Maggie Simpson: Springfield's most famous baby

CharacterSimpson familyMaggie Simpson

She has spoken only the rarest of words, and yet her record is impressive. This profile of Maggie recalls that her first "Daddy", in "Lisa's First Word", is murmured by Elizabeth Taylor, that her gurgles are today provided by Nancy Cartwright, and that the reveal in "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", broadcast on 17 September 1995, points to her. Then comes her silent short film "The Longest Daycare", nominated for the 2013 Oscar. You will finally learn what lies behind the cash register gag.

She (almost) never says a word, she never grows up, and yet Maggie Simpson is one of the most endearing characters in Springfield.

The youngest of the yellow family, the littlest one has her pacifier, her legendary silence… and a few surprising achievements to her name. A profile of the most famous baby on television.

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Who is Maggie Simpson?

Maggie is the youngest daughter of Homer and Marge, and the little sister of Bart and Lisa. Her canonical age is one: like every character in the show, she never ages, the Simpsons' timeline being deliberately "floating". Her most recognisable attribute is her pacifier, which she sucks almost permanently — to the point where the sucking sound serves as her signature line.

🎂 One year old, and not a day more: Maggie is frozen forever at the age of her very first candle. When a baby in your own family reaches it for real, our Simpsons birthday party supplies take care of the party decorations.

For Maggie is an almost mute character: she hardly ever speaks and expresses herself through gestures and expressions. A choice that has not stopped her becoming an icon of the family in her own right.

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A child (almost) without a voice

Since she does not speak, Maggie is "heard" mainly through sound effects — gurgles, cries, sucking. In the original version, they are today provided by Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart), after being partly provided by Yeardley Smith (the voice of Lisa) in the early seasons. Her very rare spoken words are entrusted to prestigious guest voices.

Her first word in the show's continuity is thus "Daddy" ("Papa" in the French version), spoken in the episode "Lisa's First Word" (season 4), where the line is murmured by… Elizabeth Taylor in the original version. In the French version, Maggie is credited to Aurélia Bruno, who also lends her voice to Lisa and Milhouse.

🟡 Want to honour the whole tribe? Discover our profile of the most famous family on television too.

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The baby who shot Mr. Burns

Maggie has nonetheless delivered one of the show's greatest twists. In the two-part episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", all of Springfield is under suspicion after the fabulously rich plant owner is gunned down in the street. The reveal, unveiled at the opening of season 7 (broadcast in the United States on 17 September 1995), points to… the baby of the Simpson household.

The sequence of events is as absurd as it is innocent: Mr. Burns tries to snatch Maggie's lollipop; during the struggle, the gun slips from its holster into the baby's little hands and goes off by itself. A great moment of television, and proof that in Springfield you should never underestimate the smallest.

🔍 In "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", everyone in Springfield was a suspect before the reveal pointed to the baby; on your shelf, our Simpsons figures let you set up your own line-up of suspects, from the tallest to the smallest.

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Maggie at the cinema: an Oscar-nominated short film

In 2012, Maggie even took the lead in an entirely silent short film, "Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare" (Un jour de chien in French), directed by David Silverman and screened before Ice Age: Continental Drift. It follows the baby through a tyrannical daycare centre, without a single word — true to her character.

The film earned a nomination for the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film (2013 ceremony), losing out to Disney's Paperman. A crowning achievement for the family's most discreet member.

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The cash register gag

Fans know it: in the opening credits, Maggie is accidentally placed on the supermarket conveyor belt and scanned like an item. Originally, the register displayed $847.63 — a nod from Matt Groening to the average monthly cost of raising a child in the United States… in 1989. In the credits modernised in high definition (from 2009), the shopping total climbs from $243.26 to $486.52 as soon as Maggie is added, exactly double.

🧾 $847.63 for a baby run through the scanner, the average monthly cost of raising a child in the United States in 1989: when it's your turn at the checkout, you might as well pull the bills from our Simpsons wallets.

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Summary table

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FAQ

• How old is Maggie Simpson?
  One year old. Like every character in the show, she never ages, because of The Simpsons' deliberately frozen timeline.
• Why doesn't Maggie speak?
  It is a deliberate choice for the character: Maggie is almost mute and expresses herself through gestures. Her very rare words are entrusted to guest voices, like Elizabeth Taylor for her first "Daddy".
• Is it true that Maggie shot Mr. Burns?
  Yes. In "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" (the opening of season 7), we learn that it was her: the gun goes off accidentally as Burns tries to steal her lollipop.
• Has Maggie had her own film?
  Yes, a silent short film, "Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare" (2012), nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2013.
• Who voices Maggie in French?
  Aurélia Bruno is credited for the French version; she also voices Lisa and Milhouse. The dubbing is mostly limited to cries and sounds.

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Conclusion

Silent but unforgettable, Maggie proves you don't need to speak to make an impression. Between her pacifier, her shot for the ages and her Oscar-worthy short film, the youngest Simpson proudly holds her place in the yellow family.

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