They have brought TV’s most famous cartoon couple to life in France for the last 38 years. Philippe Peythieu and Véronique Augereau tell all about working and living together for so long, still being lovebirds – and rarely arguing
The Simpsons is the biggest cartoon comedy in the world, with suburban couple Homer and Marge at its heart. From their beginnings as high-school sweethearts to the travails of married life, they’re an unbreakable pair. Gag-heavy as it may be, it’s also a series with plenty of sentimental plots, from Homer giving up his beloved Duff beer for a month to prove his love to Marge, to Marge composing a heartfelt poem to a dying Homer (miraculously, he makes it through his sushi-induced food poisoning).
Not even the temptations of a brunch-loving bowling instructor called Jacques or a doughnut-guzzling redhead called Mindy could get between them. Plus, of course, they enjoy the occasional “snuggle” (even on a miniature golf course … ).
Now in its 38th season, The Simpsons has also been a huge hit across the globe, meaning hundreds of international actors have voiced this much-loved couple. Among them are Philippe Peythieu and Véronique Augereau, who – as well as playing Marge and Homer in the French dub of The Simpsons since 1990 – met through the show and ended up getting married.
“Matt Groening called us the second most famous couple in the history of animation,” says Peythieu. “There were the actors who voiced Minnie and Mickey Mouse [the late Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor], and then there was us. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, he said, everyone he worked with was getting divorced …”
The pair record their scenes together with a director in a Paris dubbing studio over 10-12 days a year. But clearly The Simpsons is a 365-day-a-year commitment, from appearances at galas and conventions to the gifts they receive from adoring fans. Both are adamant that they wouldn’t carry on without the other, which means a definite non to AI taking over in the future. “We’re not for artificial intelligence – we’re for artistic intelligence!” says Augereau. There will always be roles that require a human soul, she adds, and – for Peythieu and Augereau – this role has given them each a soulmate to boot.
Do you remember meeting for the first time?
Philippe Peythieu: We met at a casting call in 1989 – it was only six months after The Simpsons had debuted in the US, so it wasn’t a success there yet. We auditioned, and then six months later – by fax – we found out we had got the roles.
Véronique Augereau: Philippe and I didn’t know each other well at all. When we were trying out, we crossed paths in the hallway at the dubbing offices and greeted each other but we were just colleagues – we weren’t even friends at that stage. There’s a video of us at a wrap party for the first series and we’re just walking right past each other, not even speaking, let alone stealing any glances!
PP: Voilà, that’s how this beautiful story began. The recording process brought us closer together, since we were working in the darkness of the studio, and so we became more than friends … We had to be very discreet in the beginning, because this was a professional setting, but eventually word got out and we were inseparable from that point on. As for the series, we never imagined it would last so long. But the success also contributed to the success of our relationship.
VA: In terms of what actually attracted us to each other, it’s hard to say, but I think the atmosphere around the recording sessions helped – there was always a friendly, funny vibe. Personally, I find the show and the storylines extraordinary, and incredibly intelligent. I think we really loved this show and were enthusiastic about it from the get-go. We liked the spirit of the series, and that humour that could be quite biting.
What do Homer and Marge love about each other?
VA: Marge isn’t a fan of Homer’s over-the-top antics, but deep down she knows that he is her one and only love in life. Ultimately, she has a lot of tenderness and affection for this man, whom she knows is devoted to her and to their children. He is completely in love with his family – even if he doesn’t remember his children’s names all the time …
PP: Through the seasons there have been rifts, but every time they’ve found their way back to each other. If you look at the film [The Simpsons Movie, released in 2007], Marge decides to leave Homer, but ends up forgiving all of his foolish mistakes in the end. Their love grows stronger – they’re able to separate then find each other again.
VA: A critic in France, Romain Nigita, actually wrote a book called Les Simpson ou le paradoxe du donut intemporel (The Simpsons, or the Paradox of the Timeless Doughnut), to which we wrote the preface. [The book is about the show’s relationship with time, and how it never changes yet always seems relevant.] He writes about Marge and Homer’s first meeting in high school – Homer smoking in the bathroom with Barney, Marge burning her bra at a feminist protest, before the pair cross paths at the high-school prom. That’s when Homer says: “I’m sure we were meant to be together. Usually when I have a thought, there’s a lot of other thoughts in there ... something says yes, something says no ... But this time, there’s only yes! How can the only thing I’ve ever been sure about in my life be wrong?”
When did you realise this was a love story for the ages?
VA: Across all of these seasons (we will soon be dubbing season 38), this couple is still standing!
PP: Despite his doubts, his worst gaffes and the tests of time, Homer is certain of one thing: Marge is the love of his life!
What have been your favourite romantic moments between them?
VA: We love the bedroom scenes when they’re in their room with the lights off and you can only see their eyes moving around.
PP: Those scenes that can be a bit cheeky but they’re handled very well – the show addresses sexuality but with a lightness of touch, affection and humour.
Is there anything you wish Marge and Homer did differently?
PP: When you’re this hooked on The Simpsons, it’s hard to be critical of the show. It would also be difficult to rewrite its history – it’s a show that has defined an era. Besides, we love these characters unconditionally, so whatever they do we would always forgive them! Homer also resembles us – I think, as a man, I’m a bit like him, and he’s a bit like me in some ways. What you see is what you get with Homer, and yet he still manages to surprise us …
VA: I don’t love the Halloween specials, personally.
PP: She finds them scary. There was a Halloween episode where they sent up The Shining – I loved that one.
What is your real relationship like off camera?
VA: We share the same values in life and move forward together, bound by a very strong connection.
How romantic are you in real life?
VA: We often stroll down the street arm in arm, and people always say, “Hello, lovebirds!” or – if I’m alone – “Oh, not with your husband today?” I don’t want to say that people have this idealised vision of us, but when we meet fans at conventions they always say the same sorts of things to us too. Whether in The Simpsons or in real life, it seems that many people see us as this devoted couple that they enjoy spending time with.
PP: We’ve had the opportunity to meet Matt Groening and the team several times, and they’ve always told us that the French version is one of the best, because we’ve understood the spirit of the series, and the fact that we’re husband and wife has added that little extra something to it.
What has been the most intense fan reaction to Marge and Homer?
VA: People tell us, you were the soundtrack to our childhood. Fans will tell us that we represent this perfect couple in their eyes – every Saturday night we were in their homes, on their TVs, so for some people we were almost like surrogate parents.
Did you keep something from set that reminds you of Marge and Homer?
VA: It’s not from set, but at a charity gala in Switzerland we were given a huge portrait of Marge as a Playboy bunny [a callback to the episode The Devil Wears Nada].
PP: I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve been given doughnuts.
What can Marge and Homer teach us about love?
PP: What they teach us is that – come what may – it’s all about this strong bond that they have. It’s a bond that’s almost indestructible despite life’s difficulties and the differences that sometimes come between them.
VA: They show us that love is about forgiveness.
PP: And accepting the differences between both people.
VA: You have to be on the same page in life too … with us, we have the same tastes, like contemporary art, food …
PP: We’re bon vivants! We love life. We rarely argue, and if we do it’s usually about trivial things.
VA: That’s why it’s lasted all these years – we’ve been together nearly as long as The Simpsons!
