The Simpsons voice actor Pamela Hayden has announced she is retiring from the show after 35 years.
Since The Simpsons first began airing in 1989, Pamela has voiced characters like Springfield elementary students Jimbo Jones and Rod Flanders, but it’s her performance as Bart’s best friend Milhouse Van Houten that fans will best know her for.
In a video montage posted on The Simpsons’ official Instagram account announcing her departure, Pamela reels off her list of characters, before admitting that Milhouse is her “main guy”.
“People are always saying what a nerd he is, but one thing that I love about Millhouse is he’s always getting knocked down, but he keeps getting up,” she enthused.
“I love the little guy.”
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening said: “Pamela gave us tons of laughs with Milhouse, the hapless kid with the biggest nose in Springfield.
“She made Milhouse hilarious and real, and we will miss her.”
In the Instagram comments, Pamela shared that she’d made the decision “to retire from The Simpsons” after “much deliberation”, in order to “pursue other creative outlets”.
“Thanks to everyone for your love and support!” she added.
Pamela’s final outing as Millhouse is due to air in the US this Sunday, with the character appearing in the Wicked parody episode Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes.
According to The Guardian, producers are due to begin recasting Pamela’s characters “in the near future”.
Key episodes from The Simpsons’ “golden era” in which Millhouse gets to shine include season six’s Lemon Of Troy, season eight’s A Milhouse Divided and season seven’s Summer Of Four Foot Two, Radioactive Man and Bart Sells His Soul.
The Simpsons is available to stream now on Disney+.