Marjorie Jacqueline "
Marge"
Simpson[1] (
née Bouvier) is a character in the American animated sitcom
The Simpsons and part of the
eponymous family (The Simpsons). Voiced by
Julie Kavner, she first appeared on television in
The Tracey Ullman Show short "
Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Marge was created and designed by cartoonist
Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of
James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on
Life in Hell but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He based the character on his mother Margaret Groening. After appearing on
The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, the Simpson family received their own series on
Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989.
Marge is the
matriarch of the Simpson family. With her husband
Homer, she has three children:
Bart,
Lisa, and
Maggie. Marge is the moralistic force in her family and often provides a grounding voice in the midst of her family's antics by trying to maintain order in the Simpson household. She is often portrayed as a stereotypical television mother and is often included on lists of top "TV moms". She has appeared in other media relating to
The Simpsons—including
video games,
The Simpsons Movie,
The Simpsons Ride, commercials, and
comic books—and inspired an entire line of merchandise.
Marge's distinctive blue
beehive hairstyle was inspired by a combination of the Bride's in
Bride of Frankenstein and the style that Margaret Groening wore in the 1960s. Julie Kavner, who was a member of the original cast of
The Tracey Ullman Show, was asked to voice Marge so that more voice actors would not be needed. Kavner has won several awards for voicing Marge, including a
Primetime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992. She was also nominated for an
Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature for her performance in
The Simpsons Movie. In 2000, Marge, along with the rest of her family, was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.