, particularly when he disappoints Marge and the kids. While there are certainly actors who might better resemble Homer, the actor who could best embody all the character's qualities would be Danny McBride. The actor's portrayal of fictional characters like Kenny Powers, Rick Mitchell, and Jesse Gemstone each feature an aspect of Homer Simpson. If McBride were to borrow from three of his best roles to bring Homer to life, that would be an amazing comedic achievement.
16 Marge Simpson - Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon, one of the most versatile comedic actresses in the industry, would be a terrific fit as The Simpsons' blue-hair matriarch, Marge Simpson. The actress' recent turn as the hysterical Weird Barbie in the Barbie movie and her iconic stint playing a variety of funny characters on Saturday Night Live proves that she can pull off Marge's gravely voice, dry wit, fashion style, and determination to keep her family out of trouble. And McKinnon shares a similar comedic style as Danny McBride, so there could be excellent chemistry if she played Marge to his Homer. Plus McKinnon is familiar with The Simpsons, having guest starred as Hettie Mae Boggs in the season 27 episode, "Gal of Constant Sorrow."
15 Bart Simpson - Hank Greenspan
The key to portraying The Simpson's mischievous son, Bart, is casting an actor who will bring wit and charm to the role instead of being an extremely annoying character that audiences grow to hate. Young teenage actor Hank Greenspan, who plays main character Grover Johnson on The Neighborhood, could be the right person for the job. Grover is a kind, creative and precocious kid who typically does the right thing, but on occasion will get involved in some minor, and often funny, high jinks. Grover's adorably smug grin and twinkle in the eye, which he flashes to avoid a grounding, are attributes Greenspan could use while playing everyone's favorite kid rebel.
14 Lisa Simpson - McKenna Grace
Teenage actress McKenna Grace has wowed film critics and audiences in her role as Phoebe Spengler, granddaughter of Egon, in the 2021 comedy Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Phoebe has a kinship in Lisa Simpson in that both are avid readers with a ion for science, are sarcastic, and serve as the moral centers of their families, often standing up to adults who are in the wrong. McKenna Grace would only need to add a bit of Lisa's cheery optimism and Lisa's gloom-and-doom speeches to Phoebe, while also exchanging a particle thrower for a saxophone, and the live-action Lisa is born!
13 Grandpa Simpson - Lewis Black
Renowned for angry rants about politics and cultural trends in his comedy routines and portraying hysterically irate characters in television and film, Lewis Black seems the obvious choice to be Homer's dad, Abe Simpson. Playing an elderly man like Abe who waves his cane and yells at everything would be second nature for the actor. However, to truly become the live-action version of The Simpson's grandfather, Lewis Black would also need to tell long, rambling, and inaccurate stories, and then forget the point like Abe. Though, considering that the comedian often parodies dumbfounded facial expressions, those attributes of Abe Simpson shouldn't be a stretch to learn.
12 Ned Flanders - Jason Sudeikis
It could be argued that Jason Sudeikis' loveably corny Ted Lasso is simply a cooler, more self-aware, non-judgmental, and less annoying version of Homer's neighbor and arch-nemesis Ned Flanders. After all, in the season 3 opener of Ted Lasso, Ted jokingly onishes the press for never making fun of his appearance, "I look like Ned Flanders is doing cosplay as Ned Flanders." Making a shift from Ted Lasso to Ned Flanders would be super easy for Jason Sudeikis. All the actor would need to do is act a bit pious and throw in several "Howdily-doodily, neighbor?" He could even still wear the same dress shirt and sweater ensemble.
11 Principal Skinner - Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy excels at playing neurotic and easily rattled characters who are in authoritative positions. Casting him as the inept Principal Seymour Skinner, could lead to some scene grabs for the legendary comedian and actor. Watching Eugene Levy as Skinner, fretting, scheming and take numerous pratfalls while trying to control the antics of Bart and the other students at Springfield Elementary, would be sheer delight. By carefully weaving in a serious part of Skinner's story, post-traumatic stress disorder from the Vietnam War, Levy's drama-comedy talents could make audiences feel more sympathy for a character who is often the antagonist.
10 Milhouse - Iain Armitage
Iain Armitage being cast as Bart's best friend, Milhouse, make sense because of his breakthrough role on Young Sheldon. Armitage plays the titular character who is the child version of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. Both Sheldon and Millhouse are picked on for being into science and math and have trouble fitting in with their peers. While young Sheldon's persona as a child prodigy is the complete opposite of the naive Milhouse, the adjustment shouldn't be difficult for Armitage who, with streaks of blue hair and a pair of thick glasses, could instantly be the spitting image of the character.
9 Mr. Burns - Gary Oldman
Award-winning actor, Gary Oldman, has played sensational bad guys over his decades-long career. Many of his characters have been cold and calculating like Count Dracula while others are oddly fun to watch as they blend humor with villainy, like Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg in The Fifth Element. Adding to this resume the character of Charles Montgomery Burns, Springfield's meanest, richest, and most powerful resident, would nicely compliment the other grand and devious roles Oldman has played. Seems only fair since Mr. Burns played Gary Oldman's Dracula in Treehouse of Horror IV episode.
8 Smithers - Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Jesse Tyler Ferguson created one of TV's iconic gay characters in his portrayal of Mitchell Pritchett on Modern Family, and he could bring another iconic gay sitcom character to life as Waylon Smithers, the personal assistant to Mr. Burns. Like Mitch, Smithers is also low-key, mild-mannered, uptight, sensitive, and awkward at times. However, a role as Smithers, would be an interesting departure from Mitch since Smithers secretly loves Mr. Burns and desires for his love to be reciprocated. With experience in film, television, and theater, it's hard not to imagine Jesse Tyler Ferguson doing the live-action version of Smithers' tribute song to Mr. Burns in season 4.