Wait, Did The Simpsons Bring Back Milhouse’s Original Voice Actor For One More Secret Cameo?!

Although The Simpsons season 36 saw Milhouse’s original voice actor Pamela Hayden retire from the role, the show’s Disney+ special involved one final surprise secret cameo from her original version of the character. The Simpsons has been on the air for a long, long time. The show is officially the longest-running scripted primetime American TV show in history, so it is no surprise to learn that some of its original voice cast are aging out of their roles. Still, the fact that The Simpsons season 37 won’t feature Pamela Hayden’s original Milhouse remains a surprise.

Hayden voiced Milhouse throughout the first 36 seasons of The Simpsons but retired from the role in November 2024. It is not yet clear whether Milhouse, Bart’s bully Jimbo, and the other characters Hayden plays will be recast or retired. However, it is clear that the Milhouse seen in classic episodes of The Simpsons like “Bart Sells His Soul” will not appear in the series anymore, which is a striking surprise considering how rarely the show kills off characters for good.

Pamela Hayden Reprised Milhouse in The Simpsons Season 36’s Disney+ Special “The Past and the Furious”

Hayden Retired From Her Iconic Supporting Role In Late 2024

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As such, I was delighted to discover that Hayden’s Milhouse made one last secret appearance in Disney+’s The Simpsons season 36 special “The Past and the Furious” months after announcing her retirement. The special mostly focuses on Lisa, who has become depressed and despondent because nothing will grow in the concrete wasteland of Springfield. Lisa knows that this environmental destruction was caused by the ruthless industrialist Mr. Burns, but feels powerless to stop him. That is until a therapist’s clickers puts her in a trance and sends her back in time to the 1920s.

Lisa and Milhouse's rocky relationship has been a throughline in The Simpsons for years.

While there, Lisa manages to convince a young Burns that he needs to help her preserve the Springfield Mini Moose. However, her best efforts only accelerate the extinction of the species, much to her chagrin. Eventually, Lisa desperately tries to travel back to the past again to fix the timeline but can’t access her missing clickers. Milhouse attempts to help Lisa out in “The Past and the Furious” but fails, in what feels like a fitting sendoff for Hayden’s enteral sad sack supporting character. The pair’s rocky relationship has been a throughline in The Simpsons for years.

Why Milhouse’s Final Scene In “The Past and the Furious” Is The Perfect Send-Off For The Character

Milhouse’s Final Attempts To Woo Lisa Were As Tragically Funny As Ever

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According to IMDb, Hayden plays Milhouse in “The Past and the Furious” although she announced her retirement before the episode aired. However, as evidenced by The Simpsons season 36’s clever acknowledgment of the show’s internal inconsistencies, “The Past and the Furious” may not technically count as Milhouse’s final appearance. The Disney+ special took place in an alternate reality, meaning his final canon appearance was in the streaming service’s Christmas special “O C’Mon All Ye Faithful," released in December 2024. There, Milhouse aided Bart in a bizarre but ultimately well-meaning prank on Ned Flanders.

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However, it was still fitting that Milhouse spent his cameo attempting to impress Lisa with all the gadgets he got from the countless therapists he attended. Naturally, he didn't have the one Lisa needed, which made this sad display even more comically tragic. Although it was a short scene, the moment paid off a storyline that Hayden’s character had been trapped in for decades. Milhouse spent years trying to woo Lisa and even married her in some of the show’s versions of her future. Although he failed here, the show repeatedly proved he never stops trying in every version of reality.

Can Hayden & Milhouse Still Return In The Simpsons?

Hayden’s Iconic Character Can’t Simply Be Forgotten

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While The Simpsons season 36’s special was sadder than viewers might have anticipated, Milhouse’s cameo was a perfect tragicomic sendoff for Hayden’s version of the character. Of course, this leads viewers to wonder whether Hayden can still return as Milhouse in future outings. Although the actor can as long as she is still alive, this is unlikely to happen since she publicly announced her retirement. However, the question of whether Milhouse can still return without Hayden is trickier.

The Simpsons needs to replace Hayden’s original version of Milhouse but, paradoxically, her perfect final appearance as the character proves just how hard that will be to pull off.

The Simpsons will still need Bart’s best friend even after Hayden’s retirement, so it seems likely that he will be recast. It will be tough for the show to find a new version of Milhouse, but the longevity of The Simpsons makes it unlikely that the show will retire the character due to this difficulty. Some of the funniest moments in The Simpsons have come from Milhouse, whose luckless nature and excessive caution were always placed in stark contrast with Bart’s feckless attitude. As such, The Simpsons needs to replace Hayden’s original version of Milhouse but, paradoxically, her perfect final appearance as the character proves just how hard that will be to pull off.

Source: IMDb

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