{{short description|Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise}} {{About|the ''Simpsons'' character|the play featuring the character|Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play {{!}} ''Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play''|people with the surname|Burns (surname)|other uses|Burns (disambiguation){{!}}Burns}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}{{Infobox character | name = Mr. Burns | series = [[The Simpsons]] | gender = Male | lbl21 = Age | data21 = 81–120<ref name=burnsage>{{cite news|url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-show-mr-burns-age-old-changes-explained/|title=The Simpsons: How Old Is Mr. Burns? Every Change To His Age Explained|first=Adrienne|last=Tyler|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=March 27, 2020|accessdate=December 30, 2023|archive-date=April 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414233154/https://screenrant.com/simpsons-show-mr-burns-age-old-changes-explained/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=simpsonsage>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/the-simpsons-main-characters-real-age/#mr-burns|title=The Simpsons: Every Main Character & How Old They'd Be If They Aged In Real Time|website=[[Comic Book Resources]]|first=Chesley|last=Adams|date=2022-08-27|access-date=2023-07-10|archive-date=October 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001222327/https://www.cbr.com/the-simpsons-main-characters-real-age/#mr-burns|url-status=live}}</ref> | image = Mr Burns.png | first_major = "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]" | first_date = December 17, 1989 | creator = [[Matt Groening]]<br />[[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]]<br />[[George Meyer]] | designer = Matt Groening | based_on = {{Plainlist| * [[Barry Diller]] & [[praying mantis]] (likeness) * [[Lionel Barrymore]] & [[Ronald Reagan]] (voice) }} | voice = {{Plainlist| * [[Christopher Collins]] (1989–1990) * [[Harry Shearer]] (1990–present) }} | full_name = Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber Burns | occupation = Owner of the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]] | nationality = American | family = {{Plainlist| * Clifford Burns (father) * Daphne Charles (mother) * George Burns (brother) * Colonel Wainwright Montgomery Burns (paternal grandfather; adoptive father) }} | spouse = Persephone Odair (ex-wife) | children = Larry Burns (son) | relatives = Evelyn Burns (paternal grandmother)<br />Doreena Burns (paternal aunt)<br />Jean-Claude Charles (maternal grandfather)<br />Ophelia Charles (maternal grandmother) }} '''Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber''' "'''Monty'''" '''Burns''',<ref>{{cite episode |title=Flaming Moe |episode-link=Flaming Moe |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox |airdate=2011-01-16 |season=22 |number=11 |time=1:09 |quote=Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber Burns.}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Burns, Baby Burns |episode-link=Burns, Baby Burns |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox |airdate=1996-11-17 |season=8 |number=4 |time=10:21 |quote=Oh, Monty, this must be the son I've heard so much about.}}</ref> usually referred to as '''Mr. Burns''' or '''C. Montgomery Burns''', is a recurring [[antagonist]] in the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]'', voiced initially by [[Christopher Collins]] and by [[Harry Shearer]] in later episodes. He is the mostly evil, devious, greedy, and wealthy owner of the [[Springfield (The Simpsons)#Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]] and, by extension, [[Homer Simpson]]'s boss where he has been considered the town villain in some episodes like "[[It's a Blunderful Life]]". He is assisted at almost all times by [[Waylon Smithers]], his loyal and [[sycophant]]ic aide, adviser, confidant, and secret admirer. He is around 156 years old, though sometimes it is implied he is much older. His place of birth is [[Pangaea|Pangea]], revealed in the season 17 episode "[[The Seemingly Never-Ending Story]]".<ref name=burnsage /><ref name=simpsonsage/>
Although originally conceived as a one-dimensional, recurring dastardly villain who might occasionally enter the Simpsons' lives and wreak some sort of havoc, Mr. Burns's popularity has led to his repeated inclusion in episodes. He is a stereotype of corporate America in his unquenchable desire to increase his own wealth and power, inability to remember his employees' names (including Homer's, despite frequent interactions—which has become a recurring joke) and lack of concern for their safety and well-being. Reflecting on his advanced age, Mr. Burns is given to expressing dated humor, making references to [[Jazz Age]] popular culture, and aspiring to apply obsolete technology to everyday life. [[Conan O'Brien]] has called Mr. Burns his favorite character to have written for, due to his arbitrarily old age and extreme wealth.
