Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice actor, musician, author, radio host, director and producer. He is known for his long-running roles on
The Simpsons, his work on
Saturday Night Live, the comedy band
Spinal Tap and his radio program
Le Show. Born in
Los Angeles,
California, Shearer began his career as a child actor. From 1969 to 1976, Shearer was a member of
The Credibility Gap, a radio comedy group. Following the breakup of the group, Shearer co-wrote the film
Real Life with
Albert Brooks and started writing for
Martin Mull's television series
Fernwood 2 Night.