Moe Szyslak
Encyclopedia
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak (icon) is a fictional character in the American animated
television series, The Simpsons
. He is voiced
by Hank Azaria
and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
". Moe is the proprietor and bartender of Moe's Tavern, a Springfield
bar frequented by Homer Simpson
, Barney Gumble
, Carl Carlson, Lenny Leonard, Sam, Larry, and others.
. Other regulars include Homer Simpson
, Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson, Sam and Larry. Moe usually serves Duff beer
on tap. He enthusiastically abandons his bar, its regular customers, and his friends when a better opportunity comes along, such as the drink "The Flaming Moe
", the opening of his postmodern bar "m
", the conversion of his bar into a family-themed restaurant called Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag
and a British themed pub with Marge called the Nag and Weasel
. Along with Moe's Tavern, he also has a bar called Moe's Express located in Springfield Mall. Moe is often engaged in shady or illegal activities at his tavern, including smuggling panda
s and orca
s, imprisoning Hans Moleman
under the floor of the bar, hosting Russian roulette
games, operating an unlicensed casino
, serving liquor without a license (the liquor license he had was from 1973, signed by Moe himself, and only valid in Rhode Island
), running a speakeasy
during Springfield's brief flirtation
with prohibition
, performing unlicensed surgery
, and housing Africanized bee
s. He is best known for being the most frequent recipient of Bart Simpson
's prank calls. These involve them asking to speak to some fictional person with a provocative name (e.g. Mike Rotch, aka "My crotch"), which, when Moe says it, makes it dirty/naughty and/or insulting to himself, making everyone in the bar laugh at him. This always leads to Moe threatening to find and harm the caller in a violent and unusual way. Despite this, in the episode "Flaming Moe's
", Bart goes to the tavern and Moe doesn't recognize his voice. Also, at one point, a person in the bar is shown to have that episode's provocative name (Hugh Jass, or "Huge ass"), and when he takes the phone, Bart quickly explains about it being a prank call and they hang up with Hugh Jass saying "what a nice young man".
Moe's temperament is characterized by a short, violent temper, coupled with homicidal
and suicidal
tendencies (the latter of which has become more apparent in later episodes of the show). He frequently threatens various people with a shotgun
and attempts suicide (including an annual attempt at Christmas
and in the episodes "Mommie Beerest
" after his bar is closed by the health department, Moe calls the suicide hotline only to discover that they’ve blocked his number and "Treehouse of Horror XIV
" in demonstration of the absence of Death
). He assumes a leading role in many of Springfield's angry mobs (such as a soccer riot in the episode "The Cartridge Family
"), and kidnapping Talking Heads
vocalist David Byrne
. He has also shot at Carl Carlson, robbed Homer of expensive pants, kept Hans Moleman
under his bar's floorboards in a subterranean chamber, perpetrated insurance fraud ("Dumbbell Indemnity
"), shot Sam in the back for trying to pay in Sacagawea dollar
s, and stalked
various townspeople. His sociopathic tendencies are made the subject of humour in "Burns' Heir
", where he can be seen in his own home preparing a dialogue for some kind of confrontation in front of a mirror, and using a home-made sliding action pistol holster (which comically smashes the mirror) in a parody of Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle
character from Taxi Driver
. This behavior is further exhibited in The Simpsons Movie
when he becomes the self-proclaimed "Emperor of Springfield" when the town is ruined. His leadership is challenged by Barney Gumble
, who throws a Molotov Cocktail
at him, which Moe successfully throws back. This temperament, however, can be an advantage when necessary.