Mr. Burns's trademark expression is the word "Excellent...", muttered slowly in a low, sinister voice while steepling his fingertips. He occasionally orders Smithers to "release the hounds", so as to let his vicious guard dogs attack any intruders, enemies, or even invited guests. Mr. Burns is [[Springfield (Simpsons)|Springfield]]'s richest and most powerful citizen (and also the richest person in Springfield's state; his current [[net worth]] has been given as $1.3 billion<ref>{{cite news|date=April 14, 2010| url=https://www.forbes.com/2010/04/13/richest-fictional-characters-opinions-wealth_slide_13.html | work=[[Forbes]] | title=In Pictures: The Forbes Fictional 15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417082617/http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/13/richest-fictional-characters-opinions-wealth_slide_13.html|archive-date=2010-04-17 }}</ref> by ''[[Forbes]]'', though it fluctuates wildly depending on the episode). He uses his power and wealth to do whatever he wants, usually without regard for consequences and without interference from the authorities. These qualities led [[Wizard (magazine)|''Wizard'']] magazine to rate him the 45th-greatest villain of all time. ''[[TV Guide]]'' named him #2 in their 2013 list of the 60 nastiest villains of all time.<ref>Bretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt; (March 25, 2013). "Baddies to the Bone: The 60 nastiest villains of all time". ''[[TV Guide]]''. pp. 14 – 15.</ref> In 2016, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' ranked him #8 of their "40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time".<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-greatest-tv-villains-of-all-time-20160209 |title=40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |first=Sean T. |last=Collins |date=February 9, 2016 |access-date=April 29, 2016 |archive-date=July 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722205719/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/lists/40-greatest-tv-villains-of-all-time-20160209 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Role in ''The Simpsons''== Mr. Burns spends much of his time in his office at the nuclear plant, monitoring his workers via [[Closed-circuit television|closed-circuit]] [[camera]]s installed throughout the plant. In "[[Double, Double, Boy in Trouble]]", Mr. Burns revealed that he was the youngest of a wealthy family with eleven children, and all his siblings died of suspicious causes (mostly related to eating poisoned [[baked potato]]es), leading to him receiving the entire family fortune, although another episode reveals that his surviving younger brother is [[George Burns]]. At an early age, Mr. Burns left his family to live with a twisted and heartless billionaire who owned an "atom mill" in Shelbyville (implied to be his grandfather).<ref name="Rosebud">{{cite episode |title=Rosebud |episode-link=Rosebud (The Simpsons) |series=The Simpsons |credits=[[John Swartzwelder|Swartzwelder, John]]; [[Wes Archer|Archer, Wes]] |network=Fox |airdate=1993-10-21 |season=05 |number=04}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Last Exit to Springfield|episode-link=Last Exit to Springfield |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox |season=04 |number=17}}</ref> He lived a life of privilege and would amuse himself by injuring [[immigrant]] laborers.<ref>{{cite episode |title=$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)|episode-link=$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)|series=The Simpsons |credits=Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh; Archer, Wes|network=Fox |airdate=1993-12-16 |season=05|number=10}}</ref> Mr. Burns later attended [[Yale University]], where he studied science and business, joined [[Skull and Bones]], competed in the "etherweight" wrestling class, and graduated in the class of 1914. At his 25-year [[Class reunion|college reunion]], he became romantically involved with the daughter of an old flame. She would later bear his child, [[Burns, Baby Burns|Larry Burns]], who was placed for [[adoption]] and would later enter Mr. Burns's life briefly.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Burns, Baby Burns|episode-link=Burns, Baby Burns|series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Ian Maxtone-Graham|Maxtone-Graham, Ian]]; [[Jim Reardon|Reardon, Jim]]|network=Fox |airdate=1996-11-17 |season=08|number=04}}</ref> Mr. Burns has been engaged at least three times: to a woman named Gertrude who died of loneliness and [[rabies]],<ref>{{cite episode |title=C.E.D'oh|episode-link=C.E.D'oh|series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Dana Gould|Gould, Dana]]; [[Mike B. Anderson|Anderson, Mike B.]]|network=Fox |airdate=2003-03-16 |season=14|number=15}}</ref> to [[Marge Simpson]]'s mother [[Simpson family#Jacqueline Bouvier|Jacqueline Bouvier]],<ref>{{cite episode |title=Lady Bouvier's Lover|episode-link=Lady Bouvier's Lover|series=The Simpsons |credits=Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh; Archer, Wes|network=Fox |airdate=1994-05-12 |season=05|number=21}}</ref> and to a [[Parking enforcement officer|meter maid]] named Gloria.<ref name="Hunka">{{cite episode |title=A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love|episode-link=A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love |series=The Simpsons |credits=Swartzwelder, John; Kramer, Lance |network=Fox |airdate=2001-12-02 |season=09 |number=08}}</ref>
