Bernice Hibbert

Bernice Hibbert
Character Information
Gender/Sex	Female ♀
Status	Alive
Hair Color	Black
Occupation	Housewife Springfield City Councilmember
Relations	Husband: Julius Hibbert Sons: JJ Hibbert Dr. Hibbert's Second Son Dr. Hibbert's Third Son Daughters: Dr. Hibbert's First Daughter Dr. Hibbert's Second Daughter Brothers-in-law: Bleeding Gums Murphy and Unnamed Nephews by marriage: Monk Murphy and Unnamed Father-in-law: Unnamed Brother: Chester Dupree
Behind the Scenes
First episode appearance	"Bart's Dog Gets an F"
Portrayed by	Tress MacNeille (1991-2021) Dawnn Lewis (2021-present) Pamela Hayden ("Bart After Dark")

“	A-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh...	„
	~ Mrs. Hibbert's trademark chuckle

Bernice Hibbert (née Dupree) is a philanthropist, career woman, and mom of the Hibbert family. A member of the Springfield Horticultural Society, she is a Springfield City Councilmember and is usually seen in the company of either her husband Julius or her friends Marge Simpson, Helen Lovejoy, Cookie Kwan, Agnes Skinner, Luann Van Houten, and Lindsey Naegle.

She is a nonprofits coordinator and recovering alcoholic. She chuckles when uncomfortable or under duress, as is evidenced in "I'm With Cupid" and The Simpsons Game.

She was voiced by Tress MacNeille and is currently voiced by Dawnn Lewis.

Biography

Early life and education

According to a yearbook in Virtual Springfield, Bernice completed Springfield High School alongside Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders, thus meaning she graduated in 1974. Given that she graduated high school in 1974, she was likely born around 1956.

In high school, she was named "Most Likely to Marry a Prominent Physician", and was a member of the spelunking and minerology club, with her favorite mineral being "gold". Her senior quote was "Hey, Hey, Hey!", which likely indicates her interest in Fat Albert, a Bill Cosby character originating in his 1967 standup (later popularized via a 1969 TV special and 1972-1985 Filmation series). She congratulated the seniors and thanked her mother, father, and "big brother Theo".

Bernice has two brothers: the aforementioned Theo, and Chester Dupree. Only Chester is mentioned in The Simpsons (during a fight between her and her husband taking place in Homer's mind), but neither are ever seen in the show.

In The Simpsons Game, she mentions that she attended Tuskegee University, an historically Black university in Alabama. During this time, she briefly dated Carl Carlson.

Career and philanthropy

A Tapped Out plotline reveals that she met her husband while filing a lawsuit against him, indicating she used to have a career in law.

Hibbert educating Marge about nonprofit fundraising through a song in "Write Off This Episode".

In 1997's Virtual Springfield, she was named the cover story of Big Women In Business!. Her feature was titled, "The Top - Less Difficult to Reach Than Ever".

In "Write Off This Episode," she stops Marge on the street to sing a Broadway-esque song ("Peak Awareness") about how Marge should raise money for her new charity, the Lisa M. Simpson Foundation. Bernice advises Marge to "be more garish" by attending galas, promoting her nonprofit with a ribbon, and eventually renting an office headquarters to attract corporate sponsors. This reveals Bernice's expertise in the nonprofit PR sector - likely as nonprofit director, or head of PR and marketing.

Outside of work, her background appearances in The Simpsons indicate hobbyist philanthropy of local arts and culture. In "Springfield Splendor", she is seen attending the Sad Girl musical, having bought front-row seats for her and her family. She attends a fine art auction with her husband in "Homer Is Where the Art Isn't", alongside millionaires such as Mr. Burns. In "The Great Simpsina", she is seen seated with her husband at the Springfield Horticultural Society; she is likely at least a member, given her interest in botany (alluded to in both "I'm with Cupid" and The Simpsons Game).

Hobbies and addictions

Hibbert gardening in "I'm With Cupid". Upon seeing Apu's sky-writing, she laments, "Just once, I'd like a love-note in the sky!" before chuckling.

She is among those who faint in "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" upon reading the news that Prohibition has been introduced in Springfield. In an unidentified episode, she stated that she was too drunk to remember marrying her husband.

In "I'm with Cupid", she is seen gardening when she notices Apu's skywriting, intended for Manjula; she says she wishes she would get a note in the sky for once before chuckling sadly. In The Simpsons Game, she mentions that gardening has helped her recovery from alcoholism.

