‘The Simpsons’: Troy McClure’s 25 Best ‘You Might Remember Me From’ Projects (2024)

Whether educating the world about the dangers of firecrackers, entertaining kids as Christmas Ape, or helping to save Tony Orlando’s house, the hacky ‘Simpsons’ celebrity has done a lot of hilariously bad-sounding films and shows. But here are the ones we’ll definitely never forget

‘The Simpsons’: Troy McClure’s 25 Best ‘You Might Remember Me From’ Projects (1)

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Phil Hartman died 25 years ago this May. He’s one of the greatest Saturday Night Live cast members of all time, he was one of the pillars of NewsRadio and, of course, he was an indispensable voice on The Simpsons. He played several indelible characters on the Fox animated sitcom, but the one who’ll always be closest to my heart is Troy McClure, the shamelessly hacky actor who seemed to star in nothing but cheesy movies, godawful TV specials and dull educational films — not to mention the stunning sci-fi musical Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off!

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But we only saw a fraction of Troy’s prolific output — indeed, much of his oeuvre was only alluded to through one of The Simpsons’ best running bits. Invariably, Troy would show up on screen, introduce himself, and then say, “You might/may remember me from…,” proceeding to list his recent credits, which always sounded completely ridiculous. The joke was consistently hilarious thanks to the combination of the silly/absurdist titles and the utter enthusiasm in which Hartman delivered them. Poor Troy might be a C-level celebrity but, darn it, he always sold his projects with gusto. The Simpsons was never the same without Hartman, or Troy.

With that in mind, let’s salute the 25 best Troy McClure projects referenced in that running joke. To put together these rankings, I considered both how funny the title was and also how potentially interesting the actual film/show/special sounded. This required me to wildly speculate about some of these made-up programs, offering up my best guess concerning what they might be about. In the process of compiling this list, I was reminded all over again what a genius Hartman was — and how he managed to make this character both pathetic and oddly endearing. Talentless Troy may be, but he’s also surprisingly versatile in his energetic ineptitude.

‘Here Comes the Coast Guard!’

This rollicking action-comedy-musical was a critical and commercial bomb at the time. But it’s been reappraised in recent years, with people appreciating its bighearted joyousness. Sadly, though, it failed to stoke viewers’ interest in more movies about maritime law enforcement.

‘Locker Room Towel Fight: The Blinding of Larry Driscoll’

This sounds like a basic-cable movie, doesn’t it? And who’s Larry Driscoll? Apparently, he was an important (and tragic) enough figure to merit a film starring Troy McClure.

‘Smoke Yourself Thin’

Of course Troy would hawk cigarettes in a badly dated educational film. The guy will sell anything if the payday is big enough.

‘The Verdict Was Mail Fraud’

(Spoiler alert!)

‘Firecrackers: The Silent Killer’

The utter absurdity of this educational film’s title leaves me in awe: How can firecrackers possibly be “silent killers”? Also, do we see children get their fingers blown off?

‘Hydro: The Man With the Hydraulic Arms’

What are the odds that Troy played Hydro? Or perhaps he’s the wisecracking best friend? Regardless, you have to respect a film whose title explains its premise so succinctly.

‘Leper in the Backfield’

Now this sounds like a true underdog sports movie! Seems like the sort of challenging role that lands an actor an Oscar nomination — unless, of course, that actor is Troy McClure.

‘Five Fabulous Weeks of The Chevy Chase Show’

Hey, someone had to host this special.

‘Lead Paint: Delicious But Deadly’

Be honest: You want to see an educational film where Troy eats some lead paint.

‘The President’s Neck Is Missing’

Holy shit, what happened to it? Troy did a lot of subpar thrillers in his career, but at least this one’s got you hooked from the title.

‘Get Confident, Stupid’

Okay, perhaps this isn’t the best name for a self-help video — but, then again, you’re so insecure, maybe you’re starting to doubt your own judgment. Fear not: If we all learn from Troy’s example, we can start really believing in ourselves.

‘Alice’s Adventures Through the Windshield Glass’

This is one evocatively titled driver’s ed film, but it seems to me that Alice would probably only have one adventure like this, right?

