Homer Simpson

Homer Simpson or Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on April 19, 1987, alongside the rest of his family in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night". While waiting in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks' office, cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed Homer. Groening was approached to pitch a series of short films based on his comic strip Life in Hell but instead chose to create a new cast of characters. Homer Simpson is widely regarded as an American cultural icon and one of the most influential characters in television history.

Homer and his wife Marge have three children: Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, and he is the nominal foreman of the paternally eponymous family. As the family's breadwinner, he works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Homer embodies many stereotypes of the American working class: he is obese, immature, outspoken, aggressive, balding, lazy, ignorant, unprofessional, and addicted to beer, junk food, and television. He is, however, fundamentally a good man who is fiercely protective of his family, especially when they are in need. Despite the suburban blue-collar routine of his life, he has had a number of remarkable experiences, including going to space, climbing the tallest mountain in Springfield by himself, fighting former President George H. W. Bush, and winning a Grammy Award as a member of a barbershop quartet.

First appearance: Good Night (1987)