Aside from excessive alcoholism, Bernice also exhibited prescription drug abuse in "The Yellow Lotus", though her husband managed to eventually coax her out of the latter habit. This ironically also led the two to become indirectly responsible for con-artist Nick Callahan's death, as her discarded drugs affected the otter that killed Callahan.

Relationships

Friends

She first attends a party by Marge in Season 2's "The War of the Simpsons", where she stands close to her husband and does not talk to other party guests.

Bernice (left) and Lindsey Naegle (right) at Edna Krabappel's bachelorette party.

Later, she appears to be more extroverted at Edna Krabappel's bachelorette party in Marge Simpson's house ("My Big Fat Geek Wedding"), The party had all-female guests and featured Duffman as a stripper. Later, when Ned Flanders sent Chief Wiggum to quiet down the party, Bernice was among the women who enticed Wiggum to start stripping as well. Other party attendees included Patty and Selma Bouvier, Helen Lovejoy, Lindsey Naegle, and Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon.

She later goes bowling with the same group of friends in "Pin Gal", and she attends an intervention for Luann Van Houten's wine merchandise addiction in "Women in Shorts".

In "Ned 'N Edna's Blend Agenda", she is seen spying on Marge alongside Luann Van Houten and Helen Lovejoy when she hears Marge is planning Edna's wedding party. When she spots Marge at a bridal shop, she pops out from behind a mannequin and exclaims, "So the rumors are true!".

She is seen in "Lisa the Vegetarian" with her husband at Homer's BBQ.

She and her husband is among the invitees of Boothe Wilkes-John's murder-mystery party in Season 25's "Pay Pal". There, Bernice appears in the background, happy to quick-change into her character's outfit. However, Homer spoils the party by immediately revealing who the murderer is.

Bernice Hibbert (top left) and some friends in "Women in Shorts", including her often-seen conspirators Helen Lovejoy and Luann Van Houten. (Others include Lindsey, Marge, Sarah, Elizabeth, Kumiko, and an unnamed Mom Goods manager.)

Dr. Hibbert and family

In Season 22's "500 Keys", Homer and Marge briefly went to what is likely the Hibberts' house for a key party (under the innocent belief that it was a party that just involved keys), but shortly thereafter left after discovering what a key party actually was. Although it is obvious that her husband, Dr. Hibbert, was involved in the party, it is unknown whether Bernice was and whom she was with.

Mrs. Hibbert remains one of The Simpsons' less notable, saner characters. Bernice has five children with Dr. Hibbert, three sons and two daughters. They have never been named in the series. Their marriage may be in trouble, which is referenced in "Dude, Where's My Ranch?".

In Season 17's "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play", her and her husband are chosen by the kiss-cam, when Dr. Hibbert reveals that they "both find public displays of affection vulgar". After Bart Simpson egging him on, he reluctantly kisses her on the cheek. Depsite this initial aversion for public displays of affection, they are both shown to be swingers by Season 20's "In the Name of the Grandfather". Later on, swinger jokes about Dr. Hibbert appear consistently throughout the show.

Bernice reluctantly accepting her husband's kiss for the Jumbotron Kiss-Cam in "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play".

In "Bart After Dark", she is among the wives (and bartenders) who disapprovingly exclaim their partner's name when spotting photographs of them at La Maison Derrière. Upon seeing Dr. Hibbert in the image, she angrily exclaims, "Julius!".

Hibbert forced to watch a Troy McClure film after getting a D.U.I. in "Duffless"

In "Duffless", she is implied to have gotten a D.U.I., as is evidenced by the fact that she (like Homer) is forced to watch a D.U.I. prevention Troy McClure film featuring gory car crashes.

Non-canon

In an unidentified Treehouse of Horror episode, while besieged by zombies in his office, Dr. Hibbert requests that the Simpsons tell Bernice that he loves her if they see her, but Homer misunderstands and resolves just to give her a high-five.

Appearance

Bernice dancing with her husband in "Jaws Wired Shut".

Bernice often wears a bead necklace and a violet jacket with extremely large shoulder-pads, which resembles lawyer Clair Huxtable's clothes. Her hair appears to be heat-pressed.

She has a long sleeveless purple maxi dress she wears to fancy occassions. It is seen in "Jaws Wired Shut" and her song "Peak Awareness".