Moe has an almost nonexistent love life due to his vulgarity towards women and his ugly appearance. Despite this, Moe has had a number of romantic experiences, including sleeping with his bartender Collette, dating a woman named Renee,
and briefly enjoying the company of many women after he had plastic surgery
. He also has a relationship and proposed to a little person named Maya, but Maya broke up with him after Moe kept cracking jokes about her height. He has long been infatuated with Marge Simpson
, whom he calls 'Midge', and has on occasion tried to win her away from Homer. He has been romantically involved with Edna Krabappel
as well as Marge's sister Selma. Moe's romantic attractions have resulted in run-ins with the law; he has stalked Maude Flanders and other townspeople, he must register as a sex offender
, and he has a restraining order
placed upon him. At one point he is seen on his way to a "V.D. clinic". Despite his creepy approach, Moe has showed to be a caring and devoted lover. While dating Renee (and previously Edna), he wholeheartedly spoiled them with whatever they wanted and vowed to give up his bar and take them away from Springfield forever, even if it means losing his own money and doing illegal acts to make more money. When he thought he finally won Marge's heart, he promised to be a better lover than Homer.
Despite his faults, Moe has been shown to express genuine love and sentimentality, which suggests that he may not be as gruff or sociopathic as he appears. He has a cat named Mr. Snookums, of whom he is very fond but will turn hostile if anyone sees him with the cat. Moe is also kind towards the rats that live in his bar. On Wednesday nights, he reads to the homeless in a local soup kitchen and seems to have a soft spot for kids. He thoroughly enjoys Bart's company (not knowing it's Bart who has made numerous prank phone calls to his bar). He rudely tells his customers to shut up when Lisa has something she wants to say. After saving Maggie's life he develops a close and very protective relationship with her, going so far as to insult an attractive woman who is flirting with him when he mistakenly thinks she is calling Maggie ugly.
, Italian, Arab
, and Dutch
as well as being born in Indiana
. The many conflicting stories of Moe's heritage on the show are parodied in The Book of Moe, where Moe is seen in several different foreign outfits and commenting on them (often with puns). In Season 4 Episode 3 "Homer the Heretic", Moe's religious views are revealed in his statement, "I was born a snake handler and I'll die a snake handler." Although he was called Morris by his then employee and lover in "Flaming Moe's", it is likely that he was lying and his real name is actually Moammar, as revealed in the episode "The Springfield Connection
".
As a child, he played the part of "Smelly", a tough kid, on The Little Rascals until he killed the original Alfalfa
for stealing his bit (looking into a car's exhaust pipe just in time to get a face full of exhaust), but was never punished for it because Alfalfa was an orphan owned by the studio. At some unspecified time during his childhood (though it is quite likely this happened before he got his role on "The Little Rascals", since that would explain how he came into the studio's possession), his parents dropped him off at summer camp, never to return. In a flashback, he is revealed to have spoken with an Italian accent as a child, but this is contradicted by other accounts of his childhood. In that same episode, it shows the beginning of Moe becoming a victim of prank calls when young Marge calls the boys' camp and asks to talk to Elvis Jagger
Abdul-Jabbar
, which is what Homer introduced himself as to her. Moe, thinking that she is trying to trick him, becomes angry and hangs up. Then he turns to the camera and says, "And, uh, that's the origin of that." During the time Homer and Marge were in high school, Moe worked in the school cafeteria, as his first job out of prison. Then school journalists, Marge and her friend, Chloe Talbot, caught the young Moe spitting in the cafeteria soup he was preparing. Exposing this, Moe was taken back to jail, yelling "You ain't tasted the last of my spit!", indicating he might spit into some drinks he serve at his bar. In "Eternal Moonshine Of The Simpson Mind
", knowing that Homer will not remember anything he says, Moe tells him "I've spit in every drink I ever served you!" before spitting in his drink. Moe was thought to be allergic to pollen; years later, when he found out he wasn't, he made up for lost time by jumping rope. As a young man, Moe became a semi-professional boxer, his ring name constantly changing to suit his deteriorating physical appearance. He started as "Kid Gorgeous" and slowly morphed into "Kid Presentable", "Kid Gruesome", and finally "Kid Moe". Moe blames his boxing career for making him ugly. According to Moe, his boxing career ended because of politics, and because he was knocked out 40 times in a row. Moe's ugliness caused him to audition unsuccessfully for a part in It Never Ends, a soap opera
, revealed in "Pygmoelian
". His current appearance has been described as consisting of "cauliflower ear
, lizard lips, little rat eyes, caveman brow and fish snout" in the same episode. Moe's ugliness has since become a recurring source of humor on the show. For example, in "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
", Moe pauses a video of himself and every frame that is shown reveals a hideous expression on his face (even though he appears normal when the video is playing).
