SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The voice behind lovable nerd Milhouse Van Hauten is hanging up the microphone. Pamela Hayden, who's played the blue-haired bespectacled 10-year-old boy since the "The Simpsons premiered in 1989, is retiring. Her voice has been heard on almost 700 episodes of the show and the movie.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
PAMELA HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) I've said Jiminy Jillikers (ph) so many times, the words have lost all meaning.
DETROW: In addition to Milhouse, Hayden brought life to Ned Flanders' sons, Rod and Todd...
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
HAYDEN: (As Rod Flanders) Skipping is cool.
(As Todd Flanders) Especially when you're holding hands with your brother.
DETROW: ...And school bully Jimbo Jones.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
HAYDEN: (As Jimbo Jones, laughter) Nerd.
DETROW: But in a video tribute shared by the show, Hayden says that Milhouse was her main guy.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
HAYDEN: People would come up to me, and they'd quote Milhouse lines. I love the little guy.
DETROW: And Hayden made it easy for fans to also love Bart's gullible, hapless friend.
HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) Hi.
NANCY CARTWRIGHT: (As Bart Simpson) Hi.
HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) I have soy milk. The doctor says the real kind could kill me.
DETROW: Over the show's 35 years, viewers have cheered him on as he's been targeted by bullies...
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
HAYDEN: (As Jimbo Jones) Hey, Milhouse, want me to knock it off?
(As Milhouse Van Hauten) I'm afraid to answer that.
(As Jimbo Jones) Never tell a bully you're afraid.
DETROW: ...Rejected by crushes...
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
YEARDLEY SMITH: (As Lisa Simpson) Please.
HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) When she sees you'll do anything she says, she's bound to respect you. Sure. What's a big sister for? Oh, I shouldn't have said that.
DETROW: ...Ridiculed by adults...
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) I have nothing to offer you but my love.
HARRY SHEARER: (As Mr. Burns) I specifically said no geeks.
HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) But my mom says I'm cool.
DETROW: ...And frequently led astray by his own best friend.
HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) You remember the time you ate my goldfish, and you lied to me and said I never had any goldfish? But why'd I have the bowl, Bart? Why did I have the bowl?
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
HAYDEN: One thing that I love about Milhouse is he's always getting knocked down, but he keeps getting up.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) Everything's coming up Milhouse.
HAYDEN: It's this wonderful analogy for life.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")
HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Hauten) You put your glasses back on, and you go on.
DETROW: Hayden's departure does not mean the end for Milhouse. The show will begin casting replacements for her character soon. But in the meantime, viewers have one final chance to hear Hayden's iconic voice in tomorrow night's episode of "The Simpsons."
(SOUNDBITE OF DANNY ELFMAN SONG, "THE SIMPSONS THEME") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.