Elizabeth Taylor's Legendary Appearances on The Simpsons
Thirty years ago today, Elizabeth Taylor made television history when she appeared on The Simpsons in a now-classic episode where she gave baby Maggie Simpson her very first speaking opportunity.
Before we get started, yes, The Simpsons is still on television (and still funny, by my count) and it'll probably still be on television when we're all floating on a spaceship somewhere above Jupiter on the hunt for a new planet because we've destroyed this one.
Today, I want to talk about the unique role Elizabeth plays in the show's history. She has two separate cameos, both as herself, a grand dame of Old Hollywood, and as Maggie Simpson, having provided the voice to the youngest Simpson in a highly-touted season four episode "Lisa's First Word."
In "Lisa's First Word" the family are sitting around wondering when Maggie will finally talk while reminiscing about Lisa's first word (which was Bart, if you're curious. Bart's first words were "Ay Carumba!"). After telling the tale, Homer tucks Maggie into her crib and tells her that she doesn't have to rush to talk, that he'll love her even if she never speaks. It's only after Homer leaves the room that Maggie says her first word: "Daddy."
This special episode of The Simpsons originally aired on December 3, 1992, and was watched by 28.6 million people. In promotion for the episode, it was known that Maggie would finally speak, but not who would provide her voice. It was only when the credits ran that the world found out it was Elizabeth Taylor.
But filming the one line was reportedly a lot of trial and error with the team at The Simpsons. Elizabeth had to keep saying "Daddy" over and over again with critiques of every recording. And of course, since it's La Liz, some of those takes were reportedly very sexy. It's now Simpsons lore that it took Elizabeth up to 25 times to record the line in a way the producers liked, and after being told over and over again to keep repeating the word, she reportedly jokingly said, "Fuck you" and delivered the line again.
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The story has oft been repeated in the 30 years since the episode aired, with some embellishing, of course, on behalf of the production team. Some say she walked out, others say she said "Fuck you, Daddy" and others said it was a serious statement, while others say it was all in jest.
For her special appearance in "Lisa's First Word" Elizabeth was ranked as the 13th greatest guest star in The Simpsons history (though it has to be said that the list was compiled in 2010 and there have been 12 more seasons worth of guest stars since then).
If you're a Simpsons trivia nerd, Albert Brooks occupies the top spot. He's been a frequent guest star throughout the years, providing the voice to iconic characters like Hank Scorpio, Jacques, and Brad Goodman.
Elizabeth would appear later in The Simpsons' fourth season as herself, in the season finale "Krusty Gets Kancelled" where the clown star is poised to retire and goes out with a Johnny Carson-style bang. Elizabeth is one of the stars approached to appear on the retirement special, but her agent declines the offer and she's seen—violet eyes and all—polishing her Oscar and telling him "Good" that he turned down the offer.
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Later in the episode, Elizabeth is seen watching Johnny Carson juggle cars and Hugh Hefner playing the glass harp from home as she polishes a diamond ring, her violet eyes sparkling this way and that as she stares into it. The Krusty special is clearly a success and she regrets not being a part of it, and she says, "I've got to fire that agent."
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Elizabeth appears a few more times in The Simpsons as a cultural reference.
- In the season three episode "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk", the nuclear power plant is bought by a German company and the owners say that any alcoholics on the staff will be sent to a rehab facility. One worker jokes that maybe he'll marry Elizabeth Taylor, a reference to her seventh husband, Larry Fortensky, who she met at the Betty Ford Clinic and married in 1988.
- In the season eight episode "A Milhouse Divided", Bart's best friend's parents split up after attending a dinner party hosted by Homer and Marge. Marge wants to buy a fancy punch bowl, to which Homer retorts, "Oh, we can't afford that. Who do you think I am, Liz Taylor?"
- In the season 28 episode "Pork and Burns", Homer brings his pet pig to the nuclear power plant family picnic and says of all the people gawking at him that it's like "bringing Elizabeth Taylor to the Oscars."
- In the season 30 episode "The Clown Stays in the Picture", Krusty the Clown is recounting his past, and he said to a love interest once on a movie set, "We'll be like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton if they had to get coffee for everybody."
Her picture is featured twice in the show beyond her guest appearances. In the Pimento Grove restaurant, one of Springfield's swankiest restaurants, her picture can be seen on the walls as a tribute to the likes of Sardi's.
Finally, in an E! True Hollywood Story-style show within the Simpsons universe called 'Before They Were Famous', Elizabeth's picture can be seen in the opening credits of the show as featured in the season eight episode, "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious."
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