Milhouse: Bart Simpson's best friend

CharacterMilhouse

"Everything's coming up Milhouse!": feet soaked but pants dry, Bart's best friend always finds something to celebrate. This profile covers the bespectacled boy from Springfield Elementary, his never-returned crush on Lisa, the divorce of his parents Kirk and Luann after a game of Pictionary goes wrong, and his first name borrowed from Richard Milhous Nixon, which Matt Groening considered the unhappiest name in the world. From Pamela Hayden to Aurélia Bruno, you will also learn who lends him a voice.

Everything's going swimmingly! Even with his feet in the water, Milhouse Van Houten always finds a reason to be cheerful — that is the whole charm of Bart's best friend.

A naive, unlucky, bespectacled boy eternally in love with Lisa, Milhouse is the most loyal companion in adventure (and mischief) in Springfield. Here is the profile of an adorable punching bag.

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Who is Milhouse Van Houten?

Milhouse is Bart's best friend, his classmate at Springfield Elementary School. Recognizable by his thick glasses — without which he can barely see a thing — he is an insecure, gullible and slightly unlucky child, whom Bart happily drags into his mischief.

💡 Milhouse can barely see a thing without his thick glasses; when night falls on your bedroom, our Simpsons lamps take over.

A small piece of trivia: Matt Groening named him after President Richard Milhous Nixon's middle name, which he considered "the most unfortunate name" imaginable for a child. That says it all.

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Bart's inseparable friend

A recurring punching bag on the show, Milhouse is the favorite target of the school bullies, starting with Nelson Muntz. His naivety and his need to be accepted make him Bart's ideal accomplice — even when it means taking the fall for him.

He is also responsible for one of the show's cult lines: "Everything's coming up Milhouse!", delivered in the episode "Mom and Pop Art" as he celebrates a trivial victory (soaked feet but dry pants). The phrase has since become a meme in its own right.

🛁 Dry pants but soaked feet: Milhouse settles for that half-victory. When you step out of the shower, our Simpsons towels give you the full win, toes included.

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A lovesick admirer of Lisa

Milhouse's great romantic drama is Lisa Simpson, with whom he is hopelessly in love. A stubborn crush that is only "occasionally reciprocated": their relationship never really moves past friendship, which does not stop Milhouse from going on hoping.

On the family front, his life is no simpler: his parents, Kirk and Luann Van Houten, divorce in the episode "A Milhouse Divided" (season 8), at the end of a game of Pictionary that goes badly wrong.

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Milhouse's voice actors

In the original version, Milhouse was long voiced by Pamela Hayden, who held the role for some thirty years before retiring in 2025; Kelly Macleod has taken over since. In the French version, it is Aurélia Bruno who lends him her voice — the same actress as Lisa and Maggie.

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Summary table

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FAQ

• Who is Milhouse in The Simpsons?
  Milhouse Van Houten, Bart's best friend: a bespectacled, naive and unlucky boy from Springfield Elementary School.
• Is Milhouse in love with Lisa?
  Yes, hopelessly so. His feelings are only "occasionally reciprocated" and the relationship never moves past friendship.
• Where does his name come from?
  From Richard Milhous Nixon: Matt Groening chose it because he thought it was the unhappiest possible name for a child.
• Who voices Milhouse in French?
  Aurélia Bruno, who is also the French voice of Lisa and Maggie.

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Conclusion

Naive, unlucky but unfailingly loyal, Milhouse Van Houten is Bart's perfect foil and one of the most endearing children in Springfield. Even when everything is going wrong, he keeps smiling — proof that everything always ends up coming up Milhouse.

💛 Milhouse never gives up on Bart, even when he's the one taking the fall; to seal that same loyalty with your best friend, our Simpsons necklaces make a fitting token.

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