The Simpsons: 12 Shockingly Depressing Character Backstories

By Sam Heard /

10. Krusty The Clown

20th Century FoxKrusty the Clown €“ real name Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky €“ is the host of children€™s television show The Krusty The Clown Show. Much like Tony Soprano, Krusty is the clown laughing on the outside, crying on the inside. Like many entertainers in real life, Krusty had a hard start. Coming from a strict Jewish background, his career path was frowned upon by his father and even caused them to stop speaking after he attended one of his shows and Krusty was humiliated on stage. Perhaps due to his excessive drinking, smoking and drug abuse, Krusty suffered from heart problems which ultimately led him to rely on a pacemaker. His numerous heart attacks have also caused his clown make-up to become somewhat permanent. The heart attacks managed to turn his face a deathly white, meaning he no longer wears clown makeup as he achieved the look naturally. While that would surely save a lot of money on face paint, it can€™t give Krusty much faith in his health. Despite this he continues to drink, smoke and do drugs. Krusty is also frequently depressed perhaps as a result of the fame or as a result of his up-and-down career.