The “The Simpsons” may not sound the same in the near future. Voice actress Pamela Hayden is stepping away from the mic after 35 years.
Hayden lent her voice to Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey and Malibu Stacy on the long-running cartoon, The Associated Press reported. Her most recognizable character was Millhouse, Bart Simpson’s best friend and frequent butt of his jokes.
Her final appearance will be on the Nov. 24 “Treehouse of Horror” episode.
“It’s been an honor and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show,” the 70-year-old Hayden said in a statement, according to the AP.
In a post on Facebook, Hayden said she was leaving “to pursue other creative outlets.”
Her IMDB page said Hayden has appeared on 694 episodes over the past three decades. She also provided voices for shows such as “Lloyd in Space,” “Pinky and the Brain,” and “The New Batman Adventures,” as well as video games, most based on “The Simpsons.”
She produced and wrote the documentary “Jailhouse to Millhouse” which recounts her troubled upbringing, including attending “an abusive boarding school” and a stint in “juvenile jail” and how she found fame giving a perpetually 10-year-old his voice, who “now speaks to teen girls about overcoming obstacles and turning their dreams into reality.”
Hayden will work on writing and producing and has a short film and musical in the works, The New York Times reported.
Casting to replace Hayden is planned, but Variety reported that “The Simpsons,” currently in its 36th season, has yet to be renewed for its 37th.