Trivia

In 2001, his trademark phrase "d'oh" from "The Simpsons" was considered valid, and added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

According to the producers of The Simpsons (1989), he is so in character when playing "Homer Simpson", that when he makes a mistake during a line reading, it is the type of mistake Homer would make. For example, in the episode "Homer Goes To College", Homer chants "I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T, I mean S-M-A-R-T!" His saying S-M-R-T was not scripted, improvised or even intended to be a joke, it was just a mistake.

According to The Simpsons (1989)' creator, Matt Groening, Dan is the one person he will not sit in with when Dan records voices, because Matt says that he finds Dan so funny when he records voices that he cannot stop himself from laughing, effectively ruining several takes.

Up until 1998, was paid $30,000 per Simpsons episode. He and the five other main Simpsons voice actors were then involved in a pay dispute in which Fox threatened to replace them with new actors and went as far as preparing for casting of new voices. However, the issue was soon resolved and from 1998 to 2004, they were given $125,000 per episode. In 2004, the voice actors intentionally skipped several table reads, demanding they be paid $360,000 per episode. The strike was resolved a month later and Castellaneta's salary was increased to $250,000 per episode. Another contract renegotiation in 2008 saw his salary rise to $400,000 per episode. He was also made a consulting producer.

Good friends with Tracey Ullman. They did a lot of comedy work together, and it was Ullman that got Dan his most famous role as Homer Simpson.

As a child, Castellaneta would mimic cartoon voices from television. His father was an amateur actor, and Dan would try to do the accents with his father.

Explained in 2005, on Bravo channel, that his "Homer Simpson" voice was also partly based on his father's as well as the late Walter Matthau's.

He is the only main cast member of The Simpsons (1989) to have written more than one episode of the show. Nancy Cartwright has written one.

The phrase "d'oh" appears only as "Annoyed Grunt" in Simpsons scripts.

Took over the voice of the Genie from Robin Williams for the "Aladdin" TV show and subsequent movies. However, when Williams made peace with Disney, he took the role back from Castellaneta.

His voice characterization of "Krusty the Clown" on Fox-TV's The Simpsons (1989), was based on Chicago television legend Bob Bell, who portrayed WGN-TV's "Bozo" from 1960-1984.

Once asked in an interview what "D'oh!" means. He replied that he thought "D'oh!", the trademark line of his "Simpsons" character Homer, was a euphemism for "damn".

Former member of Chicago Second City

Homer Simpson, voiced by Castellaneta on The Simpsons (1989), was ranked #35 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].

Doesn't drink.

At first, for the voice of "Homer Simpson", Dan tried to imitate Walter Matthau, but he had trouble with certain emotional registers and intonations with the voice, so he slightly changed the present voice of Homer at the beginning of the second season of The Simpsons (1989).

Practices tai chi.

Played Danny DeVito's client in The War of the Roses (1989), and his brother on The Simpsons (1989).

Is the only member of The Simpsons (1989) cast (Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer and Yeardley Smith ) who has not had a divorce. Julie Kavner has never been married.

With all of the voice-over work he has done, it is ironic that he appears as a semi-major character in The War of the Roses (1989) and never uses his voice at all.

He was considered for the voice role of Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and The Beast (1991).

Did some work at a Montreal, Canada, radio station in 2004.

"Castellaneta" is the name of a city in Italy

Graduate of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.

Graduated from the class of 1975 from Oak Park River Forest High School

Ironically, considering he voices Homer Simpson and Barney Gumble, the former of whom loves beer and meat and the latter is almost always drunk, Castellaneta himself is a vegetarian and doesn't drink alcohol.

He is a lifelong Democrat.

Popular stand up comedian and voice over actor of numerous cartoons and advertisements.

Has two younger sisters named Paula and Gina and two nephews named Calvin and Cary

Graduated from the same university as Joan Allen, Justin Mentell, and Matt Ricci.

Despite being the voice of Homer Simpson, who's favorite drink is Duff beer, and favorite foods are steak, ribs, pork chops, donuts etc. In real life he is a vegetarian, tee total, exercises regularly and practises tai chi.