He later enlisted in the [[U.S. Army]] and served as a member of Springfield's [[Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"|Flying Hellfish squad]] under [[Master Sergeant]] [[Abraham Simpson]] and saw action in the [[Ardennes]] during the [[Battle of the Bulge]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish'|episode-link=Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish'|series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Jonathan Collier|Collier, Jonathan]]; Lynch, Jeffrey|network=Fox |airdate=1996-04-28 |season=07|number=22}}</ref> During the war, Mr. Burns, Abraham Simpson (father of Homer Simpson and grandfather to Lisa, Bart, and Maggie Simpson) and some of the soldiers found an expensive portrait in a manor in Germany. They locked it in a case and stated the last surviving member would get the painting (he and Abraham tied when the owner's descendant came back for the painting). Later on, he was shipped to the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]] and was a co-pilot along with Abe Simpson and his brother, Cyrus. Mr. Burns and Abe were shot down by a [[kamikaze]] and stuck on an island. Curiously, in the episode "[[American History X-cellent]]", Burns is arrested for [[art theft]], and while he is getting his belongings checked at the prison, a prison guard finds a card that he mistakes as a Social Security card. Burns then yells out "That's just an [[SS]] card you dummkopf!" According to The Simpsons Wiki, after [[Invasion of Poland | Germany had invaded Poland]], Burns joined the SS but later defected, and then started service for the [[US Army]]. At the end of World War II, he was personally hired by President [[Harry S. Truman]] to transport a specially printed trillion-dollar bill to Europe as the United States' contribution to the [[Marshall Plan|reconstruction of Europe]]. As the United States' richest citizen, Mr. Burns was thought to be the most trustworthy. However, he absconded with the bill and kept it in his possession for many years until it was lost to [[Fidel Castro]] in "[[The Trouble with Trillions]]". In "[[Homer the Smithers]]", it is revealed that Mr. Burns's mother is still alive aged 122 years, although Mr. Burns dislikes speaking to her because she had an affair with President [[William Howard Taft]] and she refers to him as an "improvident lackwit". Furthermore, because she is so old, the only things she can do (according to Smithers) are pick up the phone, dial, and yell.
Mr. Burns resides in a vast, ornate [[mansion]] on an immense estate called ''Burns Manor'', on the corner of [[Mammon]] and [[Croesus]] Streets. It is protected by a high wall, an [[Electric fence|electrified fence]], and a pack of vicious [[attack dog]]s known as "The [[Hound]]s". Mr. Burns routinely subjects Springfield and its residents to his abuse and a general dislike of him subsists throughout the town. Mr. Burns has [[blackmail]]ed and [[bribe]]d various officials in Springfield, including [[Mayor Quimby]] and the [[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]]. He employed his wealth to make an ultimately unsuccessful run for [[Governor (United States)|governor]] to prevent his plant from being closed for safety violations, only to be denied his chance to be Governor by [[Marge Simpson]]. He once blocked out the sun to force Springfield residents to increase their use of [[electricity]] produced by his nuclear plant and was subsequently shot by [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]] when he tried to steal candy from her.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Who Shot Mr. Burns?|episode-link=Who Shot Mr. Burns?|series=The Simpsons |credits=Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh|network=Fox |airdate=1995-05-21 |season=06|number=25}}</ref>
