On Tuesday, "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening finally revealed, after 20 years, that the famous cartoon family live in Springfield... Oregon.
It only took 500 episodes, 23 seasons and over 600 celebrity guest appearances for Groening to fill us all in on this news.
From the family's first appearance on April 19, 1987 during a short animated skit on Fox's "The Tracey Ullman Show" the show has stayed on the air for over 20 years, becoming the longest-running show in primetime history in 2009.
The show boasts more guest appearances than any other TV show, ranging from Michael Jackson to Rupert Murdoch, with some of them coming back for multiple episode arcs. Danny DeVito guest-starred twice, Kelsey Grammer voiced the vengeful clown, Sideshow Bob, and "Saturday Night Live" star, the late Phil Hartman, was featured 52 times throughout the first ten seasons.
As a tribute to this groundbreaking news about the show, we've gathered our favorite animated celebrities who have guest-starred over the years.
Season 1, Episode 7 "The Call of the Simpsons": Albert Brooks as car salesman Cowboy Bob.
Season 2, Episode 3 "Treehouse of Horror": James Earl Jones was featured three times in the original series' Halloween staple as a narrator, Serak the Preparer and a removal man. He has appeared in subsequent "Treehouse of Horror" episodes in seasons 6 and 9 voicing Maggie's alternate universe self.
Season 3, Episode 1 "Stark Raving Dad": Michael Jackson plays Leon Kompowsky who Homer meets in a mental asylum. It turns out he's secretly the pop star. Jackson also performed an original rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Lisa Simpson.
Season 3, Episode 4 "Bart the Murderer": Neil Patrick Harris plays a murderous Bart Simpson on a television show.
We also enjoyed Sting as himself in Season 3, Episode 13 "Radio Bart." After Bart tricks the town into believing an orphan fell down a well, the singer, along with others, performs his charity single, "We're Sending Our Love Down the Well." The episode was nominated for an Emmy.
Season 4, Episode 9 "Mr. Plow": Adam West is known to lend his voice to animated characters as himself or versions of Batman (Mayor West on "Family Guy" and Catman on Nickelodeon's "The Fairly Oddparents"). West was featured first in season four as himself, and later in season 14 (episode 4 "Large Marge," if you're wondering) as the caped crusader.
Season 4, Episode 22 "Krusty Gets Kancelled": After Krusty the Clown's show gets the axe, a plethora of stars including Hugh Hefner, Johnny Carson and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers make appearances. Bette Midler guest-starred performing a duet of "Wind Beneath My Wings" with the clown.
Season 5, Episode 12 "Bart Gets Famous": "How I Met Your Mother" wasn't Conan O'Brien's only cameo. Bart was featured on the talk show host's former late night show.
Season 6, Episode 7 "Bart's Girlfriend": Meryl Streep played one of Bart's many love interests, Jessica Lovejoy.
Season 7, Episode 4 "Lisa the Vegetarian": Paul McCartney and his wife Linda made appearances as themselves when Lisa ran off to become a vegetarian.
Season 8, Episode 4 "Burns, Baby Burns" Rodney Dangerfield plays Mr. Burns' estranged son Larry. The writers wrote the jokes especially for Dangerfield.
Season 9, Episode 12 "Bart Carny": Jim Varney played carny worker, Cooder when the carnival came to town.
Season 10, Episode 10 "Mayored to the Mob": Mark Hamill gets animated for a different 'toon (he played the Joker in Batman the Animated series) as he plays himself donned as his Star Wars' character Luke. The best part was Hamill singing his own rendition of "Luck Be A Lady." ("Luke, Be A Jedi.")
Season 11, Episode 12 "The Mansion Family": Britney Spears starred as herself cohosting the Springfield Pride Awards.
Season 12, Episode 3 "Insane Clown Poppy": Stephen King appeared as himself signing books.
Season 13, Episode 6 "She of Little Faith": Richard Gere plays himself at a Buddhist temple when Lisa seeks out a new religion.
Season 14, Episode 2 "How I Spent My Summer Vacation": When Homer and his crew go camping in the woods they run into rock stars Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Brian Setzer.
Season 15, Episode 4 "The Regina Monologues": Author J.K. Rowling appears as herself on the street while the Simpsons are traveling abroad.
Season 16, Episode 9 "Pranksta Rap": Rapper 50 Cent appears as himself when a "Murder 4 Life" concert comes to Springfield.
Season 17, Episode 19 "Girls Just Want to Have Sums": Frances McDormand stars as Melanie Upfoot, the new school principal.
Season 18, Episode 21 "24 Minutes": Kiefer Sutherland plays Jack Bauer (from Fox's other hit show, "24").
Season 19, Episode 10 "E Pluribus Wiggum": Jon Stewart makes a cameo as himself reporting for "The Daily Show."
Season 20, Episode 20 "Four Great Women and a Manicure": Jodie Foster also brought Maggie Simpson to life, supplying her voice in this episode told in four parts.
Season 21, Episode 23 "Judge Me Tender": The entire American Idol cast including Ellen DeGeneres, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest were animated for the show.
Season 22, Episode 7 "The Fight Before Christmas": Katy Perry actually appears as her live-action self, and Moe's supposed girlfriend.
Season 22, Episode 2 "Loan-a Lisa": Mark Zuckerberg poked fun of his status as CEO of Facebook.
Season 23, Episode 4 "Replaceable You": Jane Lynch plays new employee, Roz, at Homer's job.
Meryl Streep has been on 'The Simpsons' and is nominated for an Oscar this year.
Check out all of this year's Oscar-nominated trailers here >>
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