The same woman played both Marcia Brady's and Bart Simpson's teacher
Marcia (Wallace)! Marcia (Wallace)! Marcia (Wallace)!
Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! No, we are not talking about the eldest Brady daughter. Not everything is about Marcia Brady. The Marcia in the spotlight here is Marcia Wallace, an unmistakable actress who appeared on television for nearly half a century. With an orb of carrot hair ballooning off her head, adding to her height, the Iowa native had the perfect physical traits for playing fussbudgets and quirky working women.
Television lovers likely know her best as receptionist Carol Kester on The Bob Newhart Show. Perched at her round desk by the elevators, Carol commandeered Dr. Bob Hartley and his patients. Wallace appeared in just about every episode of the smart sitcom.
Before and after that role, however, she played two notable teachers of iconic TV kids. Though, you might not recognize her for her biggest role.
In 1992, Wallace took home the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. She earned the trophy for her role on The Simpsons. She was none other than the world-weary educator Edna Krabappel, eventual wife of Ned Flanders. In particular, the Emmy came for her work as Bart's teacher in the episode "Bart the Lover."
Rewind the clock a couple of decades, and you can find Wallace playing the teacher of Marcia Brady in the fan-favorite 1971 tale "Getting Davy Jones." That was her second time in Bradyland, actually. Early that same year, she popped up as a wig saleswoman in "Will the Real Jan Brady Please Stand Up?"
After Wallace died in 2013, The Simpsons retired her character of Mrs. Krabappel. Bart could be seen scribbling on the chalkboard, as always, in the opening credits. "We'll really miss you Mrs. K," he wrote.