Shearer has long had a contentious relationship with the show, and was a vocal leader of previous contract disputes between the cast and the studio. (Perhaps not coincidentally, Burns' prominence on the show began to fade after one of those early negotiations.) A source close to the show suggests that not only was Shearer offered the same deal as his co-stars for these additional two years, but was told he could do virtually the whole job by phone, "from anywhere in the world," to reduce his physical commitment to the job, and he declined.
Obviously, losing Shearer is a huge blow. Individually, none of his characters are as essential to the series as Homer, Marge, Lisa or Bart, but the totality of them represents a huge swath of what makes Springfield and "The Simpsons" special. The show can find another voice actor (Billy West, maybe?) to handle some or all of those roles, but there will be a noticeable difference, just as there is with, say, Kermit the Frog post-Jim Henson. Voice actors don't get the credit of their flesh-and-blood counterparts, but Shearer, Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Julie Kavner and Hank Azaria brought those characters to life just as much as the writers and animators did.
Read more at
http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-wa...th-mr-burns-flanders-more#iIBQcGEKHqAkt78K.99