After attending bartending school at Swigmore University (a play on Skidmore College
), Moe opened up his own drinking establishment, "Moe's Tavern (first called cavern) ."
based Moe on Louis "Red" Deutsch who was made famous when he was repeatedly prank called by two Jersey City
residents. These prank calls
were the inspiration for Bart Simpson
's repeated prank calls to Moe, and Deutsch's often profane responses inspired Moe's violent temper. Further inspiration was drawn from comedian Rich Hall
, an acquaintance of The Simpsons writer George Meyer
. Hall considers being the basis for Moe "an honor." Moe's surname "Szyslak" was revealed in "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)". Writers Bill Oakley
and Josh Weinstein
found the name in a phonebook and gave it to Moe so that he would have the initials M.S., and hence be a suspect in the Burns shooting. Moe was designed by animator Dan Haskett and his facial appearance was modeled after a gorilla
. Animator Mark Kirkland
said that he usually lets pass through production off-model drawings of Moe because the character is so ugly that no one will notice.
Moe was the first voice Hank Azaria
performed for the show. During the time of his audition, Azaria was doing a play in which he had the part of a drug dealer, basing his voice on actor Al Pacino
in Dog Day Afternoon
. He used the same voice in the audition, and was told by Matt Groening and Sam Simon
, who were directing him, to make it more gravelly like Deutsch's voice. Groening and Simon thought that it was perfect and took Azaria over to the Fox network
recording studio. Before he had even seen a script, Azaria recorded several lines of dialogue as Moe for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening
". Moe was originally voiced by actor Christopher Collins
. Collins recorded several lines as Moe which never aired.
won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
for voicing Moe and various other characters.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
television series, The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. He is voiced
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
by Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", also known as "The Simpsons Christmas Special", is the first full-length episode of The Simpsons to air despite originally being the eighth episode produced for season one. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 17, 1989...
". Moe is the proprietor and bartender of Moe's Tavern, a Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
bar frequented by Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, Barney Gumble
Barney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
, Carl Carlson, Lenny Leonard, Sam, Larry, and others.
Personality
Moe is the owner and operator of Moe's Tavern. His most loyal customer is Barney GumbleBarney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
. Other regulars include Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson, Sam and Larry. Moe usually serves Duff beer
Duff Beer
Daleside is an independent brewery founded in 1988 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.-Products:Daleside produce a wide range of beers, including Morocco Ale, a traditional spiced beer based on an Elizabethan recipe; Old Legover, a low abv Old Ale ; Monkey Wrench, a stronger Old Ale; Ripon...
on tap. He enthusiastically abandons his bar, its regular customers, and his friends when a better opportunity comes along, such as the drink "The Flaming Moe
Flaming Moe's
"Flaming Moe's" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 21, 1991. In the episode, Homer tells Moe Szyslak of a secret alcoholic cocktail that includes cough medicine and fire that he calls "Flaming Homer"...
", the opening of his postmodern bar "m
Homer the Moe
“Homer the Moe” is the third episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. The episode first aired on the Fox network on November 18, 2001. In the episode, Moe, following advice of his former bartending professor, decides to modernize his bar...
", the conversion of his bar into a family-themed restaurant called Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag
Bart Sells His Soul
"Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network, on October 8, 1995. In the episode, Bart pranks churchgoers by replacing the music to a hymn with a psychedelic rock song, so Reverend Lovejoy forces him and Milhouse...
and a British themed pub with Marge called the Nag and Weasel
Mommie Beerest
"Mommie Beerest" is the seventh episode of the sixteenth season of The Simpsons.-Plot:The Simpsons celebrate a brunch at a fancy restaurant to celebrate Homer's finally paying off the mortgage. After Bart and Lisa get in a food fight, Homer goes to Moe's, where the health inspector has come for his...
