Who is Smithers in The Simpsons?

Waylon Smithers, Mr. Burns's devoted assistant at Springfield's nuclear power plant, and the man who actually keeps it running.

Is Smithers in love with Mr. Burns?

Yes: his romantic devotion to his boss is a central engine of the character. His homosexuality, long implied, is made explicit in 2016 in "The Burns Cage".

Why was Smithers black at the start?

In his first appearance (season 1), he was colored by mistake with black skin; the error was corrected from the next episode on.

Who voices Smithers in French?

Patrick Guillemin for the early seasons, then Pierre Laurent from season 10 on.

Waylon Smithers en gros plan, nœud papillon violet et sourire crispé, devant un ciel violet étoilé

Waylon Smithers: Mr Burns' devoted assistant

July 5, 2026

1142 words | Reading time: 6 minutes

CharacterWaylon Smithers

Behind the obsequiousness of the perfect lackey hides the man who actually keeps the plant running: Waylon J. Smithers Jr. sums up his job as "about 2,800 little jobs". His romantic devotion to Mr. Burns, long implied, becomes explicit in "The Burns Cage" (season 27, 2016), before romances with Julio and then Michael De Graaf. Add a collector's curiosity: in his first appearance, in "Homer's Odyssey", he was colored by mistake with black skin and blue hair. A lackey you will never look at the same way again.

Loyal to the point of servility, in love to the point of sacrifice: Waylon Smithers is far more than Mr. Burns's simple assistant.

The real brain of the nuclear plant and the secret heart of Springfield, Smithers hides behind his obsequiousness one of the most touching characters in the show. Here is his profile.

Who is Waylon Smithers?
The man who keeps the plant running
A love long unspoken
The coloring error of his early days
Smithers's voice actors
Summary table
FAQ
Conclusion

Who is Waylon Smithers?

Waylon J. Smithers Jr. is the executive and personal assistant to Mr. Burns, the owner of Springfield's nuclear power plant. Loyal, obedient and obsequious to the point of servility, he anticipates his boss's every wish — while that boss shows him only very relative gratitude.

Smithers and Mr. Burns in the mansion's billiard room — Always two steps from his boss: Smithers accompanies Burns even into his billionaire's leisure time.

The man who keeps the plant running

Behind his lackey's manner, Smithers is in fact one of the plant's few genuinely competent employees: he is the one who keeps it running. He describes his job as "about 2,800 little jobs" (attendance tracking, discipline, logistics…). Without him, Burns's empire would collapse — devotion that is rarely rewarded.

⌚ Attendance tracking is one of the "about 2,800 little jobs" Smithers handles at the plant; to make sure you never miss roll call yourself, keep the time right on your wrist with our Simpsons watches.

A love long unspoken

Smithers's great subject is his romantic devotion to Mr. Burns, one of the show's underlying gags (the writers joked that he was not gay but "Burns-sexual"). Long conveyed through implication, his homosexuality is made explicit in the episode "The Burns Cage" (season 27), aired on 3 April 2016: Smithers declares his love to an indifferent Burns, before living out a first relationship with Julio. A second great romance would follow in 2021, with fashion magnate Michael De Graaf.

The coloring error of his early days

A collector's detail: in his very first appearance, in "Homer's Odyssey" (season 1), Smithers was colored by mistake with black skin and blue hair. The error was corrected from the next episode on: he has been yellow like the rest of Springfield ever since, with only his hair staying gray.

🎨 Smithers only kept his black skin and blue hair for the length of "Homer's Odyssey"; on your shelf, Springfield's colors no longer change from one episode to the next with our Simpsons figures.

Smithers's voice actors

In the original version, Smithers is voiced by Harry Shearer — also the voice of Mr. Burns, which lets him record the dialogue between the two characters in a single take. In the French version, he was played by Patrick Guillemin (seasons 1 to 9), then by Pierre Laurent from season 10 on.

Inseparable

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Summary table

Profile	Details
Identity	Waylon J. Smithers Jr., Mr. Burns's assistant
Actual role	He keeps the plant running ("2,800 little jobs")
Coming out	"The Burns Cage" (season 27, 2016)
Trivia	Colored black by mistake in his 1st appearance
Original voice	Harry Shearer (also Mr. Burns)
French voice	Patrick Guillemin, then Pierre Laurent

FAQ

Who is Smithers in The Simpsons?
Waylon Smithers, Mr. Burns's devoted assistant at Springfield's nuclear power plant, and the man who actually keeps it running.
Is Smithers in love with Mr. Burns?
Yes: his romantic devotion to his boss is a central engine of the character. His homosexuality, long implied, is made explicit in 2016 in "The Burns Cage".
Why was Smithers black at the start?
In his first appearance (season 1), he was colored by mistake with black skin; the error was corrected from the next episode on.
Who voices Smithers in French?
Patrick Guillemin for the early seasons, then Pierre Laurent from season 10 on.

Conclusion

Efficient, loyal and deeply human, Waylon Smithers is the perfect counterpoint to Mr. Burns's cruelty. Behind the model assistant hides one of the most moving characters in Springfield — proof that The Simpsons can also hit exactly the right note.

💛 In "The Burns Cage," Smithers confesses his love to Mr. Burns, who remains indifferent; for your own declaration, slip one of our Simpsons necklaces around the neck of the one you love.