Tapping into the many roles of Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer is many things to many people.
To Spinal Tap fans, he's shaggy British bassist Derek Smalls. To public radio listeners, he's the host of "Le Show," which pokes fun at politicos and news institutions from Bill Clinton to the Los Angeles Times. To fans of the new Christopher Guest "mockumentary" "For Your Consideration," he's Victor Allan Miller, a B-list actor who believes he might be up for an Oscar for a film called "Home for Purim." Most notably, to fans of "The Simpsons," he's the voice of staple characters such as Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Kent Brockman, and Principal Skinner.
On Monday , the versatile Shearer is in town to promote his latest project, a book called "Not Enough Indians," which is a fictional tale of a depressed town that tries to cure its blight by becoming a Native American reservation so it can build a casino.
Shearer called us earlier this week to chat about the book, his new movie, and the real identity of a man named Seymour Skinner.
MEREDITH GOLDSTEIN
Q What prompted your interest in poking fun at casino politics?
A It was a long-term fascination with historical switcheroos. And the New York Times had run this piece when Foxwoods opened about how the total population of Native Americans on the reservation was one. I figured, it could be zero.
Q You set the book in a fictional New York town where industry is dead and crazy characters rule. It reminds us of the Simpsons' hometown, Springfield.
A This town, in the early stages of the book, would die to have what Springfield has. If they had an up-and-running Leftorium they'd be happy. It's a town reduced to begging for a Wal-Mart -- begging unsuccessfully for a Wal-Mart, to boot.
Q On "Inside the Actors Studio," the Simpsons cast (including yourself) admitted that there isn't much involved in taping the episodes, that the actors enter the studio, read, then leave. Is there no room for creativity?
A It's a writer's medium. All those names you see in the credits -- all of those people are writers. There are like 16 of them on staff. They really want the shows acted as written. They've been clear about that. We respect that. The only time we may speak up is when something is written that violates the characters.
Q Have your characters ever been violated?
A It happened in an episode this season . . . where Ned Flanders tries to get creationism taught in public schools, and the writer had included a joke -- it was not a real 10 on the scale of laughs to begin with -- some play on the name Jesus Christ. I said, "I don't care, but Ned wouldn't say this." We've lived with these characters, just like the audience has lived with these characters, for 18 years.
Q What was the worst violation?
A When you find out that Seymour Skinner is not Seymour Skinner.
Q Right. He's Armin Tamzarian, who stole the identity of the real Skinner, his sergeant in Vietnam.
A Right. And now, [the writers] refuse to talk about it. They realize it was a horrible mistake. They never mention it. It's like they're punishing [the audience] for paying attention.
Q There's more creativity with Christopher Guest projects, we imagine. What is it like off-camera?
A What you're seeing is pretty much what we do. Chris has said 60 to 70 percent of what you see is take one. I was doing an interview with Parker Posey, and she pointed out that you walk around the night before you shoot a scene and imagine what you're going to do, and when you get there, it all goes out the window.
Q What's next for you?
A My next project is a musical. It's called "J. Edgar." It's a musical comedy about the love life of J. Edgar Hoover.
Q Anything we should know about the book before Monday?
A I should probably mention that it's a comic novel.
Harry Shearer appears at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on Monday at 6 p.m. to read and sign copies of "Not Enough Indians." Tickets: $2. Those who attend the reading can stay for a discounted presentation of "For Your Consideration." 
