This Behind-The-Scenes Detail Makes One Of The Simpsons’ Best Episodes Even Better

A new behind-the-scenes tidbit just made one of The Simpsons’ best episodes even better. The Simpsons’ co-creator James L. Brooks did a Reddit AMA recently to promote his new film Ella McCay, the first feature he’s directed in 15 years, a dramedy about an idealistic thirtysomething politician with a messy family life and a lot of emotional baggage.

While there were a few questions about the new movie, a lot of fans naturally wanted to take their Simpsons questions directly to the source, and Brooks was happy to indulge. He even offered a behind-the-scenes revelation that explained why one of The Simpsons’ greatest episodes works so well.

The Simpsons Cast Flew To New York To Record “Lisa’s Substitute” With Dustin Hoffman

Mr Bergstrom in The Simpsons

During Brooks’ Reddit AMA, he was asked to name his favorite Simpsons episode. He said that his favorite episode out of the whopping 800 in the show’s history is season 2, episode 19, “Lisa’s Substitute.” This is the episode where Lisa’s regular teacher, Miss Hoover, is diagnosed with Lyme disease and has to take the rest of the year off, so a substitute comes in to take her place.

The substitute, Mr. Bergstrom, is played by uncredited guest star Dustin Hoffman. Mr. Bergstrom reinvigorates Lisa’s passion for learning with his fun, experimental, enthusiastic teaching style. Lisa begins to feel that she has more of a connection with Mr. Bergstrom than with Homer, but eventually realizes that Homer still has plenty of value as a goofy, caring, compassionate father figure.

Brooks explained that the producers made the executive decision to fly the entire Simpsons cast out to record the episode in a New York studio, so that Yeardley Smith could record her lines with Hoffman. Brooks believed this unorthodox approach “worked to a T” to create a more tangible dynamic between Lisa and Mr. Bergstrom.

Putting Yeardley Smith In The Same Room As Hoffman Made All The Difference

Lisa talks to Mr Bergstrom in The Simpsons

Putting Smith in the same room as Hoffman was an ingenious move that made all the difference. Traditionally, voice actors record their lines alone in a booth and those lines get stitched together into conversations with their co-stars in the editing process. But that can feel very stiff and impersonal, and fail to create a palpable dynamic between the characters.

Having Smith face-to-face with an acting legend meant that Lisa’s reverence for Mr. Bergstrom shined through. Just as Lisa was inspired by a teacher who genuinely cared about education, Smith was inspired by one of the world’s greatest actors in his prime. “Lisa’s Substitute” is one of The Simpsons’ most beloved episodes, and this behind-the-scenes trick went a long way toward making that happen.

Source: James L. Brooks (via Reddit)