How long has ‘The Simpsons“ been running for? The answer is thirty-six years, but if you didn’t know that, we wouldn’t blame you. It’s hard to keep track of America’s longest-running sitcom, but you can bet actress Jennifer Tilly is keeping track. Why her specifically? Well, as it turns out, she’s making a pretty hefty chunk of change from the franchise for a reason you may not expect.
From 1984 to 1991, Tilly and “The Simpsons” co-creator, Sam Simon, were married. When the animated series premiered, no one really expected it would have such a long run. We doubt even Simon or Tilly would’ve expected it either, which may be one of the reasons why Simon’s revenue from the series was part of the divorce settlement. How much did she end up getting? Thirty percent of Simon’s proceeds from the show.
“Nobody knew that The Simpsons was going to go on for trillions of year,” Tilly said. “So every day — honestly, every day — I’m like, ‘Thank you, Sam.’” Simon was a powerful creative force in the television line-up of the ’80s and early ’90s. He worked as a showrunner and writer on “Taxi” before moving onto “Cheers,” and eventually “The Simpsons.” His career would continue onward into other network series like “The Drew Carey Show” and the short-lived “The Norm Show.”
Tilly has done incredibly well for herself as an actress, talented poker player, and voice actress. Horror fans will know her as the voice of Tiffany Valentine in the “Chucky” franchise, and she’s also been voicing Bonnie in “Family Guy” for decades. (But more importantly, she was in an episode of “Frasier.” Which, let’s face it, is the defining element of anyone’s career.) Seriously though, Tilly may be known for her voice, but she’s a tremendous comedic force.
Sam Simon passed away in 2015 from cancer, but his legacy has continued to live on in his contributions to the world of comedy.