. Along with Moe's Tavern, he also has a bar called Moe's Express located in Springfield Mall. Moe is often engaged in shady or illegal activities at his tavern, including smuggling panda
Panda
Panda or Panda bear most often refers to:*Giant panda, an animal in the Bear familyPanda may also refer to:*Red panda, the only living member in the Ailuridae family-In biology:* Species related to the Giant panda...
s and orca
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
s, imprisoning Hans Moleman
Hans Moleman
Hans Moleman is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Principal Charming". He normally appears in a running gag, where he usually suffers unfortunate, nearly fatal, events...
under the floor of the bar, hosting Russian roulette
Russian roulette
Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
games, operating an unlicensed casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, serving liquor without a license (the liquor license he had was from 1973, signed by Moe himself, and only valid in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
), running a speakeasy
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
during Springfield's brief flirtation
Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment
"Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired March 16, 1997. Prohibition is enacted in Springfield and Homer helps fight it by illegally supplying alcohol to the town. It was written by John Swartzwelder, and directed by Bob...
with prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, performing unlicensed surgery
HOMR
"HOMR" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons’ twelfth season, originally aired on January 7, 2001 by the Fox Broadcasting Company. The episode is the 257th episode overall and the last episode produced for the eleventh season...
, and housing Africanized bee
Africanized bee
Africanized honey bees, known colloquially as "killer bees", are a hybrid variety of the European honeybee , generated by a man-made breeding of the African honey bee, A. m. scutellata, with various European honey bees such as the Italian bee A. m. ligustica and A. m. iberiensis. These bees are far...
s. He is best known for being the most frequent recipient of Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's prank calls. These involve them asking to speak to some fictional person with a provocative name (e.g. Mike Rotch, aka "My crotch"), which, when Moe says it, makes it dirty/naughty and/or insulting to himself, making everyone in the bar laugh at him. This always leads to Moe threatening to find and harm the caller in a violent and unusual way. Despite this, in the episode "Flaming Moe's
Flaming Moe's
"Flaming Moe's" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 21, 1991. In the episode, Homer tells Moe Szyslak of a secret alcoholic cocktail that includes cough medicine and fire that he calls "Flaming Homer"...
", Bart goes to the tavern and Moe doesn't recognize his voice. Also, at one point, a person in the bar is shown to have that episode's provocative name (Hugh Jass, or "Huge ass"), and when he takes the phone, Bart quickly explains about it being a prank call and they hang up with Hugh Jass saying "what a nice young man".
Moe's temperament is characterized by a short, violent temper, coupled with homicidal
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
and suicidal
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
tendencies (the latter of which has become more apparent in later episodes of the show). He frequently threatens various people with a shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
and attempts suicide (including an annual attempt at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and in the episodes "Mommie Beerest
Mommie Beerest
"Mommie Beerest" is the seventh episode of the sixteenth season of The Simpsons.-Plot:The Simpsons celebrate a brunch at a fancy restaurant to celebrate Homer's finally paying off the mortgage. After Bart and Lisa get in a food fight, Homer goes to Moe's, where the health inspector has come for his...
" after his bar is closed by the health department, Moe calls the suicide hotline only to discover that they’ve blocked his number and "Treehouse of Horror XIV
Treehouse of Horror XIV
"Treehouse of Horror XIV" is the first episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season and originally aired on November 2, 2003. In the fourteenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Homer takes on the role of the Grim Reaper , Professor Frink creates a Frankenstein-version of his deceased father and...
" in demonstration of the absence of Death
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
). He assumes a leading role in many of Springfield's angry mobs (such as a soccer riot in the episode "The Cartridge Family
The Cartridge Family
"The Cartridge Family" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ninth season, which originally aired on November 2, 1997. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Pete Michels. In the episode, Homer purchases a gun to protect his family, of which Marge disapproves...
