Fans of The Simpsons have seen quite a bit of their favorite characters in real life recently. In October 2018, they were treated to a Halloween-themed episode in which Homer and several other characters went back in time to experience Halloween in the 1990s. Homer particularly enjoyed himself and managed to chat up a blonde in a pink dress, who turned out to be Bart’s teacher, Ms. Winters. When the school day ended and the two started walking home, they chatted about life and times, much to Bart’s delight. In another instance, Homer met Bill Cosby while playing golf in October 2018. After their chat, they went their separate ways, but not before sharing a laugh together.
These moments of on-camera hilarity are just the highlights of what has been a memorable year for the show’s admirers. Apart from these two instances, however, fans of the show have either spotted a character themselves in real life or know people who have (often in very unlikely places). Here are some of the best examples of how real-life versions of The Simpsons characters have amazed and delighted fans this year.
Homer
In January, fans of the show went crazy when they saw Homer playing an old-school Nintendo game called Pokémon Go in real life. They were doubly confused as to how he could play the game while still being in a wheelchair (he has ALS). After snapping a photo with him, they quickly found the answer – he was wearing a headset and using an in-game browser to play the game on his phone. Afterwards, he offered some tips for people who have never played before.
In April, Homer took a trip to Spain and walked the streets of Barcelona, stopping to pose for photos with Catalan separatist leaders who unexpectedly invited him to be their guest at an EU meeting. Later that month, he traveled to Ireland to help celebrate the grand opening of the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (the same place where The Simpson’s Stanley Ibbitt saved the day with a fake id at the start of season 26). While there, he attended the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, where he was spotted talking with a man in a costume of Padraig Harrington, Ireland’s favorite son and one of the show’s writers.
In July, Homer made an appearance at the World Cup, meeting with members of the press and posing for photos with fans outside of the stadiums. Later that month, he visited England for the famous Stonehenge ceremony, which he used to be a regular visitor to as a child. In September, Homer appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone as one of their famous “Game Changers,” alongside other well-known faces like U2’s Bono and Adam Lambert.
Marge
In January, Marge Simpson experienced something extraordinary when a group of Italian tourists stopped her in the street to take a photo with her. The woman in the photo identified herself as Nicole Rinaldi and said she had just finished touring the world with her daughters and was in Rome for a week. When Rinaldi saw Marge, who was wearing an “I Love Italy” T-shirt, she exclaimed, “Omgoodness!” As it turned out, Nicole’s husband, Dario Spiller, is an Italian entrepreneur who has put together a very interesting life story, which you can read all about here. While in Rome, Marge had a chance to meet with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conti and his wife, Eleonora, who both mentioned how much they enjoyed the show. Marge also had the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis, who was very friendly and gave her a hug. It was thereon that Dario decided to propose to Marge, who accepted and the two were married in July.
Lenny
In March, Lenny visited Puerto Rico as part of a campaign to raise awareness for the island’s ongoing struggles in the wake of Hurricane Maria. While there, he promoted the sale of solar products and chatted with locals about the importance of renewable energy and its impact on the island. In a particularly touching moment, Lenny talked with one elderly woman who had survived the storm and was trying to generate her own electricity. She had set up a makeshift solar power system outside and Lenny spoke with her about how important it was that they get the power back on, especially now that so much of the island’s infrastructure had been damaged. The woman thanked Lenny for his time and attention and the two were able to share a heartfelt goodbye before he got in his van and left.
Bart
In March, Bart was one of the first faces fans of the show saw when they opened the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con. While there, he met with fans, posed for photos and even gave some interviews. One such interview was with Collider’s Megan Amram, who asked him about the rumors of a Bart-Walking-Dead crossover. To quote Bart: “I don’t know anything about that, but that would be cool.” When Amram asked if his best friend, Arnold, from the show, would be joining him for the interview, Bart replied, “I’m pretty sure he’s dead. I haven’t spoken to him in a while. Since we were little kids I think, so it’s been a while. He used to live next door to us.” In the same month, they also made an appearance at New York Comic-Con. There, Bart met with fans, signed books and even did a Q&A with them. When one fan asked if they were going to see any of his pals from back in Springfield, Bart replied, “I don’t call them that anymore. They’re just my friends.” In June, Bart traveled to England for Comic-Con International, where he met with fans, did some guest appearances and even attended the “penny dreadful” performance, where he talked with the actors afterwards. In September, Bart was one of the first faces fans saw when they woke up in the middle of the night to find out that Netflix was releasing a new season of Master of None. He was on-hand for the premiere, greeting fans, signs, and posing for photos. Later that month, he traveled to France with his family for his son’s graduation from school.
Lisa
In October, Lisa visited the set of the show in Vancouver during the filming of season 27. While there, she had the chance to meet some of the show’s cast and crew and even get a tour of the set. She was spotted chatting with one of the show’s stars, Pamela Adlon, and even got an autograph from her. Adlon is best known for playing Stella in FX’s Pose and mentioned that it had been a while since they had met. When Lisa asked her if she remembered the last time they had spoken, Adlon replied, “I think we were both wearing sweatshirts!” Later that month, Lisa attended San Diego Comic-Con as a guest of the show and even got a call from Matt Groening, who congratulated her on getting married and the upcoming birth of her baby. In November, Lisa traveled to England for Comic-Con International, where she met with fans, did some guest appearances and even chatted with Stephen King, who mentioned that he loved the show. Later that month, Lisa was one of the first faces fans saw when they woke up in the middle of the night to find out that Netflix was going to release a new season of The Handmaid’s Tale. She was seen greeting fans, signs, and posing for photos afterwards.
In short, 2019 has been an amazing year for fans of The Simpsons. Not only do they get to vicariously live through the exploits of their favorite characters, but they also get to share these moments with other people who really appreciate their wit and charm. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that this year is the culmination of all the years of hard work by the show’s writers, animators and producers. It’s been such a pleasure to watch the characters emerge from the virtual world into the real one, meeting their fans and sharing some truly memorable experiences. The future looks very promising indeed for the show, as well as its fans.