D'OH

Actor Who Inspired Homer Simpson’s Famous Catchphrase Memorialized

The star of the show “The Simpsons” famously uses the catchphrase “D’oh,” which was inspired by Scottish actor James Finlayson.

Across 36 seasons of The Simpsons, the animated series' protagonist, Homer Simpson, has delivered his iconic catchphrase “D’oh” more than 1,130 times. Now the inspiration for the catchphrase, the late Scottish actor James Finlayson, has been memorialized at a theater in his hometown, the Daily Mail reported. Dobbie Hall, which is in Finlayson’s hometown of Larbert, Stirlingshire, commissioned an oil painting in his honor. In doing so, they celebrated his prominence in the early days of cinema including a long list of movie credits to his name. Best known as the third man to the British comedy duo Laurel and Hardy, Finlayson, who died in 1953, made a name for himself with his distinctive fake mustache and comic mannerisms. In his roles, he would often perform an exasperated and drawn-out “D’oooooooh,” particularly when there was a mishap. It seems like the catchphrase stuck. The voice actor for Homer Simpson, Dan Castellaneta, said that Finlayson’s phrase inspired his character’s annoyed grunt. And since the show’s creator Matt Groening thought the comedic timing would work better in the animation if the phrase was faster, Homer Simpon’s “D’oh!” was created.