10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Never Knew About The Simpsons
4. Sideshow Bob Almost Had A Very Different Voice
Despite only ever appearing once every season or so, Sideshow Bob has become one of Springfield’s greatest, and most popular characters over the years. He arguably even outshines Mr. Burns as the show’s all time greatest villain.
One of the biggest reasons for Bob’s popularity is of course the gravitas and personality lent him by the wonderful Kelsey Grammer, who can threaten murder before banging out a showtune without missing a beat. Could anyone else have pulled off making a rake to the face so funny so many times? Well someone almost did.
Originally, Grammer was not the first choice for the role. Way back in season one, the showrunners had lined up none other than James Earl Jones to play Krusty’s sidekick. It’s not hard to see what Darth Vader would have brought to the role, but this would have certainly resulted in a very different character altogether.
Ultimately, Jones still became a friend of the show, appearing several times, most notably in the very first Treehouse of Horror episode. As wonderful as he could have been in Sideshow Bob’s oversized shoes, 30 years later it’s impossible to imagine hearing anyone but Grammer's voice coming from the criminal’s mouth.