The Simpsons: 10 Best Characters Voiced By Harry Shearer
4. Waylon Smithers
Making his first appearance in the third episode of The Simpsons, Waylon Smithers, the loyal assistant to Mr Burns, has been a regular feature of the show ever since.
Smithers' unwavering loyalty and devotion to his boss in the face of adversity, and frequently very unfair treatment, is one of his most admirable qualities and the often questionable relationship with Burns is a long-running gag on the show.
From the start, it was decided that Smithers sexual orientation should be ambiguous, and it is evident through the double-entendres and sometimes blatant references to his relationship with Burns, that he is a gay man. Whilst fans knew for years that this was the case, Smithers finally came out in the episode "The Burns Cage" in 2016.
Harry Shearer's vocal performance brings a genuine warmth and likeability to this character. Quite often a character who is a sycophant to a conniving boss can be seen as one-note or uninteresting, but there's so many layers to this character that ensure that isn't the case, and easily cement him as a fan favourite. After all, without Smithers, Mr Burns would simply never remember who Homer Simpson was or what he did!