Harry Shearer

Harry Shearer
Shearer in 2019
Born
Harry Julius Shearer

(1943-12-23) December 23, 1943 (age 80)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • musician
  • radio host
  • writer
  • producer
Years active1950–present
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1974; div. 1977)​
  • ​
    (m. 1993)​
Websitewww.harryshearer.com

Harry Julius Shearer[1] (born December 23, 1943)[2] is an American actor, comedian, musician, radio host, writer, and producer. Born in Los Angeles, California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of The Credibility Gap, a radio comedy group. Following the breakup of the group, Shearer co-wrote the film Real Life (1979) with Albert Brooks and worked as a writer on Martin Mull's television series Fernwood 2 Night.[3]

Shearer was a cast member on Saturday Night Live between 1979 and 1980, and 1984 and 1985. Shearer co-created, co-wrote and co-starred in the film This Is Spinal Tap (1984), a satirical rockumentary, which became a hit. In 1989, he joined the cast of the animated sitcom The Simpsons; he provides voices for characters including Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy, Lenny Leonard, Scratchy, Principal Skinner, Kent Brockman, Otto Mann, and formerly Dr. Hibbert. Shearer has appeared in films including The Truman Show (1998) and A Mighty Wind (2003), and has directed two, Teddy Bears' Picnic (2002) and The Big Uneasy (2010). Since 1983, Shearer has been the host of the public radio comedy/music program Le Show, incorporating satire, music, and sketch comedy. He has written three books.

Shearer has won a Primetime Emmy Award and has received several other Emmy and Grammy Award nominations. He has been married to singer-songwriter Judith Owen since 1993. He became an artist in residence at Loyola University, New Orleans in 2013.[4]

  1. ^ "Harry Shearer Biography". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Current Biography Yearbook was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ign1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "'The Simpsons' voice actor Harry Shearer makes a home at Loyola – Loyola University New Orleans". Loyno.edu. June 10, 2013. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.