‘The Simpsons’ characters sing ‘Wicked’ song ‘Defying Gravity’ in viral clip
The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria has channelled his many characters on the animated series for a cover of Wicked anthem ‘Defying Gravity’.
He shared a clip of his rendition on social media, which featured the likes of Chief Wiggum and Professor Frink, ahead of the Oscars last Sunday (March 2).
Azaria wrote: “If this evening’s #Oscars opening took place in Springfield… only Professor Frink was harmed in the making of this video.”
He has worked on the show since 1989 and voiced numerous characters, including Moe Szyslak, Superintendent Chalmers, Comic Book Guy and Snake.
On the night, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the 2025 Oscars with a medley of ‘Defying Gravity’, ‘Home’ and ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.
Both Grande and Erivo were nominated for their respective Wicked roles, with Grande nominated in the Supporting Actress category and Erivo as Best Actress.
The singer’s competition included Felicity Jones (The Brutalist), Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown), Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) and Zoe Saldaña, who won the category for her role in Emilia Pérez.
Her co-star was up against Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Perez), Demi Moore (The Substance) and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), with Mikey Madison winning out for Anora.
In the end, Wicked picked up two Oscars for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
Elsewhere, Azaria recently wrote about his fears about being replaced by AI and how the art of voice acting is much more than replicating a sound.
In an op-ed for The New York Times, he wrote: “I imagine that soon enough, artificial intelligence will be able to recreate the sounds of the more than 100 voices I created for characters on The Simpsons over almost four decades. It makes me sad to think about it. Not to mention, it seems just plain wrong to steal my likeness or sound – or anyone else’s.”
He used the character Moe as an example adding: “AI could have access to 36 years of Moe, the permanently disgruntled bartender. He’s appeared in just about every episode of The Simpsons. He’s been terrified, in love, hit in the head and, most often, in a state of bitter hatred. I’ve laughed as Moe in dozens of ways by now. I’ve probably sighed as Moe 100 times. In terms of training AI, that’s a lot to work with”.
Meanwhile, he also recently commented on when he felt The Simpsons would end.
The post ‘The Simpsons’ characters sing ‘Wicked’ song ‘Defying Gravity’ in viral clip appeared first on NME.
Damian Jones
NME
