Joe the Peacock So Harry, just about every fan of The Simpsons, on which you are the voice of many characters - Mr Burns, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner to name just three - has pretty much one burning thought on their minds -- the "Holdout". As much as you can, would you give us a little insight to what happened? What was the cause, and what was the general mood among the talent?

Harry Shearer It wasn't a "holdout", nor a strike. That was the line fed by Fox to Daily Variety, from whence Reuters picked it up and sailed it around the world. On the day the "strike" story appeared in DV, I was performing last-minute fix-type services on a show to air the following Sunday. Our contract had expired, we were negotiating a new one, and that stalled the start of the new season. I can't speak for the general mood among the talent. I hate Fox, that set my mood.

JTP Who is your favorite Character to voice?

HS Montgomery Burns.

JTP The following of the Simpsons has grown from adolescent entertainment to full-blown cult status. How does it make you (and the rest of the cast) feel to know that huge communities regularly quote your work?

HS We're very pleased to be on a show which is known and loved around the world.

JTP There are many people out there with very distinctive voices, yet when we hear them in an animated feature, they sound. well. horrible. What does it take to be a successful voice actor?

HS You have to do real acting, not just do a voice. A lot of "live action" actors don't have any idea what it's like to express everything they need to without the ability to use their hands, faces, eyes, or bodies. That's the tough part. Coming up with a funny or goofy voice is the easy part.

JTP If you could voice any character ever - anyone at all - who would it be?

HS Geraldo Rivera.

JTP You did some of the voice work on the most amazing show ever, Spitting Image. What was the climate like back then, doing that show? Was it known at that point that you were crossing some pretty huge lines in the sand when it came to both political satire and non-human castwork? (Background - I've heard it argued in several instances that without shows like Spitting Image, fully animated or puppet-driven shows that came later would never had a chance)

HS I was a great fan of the show, and enjoyed very much having the chance to work with them. That's all.

JTP Derek Smalls. Arguably the best bass player in all of music, Phil Lynott included. This Is Spinal Tap! Is pretty much the holy grail of mocumentaries - the die from which all others are cut. Again, did you know that you were forging such new ground, or was it just a bunch of guys having a great time?

HS We knew we wanted to make a film that got rock 'n' roll right, for a change. The rest was gravy.

JTP Whose idea was the cucumber?

HS It was a zucchini, but we were all in the room when that happened.

JTP Any plans for a reunion? When can I catch the Spinal Tap reunion tour at Phillips Arena here in Atlanta?

HS When we own the characters. Which we don't.

JTP You're an SNL Alumnus. Give us some insight to the behind-the-scenes with the cast there. How close-knit is everyone?

HS Not very. Everybody's being tortured in a different way.

JTP Some of the funniest bits I've ever seen on SNL - I.E. Jay Mohr as Christopher Walken selling Skittles - turn out to be the product of ad-libbing and spur-of-the-moment action. However, later we hear stories of how furious Lorne Michaels is when that sort of thing happens. How tight a ship does Lorne run? How much "free reign" is allowed on the sets?

HS In the year and a half I was on SNL, I never saw anybody ad lib anything. For a very good reason--the director cut according to the script. So, if you ad libbed, you'd be off mike and off camera.

JTP Tell us about Le Show.

HS It's my very own thing, a radio show I write, produce and perform totally (with the exception of a few visits by my friend Tom Leopold) all by myself. It's comedy, commentary and music in a mix that changes from week to week, and moment to moment. It's the freest speech I have.

JTP What's your favorite bit that has been run on Le Show?

HS I've done it for more than 20 years, I can't narrow it down to one piece. I'm very proud of much of the material. Some of the best stuff of the first ten years is on my Rhino CD, "It Must Have Been Something I Said"

JTP Where can we catch it?

HS Le Show is on many public radio stations every Sunday--to find one that streams when you want it, check PublicRadioFan.com. It's also available, on demand and archived, at kcrw.com and harryshearer.com

JTP What's on the horizon for Harry Shearer?

HS The aforementioned Leopold and i have co-written a stage musical comedy "J. Edgar!", starring Kelsey Grammer. We hope to bring it to the stage very soon. I'm also finishing up a comic novel about native Americans and gambling, called "Not Enough Indians".

JTP What books are on Harry Shearer reading list? What movies have you seen recently that just knocked you out?

HS I'm reading very little, since I'm trying to finish a book. Movies: I adored "Triplets of Belleville", liked "Supersize Me", was transfixed by "Capturing the Friedmans".

JTP Thank you Mr. Shearer, it was an honor talking with you.