Premiere of the 36th season of “The Simpsons” was new. Matt Groening’s animated sitcom has been on the air for so long — so… so long! — that audiences have often begun to wonder how the zeitgeist-defining hit will end. Will it break out at season 40? At 50? And if so, how would the series actually close? Perhaps to take the pressure off, the showrunners decided that the season 36 premiere would be a preemptive series finale, providing a retrospective of the entire “Simpsons” production before the show actually ends. The episode, called “Bart’s Birthday,” was presented as an awards-show-style screening, projected in a theater packed with celebrities (“Weird Al” Yankovic! Penn & Teller! The Unknown Comic!). Conan O’Brien, who plays himself, hosted the finale in wistful terms, bidding farewell to the long-running series.
Of course, many famous people are in attendance, and sharp-eyed fans will be able to scan the audience at the final theater and spot any number of celebrities. Besides the few mentioned above, Tony Hawk was there, as were Mick Jagger, Gordon Ramsay, Katy Perry, Tom Hanks, Dolly Parton, Ron Howard, John Waters, Serena Williams, Seth Rogen, Mr. T and many others. You can catch Rogen’s laugh, but none of these celebrities have any lines (though Hanks will chime in later).
In a quick clip from one of O’Brien’s jokes, acclaimed director Kevin Smith can be seen in attendance as well, wearing his signature trench coat, backwards ball cap and oversized hockey jersey. Smith’s cameo came as a big surprise, it seems, to Smith himself. On his Instagram accountSmith captioned a screenshot of “Bart’s Birthday”, declaring that he was “shocked and delighted” to see himself on screen.
Kevin Smith found out he was on The Simpsons at the same time as everyone else
Smith’s entire post read:
“I was shocked and delighted to find out I was on the season premiere of ‘The Simpsons!’ I have no lines (like the first time I was on the show) but you can see me in an audience movie, Silent Bobbing it Honored to be an extra on a show I’ve loved since day one!
“Silent Bobbing it” refers to Silent Bob, a largely non-speaking character played by Smith in most of his own directorial work.
Smith’s first appearance on “The Simpsons” was in the episode “Highway to Well” (March 22, 2020), an episode that follows Marge (Julie Kavner) as she takes a job at Springfield’s newest cannabis dispensary. Marge is shocked that she is selling weed, but turns out to be a good salesperson. Her efficiency impresses her boss, and Marge is invited to host the opening of a new weed-based resort. She also, along the way, shuts down an attempt by Homer (Dan Castellaneta) to open a rival pharmacy.
Homer, trying to sabotage Marge’s resort opening, sneaks into the opening and claims to be Kevin Smith’s father. Smith, as his fans well know, is an outspoken marijuana advocate. Later in the episode, Smith randomly appears on screen and, perhaps confusingly, calls Homer “Dad”.
As of this writing, “Bart’s Birthday” and “Highway to Well” are the only two times Smith has appeared on “The Simpsons.” In 2020, Smith was interviewed by NJ.com and said he considered his cameo on “The Simpsons” a “career milestone.” Smith later learned, as he kind of predicted, that he was not the producers’ first choice for “Highway.” They originally wanted Seth Rogen.
Anything. Rogen’s loss is Smith’s gain.
