The Troy McClure Movie That We Would've Gotten

With more than 30 season of “The Simpsons”, the show has introduced viewers to numerous secondary characters. Some only make a few appearances before disappearing without a trace, while others become immediate fan favourites.

Two iconic secondary characters, who became series regulars in the early seasons of “The Simpsons” first appeared in the 13th episode of the 2nd season, “Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment”. There’s boxer, Drederick Tatum, who’d become a reoccurring character in the early years of the series. Then there's Troy McClure, a stereotypical Hollywood has-been, who is now famous for doing low-level work, such as hosting infomercials and educational films.

McClure was partially based on actors Troy Donahue and Doug McClure, in regards to the character’s name, appearance and characteristics. McClure was typically voiced by Phil Hartman. Ultimately, despite the character of McClure being based on and inspired by two real-life people, Hartman well and truly brought the character to life and made him one of the most beloved secondary characters in the history of the show.

Tragically, Hartman’s life was cut short, when he died at the age of 49, in May 1998. Following Hartman’s death, McClure was retired in season 10 of “The Simpsons”. Even years later, after numerous other iconic secondary characters have come and gone within “The Simpsons” universe, McClure is still often cited as one of the series’ most popular side characters.

When Hartman passed, a number of projects he was involved in were left up in the air. Most notably, Hartman had also been in been in talks of making a live action Troy McClure movie, with Hartman in the lead role. The idea certainly sounds weird. And, given the history of live action adaptations of 2-d characters, it’s maybe a good thing the project never came to fruition.

However, when you consider Hartman’s talents, the uniqueness of the character of McClure and how ripe the idea is for parody and satire, the proposed adaptation just might have worked…