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‘The Simpsons’ makes history with deaf actor and character in Sunday night’s episode

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Fox

Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons will make history as the first to feature a deaf actor and use American Sign Language — despite characters only having four fingers.

The episode, titled โ€œThe Sound of Bleeding Gums,โ€ follows Lisa Simpson as she tracks down the deaf son of her favorite saxophone player and helps him get a cochlear implant. Deaf Glee and I Hear You veteranย John Autry II voices the character. Simpsons writer Loni Steele Sosthand drew his inspiration from the Oscar-winning film CODA, as well as his jazz-loving father and deaf brother.

“When we were talking about this Bleeding Gums character in our initial brainstorms, we thought, ‘Wouldnโ€™t it be cool if Lisa discovers this whole other side of his life,'” he tells Variety. That led to him having a son, and then we based that character at least somewhat on my brother. And the story grew from there.”

“The Sound of Bleeding Gums” airs Sunday, April 10 on Fox at 8 p.m. ET.ย 

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