In "[[Rosebud_(The_Simpsons)|Rosebud]]" from Season 5, his birthday is given as September 15. Mr. Burns's extreme old age is a frequent source of humor on the show. He is occasionally referred to as "Springfield's oldest resident"; in Season 2's "[[Simpson and Delilah]]", he told Homer that he is 81, although, in several later episodes, he is shown to be 104.<ref name=burnsage /><ref name="Mansion">{{cite episode |title=The Mansion Family|episode-link=The Mansion Family|series=The Simpsons |credits=[[John Swartzwelder|Swartzwelder, John]]; Polcino, Michael |network=Fox |airdate=2000-01-23 |season=11|number=12}}</ref> When Smithers informs him that Mr. Burns's credit card [[Personal identification number|PIN]] is his age, he types four digits in his answer<!--fourth key press being the pound sign (#), a common way in ATM's to confirm the digits typed (S15E04 ~00:54 -> 00:59)-->. It is also mentioned that half of his age is 78, making him 156 years old. When [[Lisa Simpson]] is researching her ancestors from the [[American Civil War]], she comes across a Colonel Burns in the journal, presumably one of Mr. Burns's earlier ancestors. However, when Lisa mentions him, Mr. Burns replies by saying that he has not heard his father's name in years. The episode reveals that Mr. Burns's father was a [[Slavery in the United States|slaveowning]] [[Plantation complexes in the Southern United States|Southern plantation]] owner who inspired the character [[Simon Legree]] from [[Harriet Beecher Stowe]]'s novel ''[[Uncle Tom's Cabin]]'', and that Homer and Grampa are descended from Colonel Burns's [[Fugitive slaves in the United States|runaway slave]] Virgil who fled to [[Province of Canada|British Canada]] with Mabel Simpson on the [[Underground Railroad]]. In other episodes, Mr. Burns's birthplace is apparently [[Pangea]], his national anthem implies he was both from [[Austria-Hungary]] and unaware of its collapse in [[World War I]], and he mentions the possibility of an update on the [[Siege of Khartoum]], implying that he was aware of current events as early as 1884. In other episodes, he has instructed a postal clerk to send a telegram to the [[Prussia]]n consulate in [[Siam]] via [[autogyro]], and believes a [[Nickel (United States coin)|nickel]] will buy "a [[steak and kidney pie]], a cup of [[coffee]], a slice of [[cheesecake]] and a [[newsreel]], with enough change left over to ride the trolley from [[The Battery (Manhattan)|Battery Park]] to the [[Polo Grounds]]."<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Old Man and the Lisa|episode-link=The Old Man and the Lisa|series=The Simpsons |credits= Swartzwelder, John; [[Mark Kirkland|Kirkland, Mark]]|network=Fox |airdate=1997-04-20 |season=08|number=21}}</ref> Mr. Burns frequently answers the telephone with the archaic salutation "Ahoy-hoy", which was proposed by [[Alexander Graham Bell]], but has long since been superseded by "Hello".<ref>{{cite web |last=Beasley |first=Tom |title='The Simpsons' writer reveals Mr Burns gag is his proudest moment |url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/simpsons-writer-mr-burns-telephone-gag-151616249.html |website=Yahoo Movies |date=27 February 2020 |publisher=[[Yahoo]] |access-date=1 September 2022}}</ref> In "[[The Old Man and the Lisa]]", Mr. Burns's [[Portfolio (finance)|investment portfolio]] is revealed to consist of long-defunct and obsolete companies such as "Confederated [[Slavery in the United States|Slave]] Holdings", and he learns about the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929]] and the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]] for the first time after checking a very old [[Ticker tape|stock-ticker]].
Mr. Burns's state of mind is the subject of frequent jokes on the show. At times, he appears to be completely removed from reality and modern conventions. He continually fails to recognize [[Homer Simpson]] or remember his name, even though many of the recent major events in Mr. Burns's life have involved Homer in some way. Mr. Burns is, for the most part, unaware of the townspeople's general dislike of him. He also displays mannerisms that are considered outdated, such as practicing [[phrenology]], writing with a [[Quill|quill pen]], and using an antique [[view camera]] to take photographs. He is also angered when Springfield Elementary children mock his dated car, saying it was "the first car to outrun a man!" Mr. Burns refers to many celebrities of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the present tense, assuming they are still alive. In "[[Homer at the Bat]]", Mr. Burns instructs Smithers to recruit [[dead-ball era|dead-ball-era]] players, such as [[Honus Wagner]] and [[Cap Anson]] for the plant's softball team, and has to be told that all of them died long ago. He also once rewarded Homer for being the first to arrive at work with a ticket to the [[1939 World's Fair]]. However, despite his obvious senility and social ineptitude, Mr. Burns is an extraordinarily clever businessman, as he has lost his fortune several times, only to regain it a very brief time later. In the episode "[[The Old Man and the Lisa]]", Mr. Burns loses his fortune and regains it by opening a [[recycling]] plant, which allows him to regain his nuclear power plant. Additionally, in the episode "[[The Seemingly Never-Ending Story]]", Mr. Burns loses both his fortune and nuclear power plant to the [[Rich Texan]] after losing a scavenger hunt, but eventually gains both back after a series of events that includes him briefly working at [[Moe's Tavern]].
