The Simpsons season 33 will introduce Kerry Washington as Bart Simpson's new fourth-grade teacher at Springfield Elementary School following the retirement of his former teacher, Ms. Edna Krabappel, in 2013. The character suddenly left the school nearly a decade ago due to the fact that her voice actor, The Merv Griffin Show veteran Marcia Wallace, had died just shy of her 71st birthday. In season 25, episode 13, titled "The Man Who Grew Too Much," Krabappel's death was implied by her husband, Ned Flanders, wearing a black armband in the episode, and both Ned and Nelson Muntz saying that they miss her.
Finding a suitable replacement for Ms. Krabappel proved to be tough following Wallace's death. Instead of creating a permanent replacement, Bart and his classmates were subjected to a series of eccentric temporary teachers. Season 26 introduced Willem Dafoe's Jack Lassen, a fierce disciplinarian who takes it upon himself to correct Bart's behavioral issues with extreme methods. Sofia Vergara briefly took over the role as Carol Berrera, a former military sergeant who caught the eye of both Bart and Principal Skinner before leaving for a deployment in Afghanistan resulting in Flanders temporarily filling in.
According to EW, Kerry Washington has joined The Simpsons as Bart Simpson's new fourth-grade teacher. She will play Ms. Rayshelle Peyton on a permanent recurring basis in the long-running series. Bart's new teacher is described as thoughtful, dedicated, and unfiltered, far different from the grumpy, apathetic Ms. Krabappel, promising to be a good foil for Bart's rambunctious nature. Washington added, "[Peyton's] a great teacher. But like all the best teachers, she knows that her students have just as much to teach her as she has to teach them. And teaching Bart is a job filled with growth opportunities."
The Simpsons' executive producer Carolyn Omine claims she first had the desire to work with Washington after seeing the star host the long-running sitcom variety show Saturday Night Live in 2013. Omine explained, "I had always known she was a super-talented actress who had great range, but just never knew she was funny." Omine cites Washington's various characters and comedic timing on the show as reasons why she wanted to have her on the sitcom. Following prominent The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria's public commitment to stop voicing people of color, Washington tweeted that she was ready and available. Omine contacted her shortly thereafter with the role of Bart's teacher in mind.
Washington may prove to be a great addition to the long-running series due to her character's overall positive demeanor. Many of the faculty at Springfield Elementary have generally been depicted as worn down, apathetic, or downright repulsed by their work at the school, such as Lisa's disinterested second-grade teacher Ms. Hoover, or the quick-tempered music teacher Dewey Largo, or Groundskeeper Willie, who has taken no pleasure in cleaning up after the school's many ungrateful students. Washington can be seen in her new role as Ms. Rayshelle Peyton on The Simpsons' upcoming episode airing on April 24.
Source: EW