Build your own Waylon Smithers Costume

Waylon Joseph Smithers Jr., also known as Mr. Smithers, is a recurring character in the TV show The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the loyal and devoted executive assistant of Mr. Burns, the owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Despite being treated unfairly, Smithers remains dedicated to his boss. His first name, Waylon, was inspired by puppeteer Wayland Flowers, and his ambiguous sexual orientation was the idea of Sam Simon. In his first appearance, Smithers was depicted as black with blue hair, which Matt Groening has said was a mistake due to budget constraints. Mr. Smithers's loyalty to Mr. Burns stems from his father, who worked for Burns until he died of radiation poisoning after saving Springfield from a potential nuclear meltdown. Although not openly gay until 2016, it was well-known to many that Smithers was homosexual. In a flashback, it was revealed that he had been married to a woman once, but the two parted ways when Mr. Burns came between them. Smithers has a deep and passionate love for Mr. Burns, with the show's writers characterizing his sexual orientation as "Burns-sexual." According to the show's writer, Smithers's gay love story will be getting more attention in 2021.