The Simpsons could have an end date in sight – at least according to one of the animated series’ longtime stars.
Nancy Cartwright, who has voiced Bart Simpson since the character first appeared in 1987, recently suggested that the hit sitcom could come to an end after its 40th season.
During an appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, Cartwright was asked how long she believes The Simpsons will remain on television.
“40 [seasons],” she replied.
When pressed on whether she was certain, Cartwright clarified that the prediction was simply her own opinion.
The actress has been part of The Simpsons since its early days and also provides the voices for several other characters on the show.
However, Cartwright made clear that she would be willing to continue beyond Season 40 if the producers decided to keep the series going.
Rosenbaum asked what she would do if producers told the cast, “We wanna keep going?”
Cartwright jokingly responded, “Are we still alive?” before considering whether the rest of the cast and crew would still be working on the series.
After Rosenbaum confirmed that they would be, Cartwright replied, “Yeah, we’ll keep going then.”
When asked whether she would remain with the show for as long as it continues, she answered, “Absolutely.”
The Simpsons first aired as a standalone series in 1989, two years after the characters debuted as animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. The series recently completed its 37th season and has now aired more than 800 episodes.