Marcia Wallace (November 1, 1942 - October 25, 2013) was an American actress and comedian best known for playing Carol Kester on The Bob Newhart Show and Edna Krabappel on The Simpsons. Right after graduating from Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, Wallace went to New York with barely $150 to her name.
While working for Merv Griffin, Wallace came to the attention of the producers of The Bob Newhart Show. The rest is, as they say, history.
In 1990, Wallace made her debut on The Simpsons in "Bart the Genius", in which she voiced both Mrs. Krabappel and Ms. Melon. In "Treehouse of Horror III", Wallace voiced Spirit #1 and was credited as "Macabre Marcia Wallace." She was similarly credited in a few other Treehouse of Horror episodes, but for playing Edna Krabappel.
After her cancer diagnosis in 1985, Wallace became a staunch advocate for breast cancer awareness. Her cancer went into remission, it was pneumonia that claimed her life in 2013.
The 2013 episode "Four Regrettings and a Funeral", which first aired a week after she died, was about the death of Chip Davis. A dedication to Marcia Wallace was added before the first airing.
Wallace's death was a surprise to The Simpsons producers, who had no plans to kill off Edna Krabappel. Rather than recast the rôle, Bart Simpson got a new teacher. Wallace's last episode of The Simpsons was "The Man Who Grew Too Much", which first aired the year after her death.
Edna Krabappel's death wasn't addressed until the 2021 episode "Diary Queen", in which lines previously recorded by Wallace were recontextualized for a flashback narrated by Ned Flanders. The use of the lines was cleared with Wallace's estate.
Wallace also voiced Edna Krabappel for The Simpsons Movie (though her scenes were deleted) and the video games The Simpsons Game, The Simpsons: Road Rage and The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield.