‘The Decapitation of Larry Leadfoot’

Another driver’s ed film Troy hosted. Geez, this sounds even more harrowing than Alice’s Adventures Through the Windshield Glass.

‘Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House’

Troy’s such a jack-of-all-trades that he’s even an ace telethon host. Why exactly Tony Orlando’s house needed saving is beyond me, but I’m glad our man Troy was on the case. Bonus points for inspiring the title of an excellent, swoony song from the superb indie-rock group Yo La Tengo.

‘Designated Drivers: The Lifesaving Nerds’

In recent years, alcohol companies have run campaigns championing the importance of that one friend in the group who’s willing to be the designated driver. In these spots, the designated driver always comes across as being just as cool and fun as his pals. But back in Troy’s day, public-service spots were just a lot meaner, I guess.

‘Man vs. Nature: The Road to Victory’

Too many nature films are about appreciating nature. Well, to hell with that: Only Troy has the guts to spearhead one that shows us the tools to finally defeat Mother Earth.

‘Christmas Ape’ and ‘Christmas Ape Goes to Summer Camp’

It would be silly not to include both of these cartoons that Troy did. Apparently, Christmas Ape was a TV special, and I assume that the follow-up was a pathetic attempt to turn Christmas Ape into a franchise. Troy mentioned his Christmas Ape character while auditioning to play Poochie on The Itchy & Scratchy Show, forever leaving us wondering what it would have been like if he’d voiced the rapping dog. (Another question worth pondering: What exactly qualifies a primate to be a Christmas ape?)

‘Two Minus Three Equals Negative Fun!’

Troy hosted a surprisingly large amount of educational films, and the ones we actually see on The Simpsons are uniformly terrible, by which I mean really funny. (Personal favorites include Meat and You: Partners in Freedom and Fuzzy Bunny’s Guide to You Know What, a sex-ed movie that contains the deathless line “And they never ruined their fun by giving in to their throbbing biological urges.”) But of the “You might remember me from…” films, the most tantalizing has to be this one, which has something to do with… math, I guess? By the way, there’s a record label called Negative Fun, and I desperately want to know if they took their name from this bit.

‘They Came to Burgle Carnegie Hall’

God, “burgle” is a really funny word. Also, I like the idea of Troy being part of a zany Ocean’s 11-like action-comedy caper full of other mediocre, has-been stars.

‘The Greatest Story Ever Hula’d’

Look, have you ever tried to tell a story while hula dancing? It takes real skill. (By the way, I am assuming they don’t mean hula-hooping, although that would be difficult as well.)

‘Dial M for Murderousness’

So, was this a pallid ripoff of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller? Whatever it is, Hartman really sells the punchline by the way Troy says “murderousness.” Admit it: Doesn’t this sound way more menacing than a movie just called Dial M for Murder?

‘The Erotic Adventures of Hercules’

What’s funny is that, in the world of The Simpsons, it seems a lot more logical that Rainier Wolfcastle would play Hercules. Wolfcastle is the hunkier guy — I mean, he’s the Simpsons character modeled after Arnold Schwarzenegger. But probably blockbuster star Wolfcastle would have turned his nose up at being in this porn movie — whereas Troy would have gladly done it for the exposure (pun unavoidable).

‘Gladys the Groovy Mule’

If it was good enough for Fred MacMurray and Don Knotts, why shouldn’t Troy do one of those live-action, adorable-animal family films? I just really want to see how groovy that mule really is.

‘The Revenge of Abe Lincoln’

Of all the made-up films on Troy’s résumé, this is the one that seems most likely to come to fruition in the real world. You might be wondering, “Wait, so what’s the plot of The Revenge of Abe Lincoln?” My assumption is that, after being assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, the 16th President of the United States somehow rises from the dead to get some payback. Maybe it’s a situation like The Crow? Troy would be a great Lincoln — but he might be an even better Booth. Even better: He plays both roles.

Troy, if you’re reading this, call me: I’ve got some ideas.