Mr. Burns is physically weak and emaciated and is often shown to have little more strength than an infant. In "[[The Mansion Family]]", {{anchor|Three Stooges syndrome}} doctors at the [[Mayo Clinic]] discover that Mr. Burns has contracted every known human disease, as well as several that were discovered during his checkup, but that they have canceled each other out in a condition they call "[[The Three Stooges|Three Stooges]] syndrome;" although a doctor warns him that his physical health is extremely fragile and that "even a slight breeze" could upset the balance between his diseases, Mr. Burns misinterprets his condition to believe that he is invincible. In the intro of ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'', Mr. Burns is seen in his bathroom trying to brush his teeth. After Smithers applies the toothpaste onto his brush, he falls over. In "[[Rosebud (The Simpsons)|Rosebud]]" and "[[Who Shot Mr. Burns?#Part Two|Who Shot Mr. Burns?]]", he needed a great deal of effort to wrench items from Maggie. He has difficulty performing such simple actions as giving a [[thumbs signal|thumbs-up]], and crushing an [[insect]] by stepping on it, or using a door-knocker. In one instance, when he is told to jump out of his burning mansion onto a [[life net]], he drops at the speed of a feather, floats onto some [[power lines]], and is electrified. He pitched the opening [[Baseball (ball)|baseball]] at a game in "[[Dancin' Homer]]", but was only able to throw it a small distance, which drew mocking laughter from the crowd. When Mr. Burns joined Homer's [[bowling]] team in "[[Team Homer]]", he was barely able to roll the ball down the lane. In season five's "[[Burns' Heir]]", Smithers puts a sponge on Mr. Burns's head before leaving the bathroom, causing him to nearly drown in the tub from its weight. In "[[Lady Bouvier's Lover]]", however, he shows himself as a lively, excellent dancer.
Mr. Burns also had a [[teddy bear]] named "Bobo" that he loved as a child, revealed in the episode "Rosebud". The stuffed animal was lost and eventually, the stuffed bear became a toy for Maggie. In "[[American History X-cellent]]", Mr. Burns gets sent to jail because he is in possession of stolen paintings. In the same episode, it is implied that he was once in the [[Schutzstaffel|SS]]. Another episode has him exclaim that he and [[Oskar Schindler]] had much in common, as they both made shells for the [[Nazi]]s, "but mine worked, damn it!"
==Character==
===Creation=== [[File:Barry Diller Shankbone Metropolitan Opera 2009.jpg|thumb|175px|[[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] based the appearance of Mr. Burns on Fox founder [[Barry Diller]] (''pictured'').<ref name=tvguide/>]] Mr. Burns's character, appearance, and mannerisms are based on several different people. The show's creator [[Matt Groening]] principally based Mr. Burns on his high school teacher Mr. Bailey.<ref>{{cite news|first=Billy|last=Paterson|title=Exclusive: I Was Monty's Double|work=[[Sunday Mail (Scotland)|The Sunday Mail]]|date=2006-08-20|url=http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/tm_objectid%3D17591670%26method%3Dfull%26siteid%3D64736%26headline%3Di-was-monty-s-double--name_page.html|access-date=2007-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011155704/http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/tm_objectid%3D17591670%26method%3Dfull%26siteid%3D64736%26headline%3Di-was-monty-s-double--name_page.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 11, 2007}}</ref> Drawing further inspiration from oil tycoon [[John D. Rockefeller]] and his grandson [[David Rockefeller]], Groening made Mr. Burns the "embodiment of corporate greed".<ref name="tvguide">{{cite news |last=Rhodes |first=Joe |date=2000-10-21 |title=Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves |work=[[TV Guide]]}}</ref> Animator [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] modeled Mr. Burns's appearance on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] founder [[Barry Diller]], and modeled his body on a praying [[mantis]].<ref name=tvguide/> The idea of Mr. Burns reading employee names off cards in "[[There's No Disgrace Like Home]]" came from an article about [[Ronald Reagan]] that writer [[Al Jean]] had read.<ref name=Reiss>Reiss, Mike (2001). Commentary for "[[There's No Disgrace Like Home]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> In some episodes, parallels have been drawn between Mr. Burns and moguls such as [[Howard Hughes]] and, more frequently, fictional character [[Charles Foster Kane]] from ''[[Citizen Kane]]''.{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=160–164}} Writer [[George Meyer]] lifted Mr. Burns's "Excellent!" hand gesture from his former ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' colleague [[Jim Downey (comedian)|Jim Downey]].<ref>Meyer, George (2001). Commentary for "[[The Crepes of Wrath]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> While perhaps not intentional, Mr. Burns's physical characteristics and mannerisms are cited as a modern example of the [[commedia dell'arte]] character [[Pantalone]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://masks.transienttheatre.