"), and kidnapping Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
vocalist David Byrne
David Byrne (musician)
David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
. He has also shot at Carl Carlson, robbed Homer of expensive pants, kept Hans Moleman
Hans Moleman
Hans Moleman is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Principal Charming". He normally appears in a running gag, where he usually suffers unfortunate, nearly fatal, events...
under his bar's floorboards in a subterranean chamber, perpetrated insurance fraud ("Dumbbell Indemnity
Dumbbell Indemnity
"Dumbbell Indemnity" is the sixteenth episode of the ninth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, which originally aired March 1, 1998. It was written by Ron Hauge and directed by Dominic Polcino. The episode sees Moe trying to keep his girlfriend by using a large amount of money,...
"), shot Sam in the back for trying to pay in Sacagawea dollar
Sacagawea dollar
The Sacagawea dollar is a United States dollar coin that has been minted every year since 2000. These coins have a copper core clad by manganese brass, giving them a distinctive golden color. The coin features an obverse by Glenna Goodacre. The reverse design has varied, from 2000 to 2008...
s, and stalked
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
various townspeople. His sociopathic tendencies are made the subject of humour in "Burns' Heir
Burns' Heir
"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience which prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies...
", where he can be seen in his own home preparing a dialogue for some kind of confrontation in front of a mirror, and using a home-made sliding action pistol holster (which comically smashes the mirror) in a parody of Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle
Travis Bickle
Travis Bickle is a fictional character from the 1976 film Taxi Driver, played by Robert De Niro. He is widely considered one of the most iconic characters in film history, and De Niro earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of him....
character from Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver is a 1976 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. The film is set in New York City, soon after the Vietnam War. The film stars Robert De Niro and features Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd. The film was nominated for four Academy...
. This behavior is further exhibited in The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
when he becomes the self-proclaimed "Emperor of Springfield" when the town is ruined. His leadership is challenged by Barney Gumble
Barney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
, who throws a Molotov Cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
at him, which Moe successfully throws back. This temperament, however, can be an advantage when necessary.
Moe has an almost nonexistent love life due to his vulgarity towards women and his ugly appearance. Despite this, Moe has had a number of romantic experiences, including sleeping with his bartender Collette, dating a woman named Renee,
and briefly enjoying the company of many women after he had plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
. He also has a relationship and proposed to a little person named Maya, but Maya broke up with him after Moe kept cracking jokes about her height. He has long been infatuated with Marge Simpson
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, whom he calls 'Midge', and has on occasion tried to win her away from Homer. He has been romantically involved with Edna Krabappel
Edna Krabappel
Edna Krabappel is a fictional character from the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Marcia Wallace. She is a 4th grade teacher at Springfield Elementary School. Krabappel is the only character Wallace voices on a regular basis.- Profile :...
as well as Marge's sister Selma. Moe's romantic attractions have resulted in run-ins with the law; he has stalked Maude Flanders and other townspeople, he must register as a sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
, and he has a restraining order
Restraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
placed upon him. At one point he is seen on his way to a "V.D. clinic". Despite his creepy approach, Moe has showed to be a caring and devoted lover. While dating Renee (and previously Edna), he wholeheartedly spoiled them with whatever they wanted and vowed to give up his bar and take them away from Springfield forever, even if it means losing his own money and doing illegal acts to make more money. When he thought he finally won Marge's heart, he promised to be a better lover than Homer.
Despite his faults, Moe has been shown to express genuine love and sentimentality, which suggests that he may not be as gruff or sociopathic as he appears. He has a cat named Mr. Snookums, of whom he is very fond but will turn hostile if anyone sees him with the cat. Moe is also kind towards the rats that live in his bar. On Wednesday nights, he reads to the homeless in a local soup kitchen and seems to have a soft spot for kids. He thoroughly enjoys Bart's company (not knowing it's Bart who has made numerous prank phone calls to his bar). He rudely tells his customers to shut up when Lisa has something she wants to say. After saving Maggie's life he develops a close and very protective relationship with her, going so far as to insult an attractive woman who is flirting with him when he mistakenly thinks she is calling Maggie ugly.