‘The Simpsons’: Troy McClure’s 25 Best ‘You Might Remember Me From’ Projects (2024)

FAQs

Why did The Simpsons get rid of Troy McClure? ›

Phil Hartman was murdered in 1998. Rather than re-casting the role with a new voice actor, the production staff retired McClure, along with Hartman's other recurring character, Lionel Hutz. McClure last appeared in the season ten episode "Bart the Mother", which was dedicated to Hartman.

What was Troy McClure's funny quote? ›

Troy: DNA is God's recipe for making you. You take a dash of Dad, a pinch of Mom, then we bake for nine months and... mmm! That's good Billy!

What was the last episode of The Simpsons with Troy McClure? ›

"Bart the Mother" marked the last guest appearance of Phil Hartman on The Simpsons as Troy McClure. On May 28, 1998, four months before the episode aired, he was shot and killed by his wife Brynn. "Bart the Mother" was dedicated in his memory in response to this.

Where is Troy McClure? ›

He appeared from Season 2 until Season 10. Since then, Troy along with two other Phil Hartman characters were retired due to his death.

Why did Tom Cruise turn down The Simpsons? ›

Cruise -- being one of the world's biggest movie stars -- may have decided he didn't need to do the part, or that he was too busy at the time. It's a shame, as Cruise has shown a knack for comedy in films like Tropic Thunder and would have made a fun foil to Homer and Bart Simpson.

Why did Sam Simon leave The Simpsons? ›

Simon left Gracie Films and The Simpsons in 1993; he commented that he "wasn't enjoying it anymore," wished to pursue other projects, and that of "any show I've ever worked on, it turns me into a monster. I go crazy.

What is a powerful quote from Troy? ›

The Gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now.

What was Troy sick with in Independence Day? ›

Upon arriving at Area 51, Russell Casse searches frantically for a doctor for his son Troy. He states that he has "a problem with his adrenal cortex".

What was the quote from the Battle of Troy? ›

"Remember Achilles, your own father, of like years with me and wretched like me for want of a son. Yet I am by far more to be pitied who have braved what no man on earth ever did before, to stretch out my hand to the slayer of my son."

What is Sideshow Bob's real name? ›

Sideshow Bob's full name is Robert Onderdonk Terwilliger. His last name was first revealed in "Black Widower" while his middle name was first revealed in "Sideshow Bob Roberts".

Did Homer leave Marge? ›

She did leave him in the film but they officially divorced once in season eight's “A Milhouse Divided”, and quickly remarried. Although, since Lovejoy's ministerial certification had lapsed before then, they were technically still divorced until season 20's "Wedding for Disaster" when they remarry.

What does NRA4EVER mean? ›

"NRA4EVER", the message that appears on a cash register during the opening sequence reference in a trivia question, is a reference to the National Rifle Association.

Who did the voice for Troy McClure on The Simpsons? ›

Who did Jeff Goldblum voice in The Simpsons? ›

"The Simpsons" A Fish Called Selma (TV Episode 1996) - Jeff Goldblum as MacArthur Parker - IMDb.

How many voices did Phil Hartman do on The Simpsons? ›

Phil Hartman has voiced 20 characters on The Simpsons: Troy McClure. Lionel Hutz. Fat Tony (in the episode "A Fish Called Selma")

Why was Graggle Simpson removed? ›

His character was quietly written off the show in Season 30 due to Disney putting some of the edgier Simpson's characters on hold. Some characters shortly returned to the show, leaving Graggle too slowly leave the consciousness of millions until a post on 4chan reminded everyone about Graggle's existence.

What character was removed from The Simpsons? ›

After all, The Simpsons character Larry the Barfly, voiced by Harry Shearer, was killed off after 35 seasons on the longest-running animated series.

What did Troy McClure do? ›

Troy McClure is a character in The Simpsons voiced by Phil Hartman. He first appeared in the episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". McClure is a washed-up actor, usually shown doing low-level work, such as hosting infomercials and educational movies.

What happened to the one armed guy in The Simpsons? ›

Herman formerly had two arms. He told Bart that the other arm was lost by sticking it out of the window of a moving bus (hailing) and it was torn off by a truck driving in the other direction. It was also implied it was him, as Ms.

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