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=53 |title=transienttheatre.com - Creating a Touring Commedia dell arte production for high schools |access-date=2010-10-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009171217/http://masks.transienttheatre.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=53 |archive-date=2010-10-09 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.doublemirror.com/CompanionCommedia.htm |title=Teacher's Commedia Dell'Arte Workshop Guide |access-date=2010-10-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410175731/http://www.doublemirror.com/CompanionCommedia.htm |archive-date=2010-04-10 }}</ref>
[[Al Jean]] revealed on a DVD commentary track that [[Sam Simon]] used his father's nickname, Monty, when he named Mr. Burns.<ref>{{cite video|people=Jean, Al|date=2013|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixteenth Season DVD commentary for the episode "[[Midnight Rx]]"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGF4-CXJN|title=Entry for Monty Simon; from "California, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947"|date=March 9, 2024|website=[[FamilySearch]]|agency=. Records of the Selective Service System. The National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri.|access-date=January 2, 2025}}</ref> Matt Groening claimed that Mr. Burns's middle name is from a [[Montgomery Ward]] department store in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]]'s [[Northwest Industrial, Portland, Oregon|Northwest Industrial]] district<ref>{{cite news|title=Places of character|work=[[The Portland Tribune]]|date=2002-07-19|url=http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=12625|access-date=2007-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304170401/http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=12625|archive-date=2009-03-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> and his surname is from [[Burnside Street]], a main thoroughfare in Portland.<ref name=tvguide/> Mr. Burns's first name, Charles, is a reference to Charles Foster Kane.<ref name=tvguide/> The names Plantagenet and Schicklgruber appear to refer to the [[House of Plantagenet]] and [[Alois Schicklgruber]], the father of [[Adolf Hitler]]. In the script for "[[There's No Disgrace Like Home]]", Al Jean and [[Mike Reiss]] referred to him as "Mr. Meanie".<ref name=Reiss/> In the second season, the writers started to enjoy writing about [[Waylon Smithers|Smithers]] and Mr. Burns's relationship, and they often pitched episodes with them as the focus, but many never came to fruition.<ref name=Vitti>Vitti, Jon (2002). Commentary for "[[Simpson and Delilah]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref>
===Voice=== [[File:Harryshearer.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Harry Shearer]] (pictured) modeled his voice for Mr. Burns on [[Lionel Barrymore]] and [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref name=voice/>]] Mr. Burns was originally voiced by [[Christopher Collins]] in the episodes "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]", "[[Homer's Odyssey (The Simpsons)|Homer's Odyssey]]", "[[There's No Disgrace Like Home]]" and "[[The Telltale Head]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0490383/|title=Chris Latta|access-date=2007-11-19|publisher=[[IMDb]]|archive-date=August 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805223127/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0490383/|url-status=live}}</ref> He was soon replaced by [[Harry Shearer]] because [[Sam Simon]] found Collins "difficult to work with". Shearer re-recorded Mr. Burns for all the above episodes and has voiced the character since.<ref name="voice" />
Shearer modeled the voice on [[Lionel Barrymore]] and [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref name="voice">{{cite news |last=Marder |first=Keith |date=1994-04-28 |title=Real People are Models for 'Simpsons' Voices |page=C4 |publisher=[[Times Union (Albany)|Times Union]]}}</ref> Shearer is also the voice of [[Waylon Smithers|Smithers]] and is able to perform dialogue between the two characters in one take.<ref name="Jean">Jean, Al (2002). Commentary for "[[Blood Feud (The Simpsons)|Blood Feud]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season'' [DVD]. 20th century Fox.</ref> Shearer said he found Mr. Burns the most difficult character to voice because it is rough on his vocal cords and he often needs to drink tea and honey to soothe his voice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/FamousNews/FamousMagazine/July%202007.aspx?FamousArticles=4395|title=Burns, Baby, Burns|access-date=2008-05-05|date=July 2007|last=Dittman|first=Earl|publisher=[[Cineplex Entertainment|Cineplex]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080507052534/http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/FamousNews/FamousMagazine/July%202007.aspx?FamousArticles=4395|archive-date=2008-05-07}}</ref> He said Mr. Burns was his favorite character: "I like Mr. Burns because he is pure evil. A lot of evil people make the mistake of diluting it. Never adulterate your evil."