Who voices Hans Moleman in the original version?

Dan Castellaneta, the great actor who also lends his voice to Homer, Grampa, Krusty and many others. In the French version, the character was played by Michel Modo then, later, Gérard Rinaldi and Xavier Fagnon.

How old is Hans Moleman really?

No stable age at all! In "Duffless", he declares he is 31 (drink having aged him prematurely), but other episodes cheerfully contradict him — it is a pure gag of inconsistency with his old man's appearance.

Where does his name come from?

From the show's writers: on discovering the character's model, wrinkled and in thick glasses, one member of the team found him so much like a "mole man" that the name stuck — translated as "Taupeman" in French.

What is "Man Getting Hit by Football"?

A ten-second short film, directed by Moleman himself, in which he takes a football straight to the groin and collapses. Screened at the Springfield film festival in "A Star Is Burns" (season 6), it makes Homer cry with laughter.

Which episode is the "Boo-urns" gag from?

From "A Star Is Burns" (season 6), when Mr. Burns' film gets booed. Moleman alone seems to still be shouting: he then explains that he was not saying "Boo" but "Boo-urns", a play on Burns' name.

Does Hans Moleman really die?

It is his most famous gag: he "dies" in absurd ways in numerous episodes (run over, burned, fallen off a cliff…) then always reappears alive and intact in the next one. Nothing is ever final in Springfield.

Un petit vieillard chauve à grosses lunettes rondes, le dos en flammes, s'appuie sur sa canne devant le perron d'une maison

Hans Moleman: the Simpsons' unlucky little old man

July 5, 2026

1416 words | Reading time: 8 minutes

Character

Run over, burned, electrocuted, fallen off a cliff: Hans Moleman dies non-stop, then comes back intact the following episode. This profile goes back to the origin of his name, found by a member of the team who saw in that wrinkled model a "mole man", revisits his Alcoholics Anonymous line in "Duffless" ("I'm 31 years old!") and his two gags from "A Star Is Burns": "Man Getting Hit by Football" and "Boo-urns". Original and French voices included, you will know everything about Springfield's indestructible unlucky soul.

Small, bald, wrinkled, blind as a mole and hounded by bad luck: Hans Moleman is the undisputed champion of misfortune in Springfield. This frail old man — who nonetheless swears he is only 31 — dies over and over without ever disappearing, and delivers some of the most cult gags in The Simpsons. A profile of an eternal unfortunate.

Who is Hans Moleman?
The king of bad luck: the death gag
"I'm 31 years old!": the impossible age
Two gags turned cult classics
A thousand odd jobs
Profile card
Frequently asked questions

Who is Hans Moleman?

Hans Moleman ("Hans Taupeman" in the French version) is a small, bald and frail old man from Springfield, with thick bifocal glasses and near-total blindness. His name was found by the show's team: one member found the character's model so wrinkled that he looked like a "mole man". Gentle, resigned and fatalistically passive, he moves through the show absorbing the worst catastrophes without ever rebelling.

Hans Moleman, a small old man in glasses, on a Springfield street — A stooped silhouette, thick glasses and chronic bad luck: Hans Moleman crosses the show from disaster to disaster.

💡 Someone on the show's team thought he looked like a "mole man", and Hans Moleman has the eyesight to match, bifocals included. At home, at your desk in the evening, one of our Simpsons lamps at least spares you from fumbling around for your things.

The king of bad luck: the death gag

If one thing defines Moleman, it is his cosmic bad luck. Run over, burned, electrocuted, blown up, buried alive, fallen from the top of a cliff… the character dies in ever more absurd ways in countless episodes — only to reappear, intact, in the next one. This recurring "death gag" has become one of his trademarks, a running joke fans watch out for with relish.

"I'm 31 years old!": the impossible age

Another cult gag: his age. In the episode "Duffless", at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, Moleman delivers the line that stayed famous: "My name is Hans, alcohol has ruined my life. I'm 31 years old!" — the implication being that drink aged him prematurely. The crowning touch? His age is deliberately inconsistent from one episode to the next (one licence says he was born in 1921, another in 1961…), proof that the show enjoys keeping up the mystery.

🎂 One licence has him born in 1921, another in 1961: on Hans Moleman's cake, nobody could say how many candles to put. On yours, the count is spot on, and our Simpsons birthday party supplies take care of the rest of the celebration.

Two gags turned cult classics

A single episode, "A Star Is Burns" (season 6), gave Moleman his two most famous moments. First "Man Getting Hit by Football": a ten-second short film, directed by Moleman, in which he takes a ball straight to the groin — a comic masterpiece that melts Homer. Then the "Boo-urns" gag: when Mr. Burns' film gets booed, Moleman explains that he was not shouting "Boo" but "Boo-urns", a play on the billionaire's name.

A thousand odd jobs

Despite his cataracts, Moleman strings together the most improbable odd jobs: janitor, radio host, lorry driver, postman, bank teller, "film-maker"… and even, for the length of one gag, former mayor of Springfield! He belongs to that gallery of background figures who, alongside Homer and Grampa, give the show all its richness.

💵 Moleman even worked as a bank teller, cataracts and all: at his counter, you'd have been wise to count your notes twice. You keep a close eye on yours in one of our Simpsons wallets, tucked deep in your pocket.

Hans Moleman's ID card

Element	Details
Name (original)	Hans Moleman
Appearance	Small bald old man, thick glasses, nearly blind
Cult gag	He "dies" constantly then reappears
Line	"I'm 31 years old!" (Duffless)
Original voice	Dan Castellaneta
French voice	Michel Modo (then Rinaldi, Fagnon)

In the bundle

Simpsons Characters Stickers - Assorted Set

Springfield's assorted set: Hans Moleman is in there, run over somewhere at the bottom.

€9.90 View product →

Frequently asked questions

Who voices Hans Moleman in the original version?
Dan Castellaneta, the great actor who also lends his voice to Homer, Grampa, Krusty and many others. In the French version, the character was played by Michel Modo then, later, Gérard Rinaldi and Xavier Fagnon.
How old is Hans Moleman really?
No stable age at all! In "Duffless", he declares he is 31 (drink having aged him prematurely), but other episodes cheerfully contradict him — it is a pure gag of inconsistency with his old man's appearance.
Where does his name come from?
From the show's writers: on discovering the character's model, wrinkled and in thick glasses, one member of the team found him so much like a "mole man" that the name stuck — translated as "Taupeman" in French.
What is "Man Getting Hit by Football"?
A ten-second short film, directed by Moleman himself, in which he takes a football straight to the groin and collapses. Screened at the Springfield film festival in "A Star Is Burns" (season 6), it makes Homer cry with laughter.
Which episode is the "Boo-urns" gag from?
From "A Star Is Burns" (season 6), when Mr. Burns' film gets booed. Moleman alone seems to still be shouting: he then explains that he was not saying "Boo" but "Boo-urns", a play on Burns' name.
Does Hans Moleman really die?
It is his most famous gag: he "dies" in absurd ways in numerous episodes (run over, burned, fallen off a cliff…) then always reappears alive and intact in the next one. Nothing is ever final in Springfield.

In short

An eternal unfortunate, indestructible despite his serial deaths, Hans Moleman embodies the art of the running gag pushed to perfection. A little old man with great comic power, he proves that in Springfield even the most insignificant character can become unforgettable. "Boo-urns"!