Moe Szyslak: the Simpsons' grumpy bartender

CharacterMoe Szyslak

Behind the shabbiest counter in Springfield works a bartender Bart humiliates over the phone. This profile of Moe Szyslak explores his regulars Lenny, Carl and Barney, his prank calls inspired by the 1970s "Tube Bar prank calls" and recreated in French as "Al Colique" or "Léo Pard", then his hour of glory: the Flaming Moe, the Krusty cough syrup cocktail stolen from Homer in "Flaming Moe's". You will finally learn where his gravelly voice comes from.

"Hello, I'm looking for a Mr…" For Moe Szyslak, every call to the tavern can turn into public humiliation — thanks to one mischievous little boy.

A grouchy bartender, unlucky in love and desperately depressed, Moe is one of the darkest and funniest characters in Springfield. Here is the profile of the most put-upon publican on television. His tavern even nearly closed during a return of Prohibition, when agent Rex Banner hunted the Beer Baron.

---

Who is Moe Szyslak?

Moe is the bartender and owner of Moe's Tavern, the bar where Homer comes to drown his troubles with his friends Lenny and Carl — and where Barney Gumble is the most loyal customer. Reputedly ugly, grouchy and hot-tempered, Moe goes from rage to despondency in the blink of an eye. Springfield is home to other lost souls of the same stripe, such as Gil Gunderson, the eternal failure of the sales world.

He is also one of the show's darkest characters: unlucky in love (he long had feelings for Marge), his loneliness and suicidal impulses are handled as black comedy, which makes him a surprisingly touching figure behind his counter. The town is not short of equally unlucky figures, in the image of the pathetic Hans Moleman.

🧱 Moe owns and runs the very counter where Homer, Lenny, Carl and Barney have their usual spots; on your shelf, our Simpsons building bricks let you put together that kind of setting with your own hands, brick by brick.

---

Bart's prank calls

You cannot mention Moe without his favorite torment: Bart's prank calls. The principle never changes — Bart calls the tavern and asks to speak to a customer whose name hides a pun; Moe shouts it out in front of his regulars, the wordplay lands, the whole bar laughs at him, and Moe swears to track down the prankster. The "whole bar", in practice, often comes down to two silent customers at the counter.

A small nod: these gags are inspired by genuine prank calls from the 1970s (the "Tube Bar prank calls"). In the French version, the names are not translated literally but recreated as thoroughly French phonetic puns, such as "Al Colique" or "Léo Pard".

📞 Bart dials, Moe picks up and yells "Al Colique" in front of his regulars without seeing the pun coming; when it's your iPhone that rings, the only thing at risk of falling flat is the phone itself, and our Simpsons iPhone cases are made to soften the blow.

---

The Flaming Moe, his hour of glory

Moe did have his fifteen minutes of fame, though. In the episode "Flaming Moe's" (season 3), Homer accidentally invents a flaming cocktail — a mix of bottle dregs spiked with Krusty brand children's cough syrup — which he names the "Flaming Homer".

Moe steals the recipe from him, renames it the "Flaming Moe" without crediting his friend, and turns his shabby tavern into the hottest spot in Springfield… until Homer, stung, publicly reveals that the secret ingredient is nothing but cough syrup.

---

Moe Szyslak's voice actors

In the original version, Moe has been voiced since the start by Hank Azaria — it was in fact the very first character he played on the show — with a gravelly voice inspired by Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon. In the French version, it is Gilbert Lévy who has lent him his voice since season 6, after Roland Timsit and then Michel Modo in the early seasons.

---

Summary table

---

FAQ

• Who is Moe in The Simpsons?
  Moe Szyslak, the grouchy bartender and owner of Moe's Tavern, where Homer and his friends are regulars.
• What are Bart's prank calls?
  Bart calls the tavern and asks for a customer with a double-meaning name; Moe shouts it out loud and gets laughed at by his regulars.
• What is the Flaming Moe?
  A flaming cocktail invented by accident by Homer (the "Flaming Homer"), which Moe steals from him and renames after himself in the episode "Flaming Moe's".
• Who voices Moe in French?
  Gilbert Lévy since season 6, after Roland Timsit and Michel Modo in the early seasons.

---

Conclusion

Grouchy, unlucky and terribly human, Moe Szyslak is far more than a background bartender. Between Bart's prank calls and his short-lived Flaming Moe glory, he remains one of the most endearing — and most melancholy — characters in Springfield.

🔥 The short-lived glory of the Flaming Moe lasted only as long as nobody knew what Moe was pouring into the glass; your own drink, coffee or hot chocolate, travels away from prying eyes and keeps its temperature in our Simpsons insulated tumblers.

↑ Back to top