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejc.com/node/6832|title=Interview: Harry Shearer|access-date=2008-11-04|date=2008-10-10|last=Round|first=Simon|work=[[The Jewish Chronicle]]|archive-date=October 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012084310/http://www.thejc.com/node/6832|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2014, Shearer won a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]] for his performance on "[[Four Regrettings and a Funeral]]" for voicing Mr. Burns.<ref>{{cite web|last=Day|first=Patrick Kevin|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-harry-shearer-wins-emmy-simpsons-20140818-story.html|title=Harry Shearer becomes final 'Simpsons' main cast member to win Emmy|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 18, 2014|access-date=October 14, 2024|archive-date=September 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924114515/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-harry-shearer-wins-emmy-simpsons-20140818-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Reception== In 2006, ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' rated Mr. Burns the 45th-greatest villain of all time.<ref name=Wizard>{{cite journal|last=McCallum|first=Pat|date=July 2006|title=100 Greatest Villains Ever|journal=[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]|issue=177}}</ref> They also described Smithers and Mr. Burns as being "TV's most functional dysfunctional couple".<ref name=EW>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748~3~0~25bestand1,00.html|title=The Family Dynamic|access-date=2007-10-25|date=2003-01-29|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|archive-date=2014-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018160211/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748~3~0~25bestand1,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a 2003 article, ''[[Entertainment Weekly|EW]]'' also named "[[Last Exit to Springfield]]" the greatest episode of ''The Simpsons''. Other episodes which feature Mr. Burns placed on the list, including "[[Rosebud (The Simpsons)|Rosebud]]", at number two, and the two-part episode "[[Who Shot Mr. Burns?]]", at number 25.<ref name=EW/> ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' placed "Rosebud" first on their list of the top 25 ''Simpsons'' episodes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Orvted |first=John |date=2007-07-05 |title=Springfield's Best |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/08/top10simpsons200708?currentPage=2 |access-date=2008-11-03 |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927083742/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/08/top10simpsons200708?currentPage=2 |url-status=live }}</ref>
''[[Forbes magazine|Forbes]]'' estimates Mr. Burns's net worth at $1.3 billion, placing 12th on the 2008 ''[[Forbes Fictional 15]]'' list.<ref>{{cite news |last=Noer |first=Michael |last2=Ewalt |first2=David M. |date=2008-12-18 |title=No. 13 Burns, C. Montgomery |work=[[Forbes Fictional 15]] |url=https://www.forbes.com/2008/12/18/fictional-characters-wealth-oped-fictional1508-cx_de_mn_1218fictionalintro_slide_14.html?thisSpeed=15000 |access-date=2008-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224021834/http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/18/fictional-characters-wealth-oped-fictional1508-cx_de_mn_1218fictionalintro_slide_16.html?thisSpeed=15000 |archive-date=2008-12-24}}</ref> Mr. Burns has been on the list since 1989 and has previously placed fifth in 2005,<ref>{{cite news|last=Ewalt|first=David M.|title=The Forbes Fictional 15|work=[[Forbes]]|year=2005|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/fictional/05.html|access-date=2008-04-28|archive-date=October 11, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061011213309/https://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/fictional/05.html|url-status=live}}</ref> second in 2006<ref>{{cite news|last=Ewalt|first=David M.|title=The Forbes Fictional 15|work=[[Forbes]]|date=2006-11-20|url=https://www.forbes.com/2006/11/20/forbes-fictional-richest-tech-media_cx_mn_de_06fict15_intro.html|access-date=2008-04-28|archive-date=December 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209081347/https://www.forbes.com/2006/11/20/forbes-fictional-richest-tech-media_cx_mn_de_06fict15_intro.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and sixth in 2007 when he was estimated to be worth $16.8 billion.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ewalt |first=David M. |last2=Noer |first2=Michael |date=2007-11-12 |title=The Forbes Fictional 15 |work=[[Forbes]] |url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/12/11/richest-fictional-characters-oped-books-fict1507-cx_mn_de_1211fictional15_land.html |access-date=2008-04-28 |archive-date=October 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015020453/https://www.forbes.com/2007/12/11/richest-fictional-characters-oped-books-fict1507-cx_mn_de_1211fictional15_land.