The Simpsons: Why Kerry Washington’s Ms Krabappel Replacement Worked
Kerry Washington’s Rayshelle Payton proved a perfect replacement for Ms. Krabappel on The Simpsons, primarily because she is nothing like the classic character. Since The Simpsons has been on the air for decades, the series has inevitably needed to recast a handful of characters in recent years. In some cases, this results in bizarre problems like the Bleeding Gums Murphy/Dr. Hibbert paradox, where two brothers ended up voiced by the same actor.
However, one problem that The Simpsons has seldom encountered is the need to replace a character wholesale. While original voice actor Ron Taylor’s Bleeding Gums Murphy was able to be replaced with Kevin Michael Richardson, this was in large part possible because the character was a minor figure who rarely appears on The Simpsons. Bart’s teacher Ms. Krabappel, in contrast, plays a much bigger supporting role on The Simpsons, meaning the show has struggled to find her replacement ever since original voice actor Marcia Wallace’s death in 2013.
Related: The Simpsons Bleeding Gums Recasting Creates A Weird Springfield Paradox
While there is no shortage of impressive celebrity guests who are willing to appear on the long-running series (as evidenced by Billie Eilish’s The Simpsons cameo), replacing a character as iconic as Ms. Krabappel requires more than a big name alone. As such, it was a pleasant surprise to see that Kerry Washington’s Rayshelle Payton proved a perfect replacement for her in “My Octopus and a Teacher” (season 33, episode 18). The switch mainly worked because Washington’s cheery, idealistic character wasn’t an attempt to replace like with like. Washington’s character being a sweet, optimistic breath of fresh air for Springfield Elementary was a welcome change of
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