‘Lisa’s First Word’: Elizabeth Taylor’s bizarre cameo on ‘The Simpsons’
Few animated shows have had such a widespread appeal as The Simpsons, finding a dedicated fanbase of both adults and children since it first aired in 1989. As one of the most prolific American shows of all time, with almost 800 episodes to its name, it has long held a beloved place in pop culture, thus allowing it to attract some pretty notable guest stars.
The Simpsons has seen everyone from Michael Jackson to Meryl Streep lend their voices to the series, and it seems like no one is off limits when it comes to appearing alongside Homer, Marge, Bart, Maggie, and Lisa – not even classic Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor. Few people defined the golden age of opulent Hollywood glamour like Taylor, who began acting as a child in the 1940s. As she got older, she appeared in acclaimed films like A Place in the Sun, Raintree County, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, with the latter two earning her Academy Award nominations.
Taylor continued to star in incredibly successful movies over the years, like Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, earning Oscars for each, and of course, the incredibly expensive Cleopatra, which cost over $31million – a very large amount for the period. So, while Taylor might have seemed like an unreachable actor to guest star in The Simpsons, she was actually more than happy to appear in the show twice during the 1990s.
Her first appearance on the show was rather peculiar, though, and most viewers would have been oblivious to the fact that she had lent her voice to the show until the credits rolled; even then, fans were likely unsure of what her role in the episode was because it was so minimal. Her cameo came in 1992’s ‘Lisa’s First Word’, in which Marge remembers the time Lisa said her first word while trying to get Maggie to do the same. It’s Maggie’s “Daddy” that Taylor was responsible for, much to the excitement of many of the crew members.
“She lived up to everything you would expect Elizabeth Taylor to be.”
al Jean
Executive producer Al Jean recalled the moment Taylor came in to record her line to Entertainment Weekly. “There was nobody more famous or glamorous. Usually, for the records, the room was almost empty — we’d have the cast and then a couple writers. That day, the recording stage was completely filled. She came in, she had a little dog, and she wore her ring, which was huge. It cost more than my house. We had her do the one line where she said ‘Daddy’ as Maggie. I’m looking at the ‘Most Beautiful Woman in the World’, trying to think, ‘What does that sound like coming out of a cute little baby?’”
He continued, “I asked her for a lot of takes because it’s very hard to know what you want on one word, but she was really funny about it. After I said, ‘Okay, we got it!’ she said, ‘Fuck you!’ in the Maggie voice. She was kidding. Everybody laughed. She lived up to everything you would expect Elizabeth Taylor to be.”
Taylor would return to The Simpsons the following year to play herself, polishing an Oscar while her agent tells her he has declined an offer for her to appear on The Krusty the Clown Show. We’re also given a glimpse at her huge diamond ring, which reflects her eye as she then tunes into Krusty’s special, remarking, “I’ve got to fire that agent”.
