Kenneth Branagh lands role in The Simpsons

[earl]

Belfast-born actor Kenneth Branagh has landed a role in The Simpsons, appearing as an Irish pub landlord.

The Oscar-nominated star, who’s most famous for his Shakespearean roles, has already recorded his part for the episode which will be screened shortly.

Executive producer Al Jean revealed the storyline involves Homer and his dad travelling to Ireland where they buy a traditional Irish pub.

“Homer and Grandpa go to this bar that Grandpa went to 40 years ago and it was the happiest night of his life,” he said.

But Ireland’s smoking ban scupers their chance of success.

“They get drunk, they buy the bar, and then they find, as it turns out, in Ireland, pubs aren’t so popular anymore because you can’t smoke in them, so they’re really up a creek.”

The executive producer, who has been the show’s chief writer since 1989, said he was impressed with Branagh’s performance.

“We just had Kenneth to record — he’s the pub owner that sells them the pub, and he’s actually Irish, so he was really nice and really great, of course,” he added.

Branagh, married to art director Lindsay Brunnock, joins a host of stars who have guested on the popular Matt Groening animated show which is now in its twentieth season.

Others who have appeared on the show include Tony Blair, Danny DeVito, Ringo Starr, Aerosmith and U2.

[earl]

The new series starts with a St Patricks day parade having a riot as it's alcohol free. Then an orange parade tries to barge in and there's a green leprechaun fighting an orange leprechaun and a load of green clad peole and orange clad people beating the cr@p out of each other, including the Hulk and the Thing. Bart makes a reference to wishing the IRA were back to, and as a union jack clad bus drives by, an ex-IRA member beside Bart proclaims that "they'd of been all over that back in the day"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex,_Pies_and_Idiot_Scrapes

watchthesimpsonsonline.com/movie/433-2001%20Sex,%20Pies%20and%20Idiot%20Scrapes.html

[earl]

Hansard and Irglová to appear in episode of 'Simpsons'

OSCAR WINNERS Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová are to appear in an episode of The Simpsons which will mourn the decline of the Irish pub.

The pair have enjoyed worldwide success as The Swell Season, following their Oscar win last March with the song Falling Slowly from the low-budget film Once which was a surprise hit.

They join some of the biggest acts in music history - including U2, Paul McCartney, Metallica and Michael Jackson - in being depicted on the show, now entering its 22nd season.

According to executive producer Al Jean, the episode, to be broadcast next year, will feature Homer and his father Abe travelling to Ireland to buy a pub in which Abe claimed to have spent the best night of his life 40 years previously.

The pub is reputed to be located on Grafton Street, Dublin, and the pub landlord will be played by Belfast-born actor Kenneth Branagh.

However, their romantic notions of what an Irish pub should be like are dashed by the realisation they have been in decline since the introduction of the smoking ban in 2004.

"Homer and Grandpa get drunk. They buy the bar and then they find, as it turns out, in Ireland, pubs aren't so popular anymore because you can't smoke in them. So they're really up a creek."

Hansard and Irglová will play two local buskers performing on Grafton Street.

Irish characters have regularly featured in The Simpsons .

A whole episode was devoted to U2, but the most controversial was the episode set on St Patrick's Day which featured the "Drunken Irish Novelists of Springfield".

It ended up with a drunken mob blowing up John Bull's Fish and Chip Shop.