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Mr. Burns's evil has made him a popular example of terrible television bosses. In 2006, outplacement firm [[Challenger, Gray & Christmas]] released a report saying that Mr. Burns was one of the eight worst bosses on television.<ref>{{cite news|title=Worst bosses ever ... on TV|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=2006-08-21|url=https://money.cnn.com/2006/08/21/news/newsmakers/bad_bosses/index.htm|access-date=2008-11-04|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028052206/https://money.cnn.com/2006/08/21/news/newsmakers/bad_bosses/index.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[The News & Observer]]'' named Mr. Burns the third worst boss, calling him "heartless, greedy and exceptionally ugly, Mr. Burns makes [[Ebenezer Scrooge]] seem downright lovely."<ref>{{cite web|title=Worst bosses ever ... on TV |work=[[The News & Observer]]|publisher=McClatchy Newspapers |date=2008-10-12 |url=http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1252098.html |access-date=2008-11-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017125024/http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1252098.html |archive-date=October 17, 2008 }}</ref>
In the run-up to the New York City's [[2009 New York City mayoral election|2009 mayoral election]], several posters appeared throughout the city, showing Mr. Burns and accompanied by the words "No Third Terms, Vote for Burns"—a reference to Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]]'s run for a third term that year—in the style of [[Shepard Fairey]]'s [[Barack Obama "Hope" poster|Obama poster]]. The city's Board of Elections announced that December that Mr. Burns had received 27 write-in votes out of 299 write-in votes cast.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/05/simpsons-billionaire-gets-most-write-in-votes-in-nyc-mayor-race/ | title = Simpsons billionaire gets most write-in votes in NYC mayor race | last= de Sola|first=David | date = 2009-12-05 | publisher = [[CNN]] | access-date = 2009-12-06 | archive-date = 2009-12-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091206191846/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/05/simpsons-billionaire-gets-most-write-in-votes-in-nyc-mayor-race/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> As the chief of "Springfield Republican Party" Mr. Burns endorsed [[Mitt Romney]] in the 2012 US presidential election.<ref>{{cite news|last=Day|first=Patrick Kevin|title="The Simpsons" Mr. Burns endorses Mitt Romney|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-nov-01-la-et-st-the-simpsons-mr-burns-endorses-mitt-romney-20121101-story.html|access-date=2015-06-30|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=2012-11-01}}</ref> The [[IG Group]], a financial corporation in the [[City of London]], use a recording of Mr. Burns's catchphrase "Excellent" as an alert that an order has been completed.<ref>{{cite news|title=City firm follows Budget with a little help from The Simpsons|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-31967374|access-date=2015-03-19|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=2015-03-19|archive-date=March 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313055915/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31967374|url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}} '''Bibliography''' {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |last=Turner |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Turner (author) |title=Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation |others=Foreword by [[Douglas Coupland]]. |edition=1st |year=2004 |location=Toronto |publisher=[[Random House Canada]] |oclc=55682258 |isbn=978-0-679-31318-2|title-link=Planet Simpson }} {{refend}}
==External links== {{Portal|The Simpsons}} {{Wikiquote|The Simpsons#Other|Montgomery Burns}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20170320064345/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003020/ Mr. Burns] on [[IMDb]] {{The Simpsons}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burns, Mister}} [[Category:American male characters in sitcoms]] [[Category:Animated characters introduced in 1989]] [[Category:Television characters introduced in 1989]] [[Category:Characters created by Matt Groening]] [[Category:Fictional billionaires]] [[Category:Fictional business executives]] [[Category:Fictional businesspeople in television]] [[Category:Fictional characters based on real people]] [[Category:Fictional characters with dementia]] [[Category:Fictional members of secret societies]] [[Category:Fictional misers]] [[Category:Fictional Republicans (United States)]] [[Category:Fictional white-collar criminals]] [[Category:Fictional World War II veterans]] [[Category:Male characters in animated television series]] [[Category:Male television villains]] [[Category:The Simpsons characters]] [[Category:Villains in animated television series]]