“The Simpsons” will star a deaf actor on Sunday for the first time in its 722-episode run.
The new episode, “The Sound of Bleeding Gums”, centers on Lisa Simpson, who discovers that her protagonist and favorite musician, the late saxophonist Bleeding Gums Murphy, has a son who is deaf and needs a cochlear implant.
The Bleeding Gums (voiced primarily by Ron Taylor) died in the season six episode “Round Springfield”, which aired in 1995. His son, Monk, will be voiced by John Autry II.
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As Nation World News reports, the story for Sunday’s episode was directed by showwriter Lonnie Steele Sosthand, whose brother Eli Steele is deaf.
Although humans in the “Simpsons” world only have four fingers on their hands, they will use American Sign Language in the episode.
Sosthand told Nation World News that the producers told two ASL experts about the signs to use for the characters. Experts looked at early versions of episodes from scenes to make sure the four-fingered sign would still be legible.
“It was a little bit difficult, especially because the one thing we’re translating is Shakespeare,” Sosthand told Variety. “But I think we pulled it off.”
The unprecedented episode comes two weeks after “CODA” won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. CODA stands for “Child of Deaf Adults,” and the film, written and directed by Sean Heder, is about a teenage girl navigating life growing up as the only hearing member of her family.
‘Simpsons’ executive producer Al Jean noted on twitter That Thursday’s episode aired shortly after “CODA”‘s victory is just a coincidence.
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