Last night’s episode of The Simpsons paid tribute to Marcia Wallace, the actress who voiced Bart’s teacher Edna Krabappel and who died late last month. The opening credits of the 533rd episode, "Four Regrettings and a Funeral," featured Bart in his usual spot at the blackboard, but instead of writing lines, he’s written "WE’LL REALLY MISS YOU, MRS. K." A photo of Wallace and an "in memoriam" message appeared before the end credits, as well. As a central character whose work won her an Emmy in 1992 for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance as Krabappel, her death marks one of the biggest losses the show has seen in its 24-year run.
Wallace died on October 25 at age 70, of complications due to pneumonia. She’d been battling breast cancer on and off for years -- at the very least since 2004, when her memoir Don’t Look Back, We’re Not Going That Way was published -- but had undergone surgery earlier this year in March, and “was considered clear of the disease” at the time of her death, according to her son’s comments to the Los Angeles Times.
The original plan was to re-air the best Krabappel (and arguably the best Simpsons) episode "Bart the Lover," from 1992, but it was changed last minute due to "technical issues." Showrunners on The Simpsons said last week that the "irreplaceable" character of Mrs. Krabappel would be retired, like the characters Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz were retired after the death of their voice actor, Phil Hartman, in 1998. At the time of her death, executive producer Al Jean had already voiced plans to kill off an Emmy-winning character, but confirmed later that the character he alluded to wasn’t Krabappel. The episodes this season that Wallace had already recorded will still run, according to Deadline. Members of the cast and crew, including Lisa Simpson actress Yeardley Smith and Bart Simpson actress Nancy Cartwright, have been posting memories and send-offs since her death.
