“The Simpsons”' Pamela Hayden, the Voice of Milhouse, Retires from Show After 35 Years: 'It's Been an Honor'

The actress, who also voiced characters like Jimbo Jones and Rod Flanders, will appear behind the mic one last time for an episode airing on Nov. 24

Amy Graves/Getty; Disney (L-R) Pamela Hayden; Milhouse Van Houten from The Simpsons.

Amy Graves/Getty; Disney

(L-R) Pamela Hayden; Milhouse Van Houten from The Simpsons.

After 35 years of lending her voice to some of The Simpsons' most iconic characters, voice actress Pamela Hayden is ready to put down the mic.

Fox announced on Wednesday, Nov. 20 that Hayden, 70, is officially retiring from the show. While best known for voicing Bart Simpson's best friend Milhouse Van Houten, she also was the voice behind bully Jimbo Jones, Ned Flanders' son Rod Flanders and Chief Wiggum's wife Sarah Wiggum, among others.

"The time has come for me to hang up my microphone, but how do I say goodbye to The Simpsons? ......Not easily," Hayden said in a statement. "It's been an honor and a joy to have worked on such a funny, witty, and groundbreaking show, and to give voice to Milhouse (and Jimbo Jones, Rod Flanders, Janey, Malibu Stacy, and many others)."

She added, "Here's to everyone who made this terrific ride I've been on possible. Thanks for 35 years!! Be well and happy. My best to you all. P.S. I'll always have a special place in my heart for that blue-haired 10-year-old boy with glasses."

Related: The Simpsons Showrunner Admits He's 'in Super Denial' About This Inevitable Aspect of the Show (Exclusive)

Disney A still from The Simpsons.

Disney

A still from The Simpsons.

Hayden will lend her voice for the last time in an episode airing on Sunday, Nov. 24, titled "Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes." Per a synopsis from the network, "A tattooed man at a mysterious night circus transports Lisa into three strange stories from the innocent 1950s, the chilling retro-present, and a brutalist future where prestige TV rules the world."

Speaking to Hayden's legacy, executive Producer James L. Brooks praised her for being "a model for having a great spirit for every cast she has been a part of." Meanwhile, series creator Matt Groening noted how "Pamela gave us tons of laughs with Milhouse, the hapless kid with the biggest nose in Springfield. She made Milhouse hilarious and real, and we will miss her."

"Pamela's talent and joy and love for her characters has added a magic to The Simpsons that will never be forgotten," showrunner and executive producer Matt Selman said in a statement. "Everything's coming up Pamela!"

George Pimentel/WireImage (L-R) The Simpsons voice actors Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden and Karl Wiedergott.

George Pimentel/WireImage

(L-R) The Simpsons voice actors Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith, Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden and Karl Wiedergott.

Hayden's characters will be recast at a later date.

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Hayden had been a part of The Simpsons cast since 1989. Her iconic Milhosue character, named after former U.S. president Richard Milhous Nixon, first appeared in a Butterfinger commercial in 1989.

Related: The Simpsons Showrunner Breaks Down the Method to the Animated Series Continually Predicting Future Events (Exclusive)

The long-running animated series is currently in its 36th season, which kicked off in September with a meta episode that was dubbed a "series finale." Although the show has not officially been renewed for a 37th season, series creator Matt Groening has no plans to throw in the towel just yet.

"My standard answer is there’s no end in sight because anytime I speculate on the show ending, the people who work on it and diehard fans get very upset," Groening, 70, told USA Today in 2021. "So, I always say there’s no end in sight."

The Simpsons airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.