Simpsons Voice Actors Get Their Pay Increase

The cast of record-breaking TV show The Simpsons has scored a bumper new pay deal that guarantees the top voice actors $US400,000 ($420,000) an episode and paves the way for work to start on a record 20th season of the cultural touchstone.

The show about the dysfunctional family in the fictional town of Springfield is easily the longest running animated TV show and will now tie the western series Gunsmoke as the longest running prime-time series in TV history.

Production of the 20th season of the series was delayed for several months when the actors and 20th Century Fox TV failed to reach a pay agreement. Because of the delay, 20 episodes of the new series will be made instead of the usual 22, Variety reported today.

According to Variety the new salaries of the stars - including Dan Castellaneta who plays Homer, and Nancy Cartwright who voices Bart - would rise to $US400,000 an episode.

As part of the latest deal, Castellaneta has been named consulting producer on the series. He will serve as a writer in addition to his role as a voice performer.

The cast had asked for $US500,000 an episode, up from $US300,000 that they had been receiving.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Simpsons voice actors image via Peter Forret on Flickr