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Maggie Simpson

Margaret Lenny "Maggie" Simpson[1][2] is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the youngest member of the Simpson family. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. She received her first name from Groening's youngest sister. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three years, the Simpson family was given their own series on the Fox Broadcasting Company which debuted December 17, 1989.

For the singer-songwriter, see Maggie Simpson (musician).

Maggie Simpson

Matt Groening

Matt Groening

Nancy Cartwright (later seasons–present)
Yeardley Smith (earlier seasons)
Matt Groening (sucking pacifier noise in earlier seasons)
Carol Kane ("Bart vs. Thanksgiving")
Elizabeth Taylor ("Lisa's First Word")
James Earl Jones (alternate timeline; "Treehouse of Horror V")
Jodie Foster ("Four Great Women and a Manicure")

Margaret Lenny Simpson

742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield, United States

American

Maggie is the youngest child of Homer and Marge, and the younger sister to Bart and Lisa. She is often seen sucking on her orange pacifier and, when she walks, she trips over her clothing and falls on her face (this running gag is used much more in earlier seasons). Being an infant, she has not yet learned how to talk. However, she did appear to talk in the first Tracey Ullman Show short.


Though she rarely talks, she frequently makes a characteristic sucking noise with her pacifier, which has become synonymous with the character. Her pacifier sucking noises are provided by the show's creator, Matt Groening, and early producer Gábor Csupó. Maggie's occasional speaking parts and other vocalizations are currently provided by Nancy Cartwright, but she has also been voiced by guest stars Carol Kane, James Earl Jones, Elizabeth Taylor and Jodie Foster, and by series regulars Yeardley Smith and Harry Shearer. Maggie has appeared in various media relating to The Simpsons – including video games, The Simpsons Movie, The Simpsons Ride, commercials and comic books – and has inspired an entire line of merchandise.

Role in The Simpsons[edit]

The Simpsons uses a floating timeline in which the characters do not physically age (or if they do, then very slowly), and as such the show is assumed to be set in the current year. In several episodes, events have been linked to specific times, though sometimes this timeline has been contradicted in subsequent episodes.[3] Maggie is the youngest child of Marge and Homer, and sister to Bart and Lisa. When Marge became pregnant with Bart, she and Homer got married at a chapel in Las Vegas. To support his impending family, Homer all but demanded a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, impressing its owner, Mr. Burns with his aggressive submissiveness.[4] When Marge became pregnant with Lisa, two years later, she and Homer bought their first house. Another six years later, Homer felt financially secure enough to finally quit his job at the Power Plant and take his dream job at Barney's Bowlarama. However, Marge became pregnant with Maggie, so Homer, once again unable to support his family, was forced to reapply for his old job. By the time Maggie was born, Homer had shown great signs of distress, but he managed to find motivation in the form of his newborn baby girl.[5]


During the earlier seasons of the show, Maggie's equivalent of a hallmark was to trip over her clothing and fall on her face while trying to walk, causing a loud thud on the floor,[6] but this was toned down in the later seasons. She has a penchant for her pacifier, on which she is always seen sucking.[6]


Maggie has performed a number of feats that for her age suggest she is highly intelligent, akin to her sister, and possibly a genius. She has spelled out E=MC² with her baby blocks, driven Homer's car, escaped from the Springfield daycare center,[7] written her name on an Etch A Sketch,[6] played Internet poker,[8] spelled words with her baby blocks, shot Mr. Burns, played Lisa's saxophone, and treated her pacifier like a cigarette. However, the rest of the Simpsons family are unaware of Maggie's maturity and Marge carries Maggie wherever they go rather than letting her walk by herself. Maggie is keenly aware of her surroundings, and can usually be seen imitating the flow of action around her. She shows a high degree of dexterity, and she once hit Homer on the head with a mallet and shot a dart at a photograph of him in imitation of Itchy and Scratchy.[9] Despite her age, Maggie is a formidable marksman, as seen in "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" where she shoots Mr. Burns with a handgun that falls into her hands,[10] though whether or not it was intentional is not clear, and in a deliberate manner during "Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge" where she is able to non-fatally shoot a group of mobsters in rapid succession with a rifle that she apparently hides in her crib.[11]


Maggie is usually frightened and exasperated by Homer's attempts to bond with her, but has on several occasions stepped in to save Homer's life: once from drowning,[12] once from being shot by mobsters,[7] once from being kidnapped by a tow truck driver,[13] and once from being shot by Russ Cargill, head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.[14]

Merchandising[edit]

Four children's books, written by Maggie Groening (after whom Maggie was named) and illustrated by Matt Groening, entitled Maggie Simpson's Book of Animals, Maggie Simpson's Counting Book, Maggie Simpson's Book of Colors and Shapes and Maggie Simpson's Alphabet Book were released on September 12, 1991.[45] Other merchandise includes dolls, posters, figurines, jigsaw puzzles, and T-shirts.[46] Maggie was made into an action figure as part of the World of Springfield toy line, and was released in the wave one playset "Living Room", featuring her and Marge in the living room of the Simpsons house.[47] Maggie has appeared in commercials for Burger King, Butterfinger, C.C. Lemon, Domino's Pizza, Ramada Inn and Subway.[48]


Maggie has appeared in other media relating to The Simpsons. She is a character in every one of The Simpsons video games, including the most recent, The Simpsons Game.[49] Alongside the television series, Maggie regularly appeared in issues of Simpsons comics, which were published from 1993 until 2018.[50][51] Maggie also plays a role in The Simpsons Ride, launched in 2008 at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood.[52] On April 9, 2009, the United States Postal Service unveiled a series of five 44-cent stamps featuring Maggie and the four other members of the Simpson family. They are the first characters from a television series to receive this recognition while the show is still in production.[53] The stamps, designed by Matt Groening, were made available for purchase on May 7, 2009.[54][55] In a USPS poll, Maggie's stamp was voted the most popular of the five.[56]

Maggie Simpson in…[edit]

Maggie Simpson in… is a series of animated short-films. It currently consists of four films. The movies put Maggie at the center of the story, unlike most episodes of the show itself. All the films retain the theme of the first film – Maggie's journey to day care (or in the case of Playdate with Destiny, the playground).


Maggie starred in the 3D short-film The Longest Daycare, which was shown in theaters before Ice Age: Continental Drift in 2012.[57]


Maggie also starred in the 3D short-film Playdate with Destiny, which was shown in theaters before Onward in 2020.[58][59]


In 2021, a movie called The Force Awakens from Its Nap was released to celebrate Star Wars Day.[60]


Two years later (in 2023), another film celebrating Star Wars was released, titled Rogue Not Quite One.[61]

on IMDb

Maggie Simpson