Professor Frink

For the Mexican-British cosmologist at Durham University, see Carlos Frenk.
Professor Frink
The Simpsons character
First appearance"Old Money" (1991)
Created byJay Kogen
Wallace Wolodarsky
Matt Groening
Based onJerry Lewis as Julius Kelp
Designed byMatt Groening
Voiced byHank Azaria
In-universe information
Full nameJohn I.Q. Nerdelbaum Frink Jr.
GenderMale
OccupationScientist, inventor, professor
FamilyJohn Frink Sr. (father)[1]
ChildrenJohn Frink III (son)[2]

Professor John I.Q. Nerdelbaum Frink Jr.[1] is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely intelligent, though somewhat mad and socially inept. Frink often tries to use his bizarre inventions to aid the town in its crises but they usually only make things worse. His manner of speech, including the impulsive shouting of nonsensical words, has become his trademark.

Frink was originally depicted as an evil scientist in "Old Money", since he was trying to secure funding for a death ray. When Azaria ad-libbed a voice for the character, he did an impression of Jerry Lewis's Julius Kelp character from The Nutty Professor. The staff liked the voice and therefore changed Frink to be more like Julius Kelp, both in appearance and personality – he became more nerdy, and went from evil to just mad. Lewis later guest-starred on the show as Frink's father in the 2003 episode "Treehouse of Horror XIV".

The professor has received acclaim from critics, particularly for his bizarre inventions such as the hamburger earmuffs, and he has appeared on many reviewers' listings of their favorite supporting characters from The Simpsons. Frink has been featured in other media relating to the show, such as comics, video games, and The Simpsons Ride, a simulator ride at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. The character's popularity has led to him giving the name to the computer programming language Frink.[3]

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