Philippe Peythieu and Véronique Augereau have voiced Homer and Marge Simpson in the French dub of The Simpsons since 1990. The show, now in its 38th season, brought them together, and they eventually married.
From Audition to Marriage
The pair met at a casting call in 1989, just six months after The Simpsons debuted in the US. They auditioned and learned they got the roles six months later by fax. At first, they were only colleagues, barely knowing each other. They crossed paths in the hallway at the dubbing offices and greeted each other, but they were not even friends at that stage.
Recording brought them closer. Working together in the darkness of the studio, they became more than friends. They had to be discreet at first because it was a professional setting, but eventually word got out and they were inseparable. Peythieu recalls that Matt Groening called them the second most famous couple in the history of animation, after the actors who voiced Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor.
Recording and Relationship
They record their scenes together with a director in a Paris dubbing studio over 10-12 days a year. The Simpsons is a year-round commitment, from galas and conventions to gifts from fans. Both are against AI taking over in the future. "We're not for artificial intelligence – we're for artistic intelligence!" says Augereau.
Augereau notes that Marge isn't a fan of Homer's over-the-top antics, but deep down she knows he is her one and only love. Peythieu adds that through the seasons there have been rifts, but they always find their way back to each other, as seen in The Simpsons Movie (2007), where Marge leaves Homer but forgives him in the end.
Fans and Life Lessons
Fans often tell them they were the soundtrack to their childhood, representing a perfect couple. At a charity gala in Switzerland, they were given a huge portrait of Marge as a Playboy bunny. Peythieu has lost count of the doughnuts he has been given.
On what Marge and Homer teach about love, Peythieu says it's about a strong, almost indestructible bond. Augereau says love is about forgiveness, and Peythieu adds accepting differences. They share the same tastes, like contemporary art and food. "We're bon vivants! We love life. We rarely argue, and if we do it's usually about trivial things," says Peythieu. Augereau concludes, "That's why it's lasted all these years – we've been together nearly as long as The Simpsons!"
