The Weeknd Will Lend His Voice to a Character in ‘The Simpsons’

The Weeknd is set to voice a character in an upcoming new episode of ‘The Simpsons’, which he previously described as a “bucket list” aspiration. The ‘Dawn FM’ singer will play ‘Orion Hughes’ in season 33 of ‘Bart The Cool Kid,’ which premieres on March 20.

The episode will pit Homer Simpson and other Springfield dads against a young streetwear influencer, according to Stereogum. Michael Rapaport (Friends, Prison Break) will also appear as a guest star.

The Weeknd – real name Abel Tesfaye – said besides a yellow love heart emoji in a post about his impending appearance on The Simpsons: “proud of this one.” 

The Weeknd voiced Robot Chicken and American Dad! in the animated series Robot Chicken and American Dad! in 2020. The singer played a persona who resembled himself in the latter appearance. Tesfaye also collaborated on the episode with American Dad! creator Joel Hurwitz, titled ‘A Starboy Is Born.’

The Canadian artist told Variety that being on The Simpsons was on his “wish list” when asked about his contribution to the Seth Macfarlane-created sitcom. In May 2020, he told the outlet, “That would be a dream — and if they’re reading this, I actually have a pretty cool idea if they’re down.”

The Weeknd also starred in Uncut Gems and is set to star in The Idol, an upcoming HBO series that he co-wrote and executive produced.

Meanwhile, The Weeknd has planned a North American stadium tour dubbed “After Hours Til Dawn,” which will kick off in July. At the shows, he’ll be joined by special guest Doja Cat.

‘Dawn FM,’ Tesfaye’s most recent full-length, was released in January. “[The album] feels like the first steps on a journey for The Weeknd to find peace with himself,” NME noted in a four-star review. “Perhaps next time we hear from him, he’ll be completely embracing the light of day.”

–Aditi Manjunath