Izzard set for Simpsons

Groening hails him 'a genius'

Eddie Izzard could be the next British star to appear in The Simpsons.

Creator Matt Groening is said to be keen to find a cameo role for the comic after meeting him at last week’s British Comedy Awards.

The animator called Izzard ‘a genius’, but said he would have to wait for a suitable role to arise before he could join the residents of Springfield

Groening told The Independent: “There's no saying who we'll get him to play, but we often don't get people to play themselves. As soon as the right part comes along, we'll get Eddie in.”

Izzard is a die-hard Simpsons fan, who has previously sat in on a script read-through with the cast.

In a recent interview, he said: “I’d love to be in it, but they never asked me, and I don’t want to push it. I think it’s because I’m a cult – rather than a mainstream – name.”

But Izzard’s profile in the States is on the rise, and he has just taken a role in the Hollywood blockbuster Oceans Twelve.

Published: 31 Dec 2004

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