This is how Sideshow Bob got his voice

Kelsey Grammer has revealed the hilarious origins behind the voice of The Simpsons character Sideshow Bob.

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Appearing on The Graham Norton Show, Kelsey said was approached by one of the show's creators, Sam Simon, after the pair worked together on Cheers.

Kelsey said he had a habit of coming into work and signing The Good Life in his best Tony Bennett voice.

Kelsey revealed the origins of Sideshow Bob's voice came to him manyyears ago. Source: YouTube

"Sam called me one afternoon and said 'do you still sing' and 'do you know the Cole Porter song Everytime We Say Goodbye", Kelsey said. "I told him of course I knew the song and I loved it. Then Sam said 'we've got this character who's never actually said anything on the show and we want him to speak finally and we thought you should do it".

That character turned out to be Sideshow Bob.

Sideshow Bob and his archenemy, Bart Simpson. Source: Getty

After reading the script and learning more about the character and how "cultured" he was, Kelsey said he had to dig back into his past to find a voice he "stored away".

"I had logged away a voice years ago when I worked for a man named Ellis Rab who had started a theatre company in New York," Kelsey began. "When I was working for him, Ellis would regale me with stories, and he'd say things like this: 'Oooh, Kelsey. That baby should have been mine.'"

Kelsey's impression of 'Ellis Rabb' sent Graham into fits of laughter. Source: YouTube

Kelsey said that was when he knew he was onto a winner: "I thought, 'This guy - I'm gonna use him someday.' And when I read the script for Sideshow Bob, I said, 'This is Ellis Rabb'."

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