Over the course of its 32-season run, The Simpsons has welcomed a number of notable guest stars into the fold, with each one lending their own unique flair to a resident or visitor to Springfield. Jackie Mason was certainly one of those people, as the veteran comedian and actor became a fan-favorite through his role as Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky. Unfortunately, Mason passed away this past weekend at the age of 93 but, now, members of the Simpsons family are taking the time to pay tribute to the late star.
Jackie Mason’s Hyman Krustofsky was originally introduced on The Simpsons in the third season episode “Like Father, Like Clown” as the estranged religious father of Krusty the Clown. Eventually, the two would reconcile but would still have their ups and downs here and there. Mason’s character was retired in 2014’s “Clown in the Dumps,” which saw the death of Krustofsky. Krusty struggled with the development and, in Simpsons showrunner Al Jean’s Twitter tribute to Mason, he channelled the clown’s emotions:
Al Jean’s sentiments were a nice way to pay tribute to Jackie Mason, and one of his colleagues took notice of them. The Simpsons animator David Silverman retweeted Jean’s post and added some comments of his own:
Jackie Mason also received tributes from his fellow performers. The one and only Gilbert Gottfried was among those to pay their respects to the late comedian. In a social media post of his own, he shared a photo of himself and Mason, complete with a short but sweet caption:
Acting legend Michael McKean, who has also been a guest star on The Simpsons, honored Jackie Mason as well. The actor reflected on a humorous early encounter with the comedian and, based on what we know about Mason, the situation sounds pretty true to his character:
During the course of his career, Jackie Mason distinguished himself within the world of comedy using his distinct delivery and constant use of puns. He was also noted for taking a more grounded approach to comedy in his routines. He was, however, known to create controversy at times due to the sometimes politically incorrect nature of his work.
The entertainer also amassed a number of significant honors over the years. This included a Special Tony Award, an ACE award and three Emmys. One of those Emmys was actually earned for his work on The Simpsons.
It goes without saying that Jackie Mason made quite a mark on the world of comedy, and you can certainly feel it through the tributes. His role on The Simpsons also gives him a firm place in the world of animation as well, and it’s great to see members of the show pay their respects.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts to the family and loved ones of Jackie Mason during this time.