History
Moe's past is somewhat mysterious as he variously claimed to be PolishPoles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, Italian, Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
, and Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
as well as being born in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. The many conflicting stories of Moe's heritage on the show are parodied in The Book of Moe, where Moe is seen in several different foreign outfits and commenting on them (often with puns). In Season 4 Episode 3 "Homer the Heretic", Moe's religious views are revealed in his statement, "I was born a snake handler and I'll die a snake handler." Although he was called Morris by his then employee and lover in "Flaming Moe's", it is likely that he was lying and his real name is actually Moammar, as revealed in the episode "The Springfield Connection
The Springfield Connection
"The Springfield Connection" is the 23rd episode of the sixth season of The Simpsons, and originally aired May 7, 1995. After watching Snake Jailbird cheat Homer out of US$20 in a Three-card Monte con game, Marge successfully chases Snake and knocks him out with the lid of a garbage can. The...
".
As a child, he played the part of "Smelly", a tough kid, on The Little Rascals until he killed the original Alfalfa
Carl Switzer
Carl Dean "Alfalfa" Switzer was an American child actor, professional dog breeder and hunting guide, most notable for appearing in the Our Gang short subjects series as Alfalfa, one of the series' most popular and best-remembered characters.-Early life and family:Switzer was born in Paris,...
for stealing his bit (looking into a car's exhaust pipe just in time to get a face full of exhaust), but was never punished for it because Alfalfa was an orphan owned by the studio. At some unspecified time during his childhood (though it is quite likely this happened before he got his role on "The Little Rascals", since that would explain how he came into the studio's possession), his parents dropped him off at summer camp, never to return. In a flashback, he is revealed to have spoken with an Italian accent as a child, but this is contradicted by other accounts of his childhood. In that same episode, it shows the beginning of Moe becoming a victim of prank calls when young Marge calls the boys' camp and asks to talk to Elvis Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
, which is what Homer introduced himself as to her. Moe, thinking that she is trying to trick him, becomes angry and hangs up. Then he turns to the camera and says, "And, uh, that's the origin of that." During the time Homer and Marge were in high school, Moe worked in the school cafeteria, as his first job out of prison. Then school journalists, Marge and her friend, Chloe Talbot, caught the young Moe spitting in the cafeteria soup he was preparing. Exposing this, Moe was taken back to jail, yelling "You ain't tasted the last of my spit!", indicating he might spit into some drinks he serve at his bar. In "Eternal Moonshine Of The Simpson Mind
Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
"Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season, and was first broadcast on December 16, 2007 on Fox. The episode averaged 10.15 million viewers, winning in its time slot and receiving a 12 percent audience share. The episode follows Homer's attempts...
", knowing that Homer will not remember anything he says, Moe tells him "I've spit in every drink I ever served you!" before spitting in his drink. Moe was thought to be allergic to pollen; years later, when he found out he wasn't, he made up for lost time by jumping rope. As a young man, Moe became a semi-professional boxer, his ring name constantly changing to suit his deteriorating physical appearance. He started as "Kid Gorgeous" and slowly morphed into "Kid Presentable", "Kid Gruesome", and finally "Kid Moe". Moe blames his boxing career for making him ugly. According to Moe, his boxing career ended because of politics, and because he was knocked out 40 times in a row. Moe's ugliness caused him to audition unsuccessfully for a part in It Never Ends, a soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, revealed in "Pygmoelian
Pygmoelian
"Pygmoelian" is the sixteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 2000...
". His current appearance has been described as consisting of "cauliflower ear
Cauliflower ear
Cauliflower ear is a condition that occurs when the external portion of the ear suffers a blow, blood clot or other collection of fluid under the perichondrium...
, lizard lips, little rat eyes, caveman brow and fish snout" in the same episode. Moe's ugliness has since become a recurring source of humor on the show. For example, in "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind
"Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season, and was first broadcast on December 16, 2007 on Fox. The episode averaged 10.15 million viewers, winning in its time slot and receiving a 12 percent audience share. The episode follows Homer's attempts...
", Moe pauses a video of himself and every frame that is shown reveals a hideous expression on his face (even though he appears normal when the video is playing).
After attending bartending school at Swigmore University (a play on Skidmore College
Skidmore College
Skidmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The college is located in the town of Saratoga Springs, New York State....
), Moe opened up his own drinking establishment, "Moe's Tavern (first called cavern) ."
Creation
The creator of The Simpsons Matt GroeningMatt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
based Moe on Louis "Red" Deutsch who was made famous when he was repeatedly prank called by two Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
residents. These prank calls
Tube Bar prank calls
The Tube Bar prank calls are a legendary series of prank calls. Performed in the mid-1970s, John Elmo and Jim Davidson made a number of phone calls to the Tube Bar in Jersey City, asking the proprietor if they could speak to a named customer. The given names were homophones for other, often...
were the inspiration for Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's repeated prank calls to Moe, and Deutsch's often profane responses inspired Moe's violent temper. Further inspiration was drawn from comedian Rich Hall
Rich Hall
Richard "Rich" Hall is an American comedian, writer and musician.-Early life and career:Hall was born in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He is part Cherokee Indian...
, an acquaintance of The Simpsons writer George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
. Hall considers being the basis for Moe "an honor." Moe's surname "Szyslak" was revealed in "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)". Writers Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at high school; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon...
and Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans High School; Weinstein then attended Stanford University and was editor-in-chief of the...
found the name in a phonebook and gave it to Moe so that he would have the initials M.S., and hence be a suspect in the Burns shooting. Moe was designed by animator Dan Haskett and his facial appearance was modeled after a gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
. Animator Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
said that he usually lets pass through production off-model drawings of Moe because the character is so ugly that no one will notice.
Voice
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
performed for the show. During the time of his audition, Azaria was doing a play in which he had the part of a drug dealer, basing his voice on actor Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
in Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon is a 1975 drama film directed by Sidney Lumet, written by Frank Pierson, and produced by Martin Bregman. The film stars Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Penny Allen, James Broderick, and Carol Kane. The title refers to the "dog days of summer".The film was...
. He used the same voice in the audition, and was told by Matt Groening and Sam Simon
Sam Simon
Samuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...
, who were directing him, to make it more gravelly like Deutsch's voice. Groening and Simon thought that it was perfect and took Azaria over to the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
recording studio. Before he had even seen a script, Azaria recorded several lines of dialogue as Moe for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening
Some Enchanted Evening (The Simpsons)
"Some Enchanted Evening" is the thirteenth, final aired, and first produced episode of The Simpsons first season and originally aired on the Fox network on May 13, 1990. Although it was the first episode produced, it aired as the season finale due to significant animation problems. The episode...
". Moe was originally voiced by actor Christopher Collins
Christopher Collins
Christopher Charles Collins , also known as Chris Latta, was an American actor, voice artist and comedian, perhaps best known as the voice of Cobra Commander on the G.I. Joe animated series and as the voice of Starscream in the first Transformers animated series...
. Collins recorded several lines as Moe which never aired.
Reception
In 2001 and 2003, Hank AzariaHank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Emmy Award given out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is awarded to a performer for an outstanding "continuing or single voice-over performance in a series or a special." Prior to 1992, voice-actors...
for voicing Moe and various other characters.
See also
- Moe's Tavern
- Tube Bar prank callsTube Bar prank callsThe Tube Bar prank calls are a legendary series of prank calls. Performed in the mid-1970s, John Elmo and Jim Davidson made a number of phone calls to the Tube Bar in Jersey City, asking the proprietor if they could speak to a named customer. The given names were homophones for other, often...
External links
- The Moe Szyslak File at The Simpsons ArchiveThe Simpsons ArchiveThe Simpsons Archive, better known as snpp.com or simply SNPP , is a Simpsons fan site that has been online since 1994...