Trivia

• While exploring the town in The Simpsons Game, Bernice can sometime be seen having a conversation with Carl Carlson, discussing a past relationship they had before she was married to Dr. Hibbert. If recruited to Marge's mob, she will say "Delighted to join this wonderful mob! Ah-heh-heh-heh!".
• In Virtual Springfield, she is seen twice, once called Mary Hibbert and once, in a yearbook, called Clarice Rashad in a takeoff on the Clair Huxtable character from the Cosby Show, and Phylicia Rashād, the actress who played her.
• In "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses", it is revealed that she is a member of AA, however she is seen drinking alcohol at several times, meaning she might have a reoccurring problem. She was also briefly seen in a drunk driving class in "Duffless"; and fainted upon learning of the Prohibition in "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment".
• She seems to dislike an au-pair, who lives in with the Hibberts in the guest room. In "No Loan Again, Naturally", Dr. Hibbert wants to buy their au-pair a house, because Bernice wants her out.
• Her brother's last name is Dupree, therefore her maiden name is likely Dupree.

Behind the Laughter

• Bernice parodies the lawyer character of Clair Huxtable from 1985 series The Cosby Show. Aside from the outfit and vocal parallels, her initial name in Virtual Springfield yearbook (Clarice Rashad) references Huxtable's actress Phylicia Rashad. Bernice's big brother being named "Theo" corresponds with a character in The Cosby Show (although Theo was Clair's son). Her interest in Fat Albert also alludes to Bill Cosby, as the character originated in Cosby's stand up. Like herself, her husband is based on Dr. Cliff Huxtable (played by Bill Cosby). This is a pattern among The Simpsons characters: for example, Bumblebee Man is based on real-life Mexican comedian Chespirito.

Appearances

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• Episode – "Bart's Dog Gets an F"
• Episode – "The War of the Simpsons"
• Episode – "Marge vs. the Monorail"
• Episode – "Duffless"
• Episode – "Whacking Day"
• Episode – "Marge in Chains"
• Episode – "Rosebud"
• Episode – "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy"
• Episode – "And Maggie Makes Three"
• Episode – "Bart's Comet"
• Episode – "The Springfield Connection"
• Episode – "Bart Sells His Soul"
• Episode – "Lisa the Vegetarian"
• Episode – "Burns, Baby Burns"
• Episode – "Bart After Dark"
• Episode – "A Milhouse Divided"
• Episode – "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment"
• Episode – "In Marge We Trust"
• Episode – "I'm with Cupid"
• Episode – "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily"
• Episode – "The Great Money Caper"
• Episode – "Dude, Where's My Ranch?"
• – The Simpsons Movie
• Episode – "Husbands and Knives"
• Episode – "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind"
• Episode – "Papa Don't Leech"
• Episode – "How the Test Was Won"
• Episode – "The Great Wife Hope"
• Episode – "Moe Letter Blues" (Only photo)
• Episode – "Loan-a Lisa"
• Episode – "The Blue and the Gray"
• Episode – "Homer Scissorhands"
• Episode – "Ned 'N Edna's Blend"
• Episode – "Gone Abie Gone"
• Episode – "Changing of the Guardian"
• Episode – "Pulpit Friction"
• Episode – "The Saga of Carl"
• Episode – "Days of Future Future"
• Episode – "Pay Pal"
• Episode – "Opposites A-Frack"
• Episode – "Covercraft"
• Episode – "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" (Picture)
• Episode – "Bart's New Friend"
• Episode – "Walking Big & Tall"
• Episode – "Sky Police"
• Episode – "Let's Go Fly a Coot"
• Episode – "Gal of Constant Sorrow"
• Episode – "Lisa the Veterinarian"
• Episode – "The Burns Cage"
• Episode – "Simprovised"
• Episode – "Orange is the New Yellow"
• Episode – "Springfield Splendor"
• Episode – "Haw-Haw Land" (non-speaking)
• Episode – "Frink Gets Testy" (non-speaking)
• Episode – "Flanders' Ladder" (picture)
• Episode – "The Girl on The Bus"
• Episode – "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say D'oh"
• Episode – "Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion"
• Episode – "Gorillas on the Mast"
• Episode – "Marge the Lumberjill"
• Episode – "Livin' La Pura Vida"
• Episode – "Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?"
• Episode – "Hail to the Teeth"
• Episode – "Frinkcoin"
• Episode – "Better Off Ned (episode)"
• Episode – "Highway to Well"
• Episode – "Warrin' Priests (Part One)"
• Episode – "The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds" (seen on cruise)
• Episode – "The Way of the Dog"
• Episode – "Now Museum, Now You Don't (episode)"
• Episode – "The Road to Cincinnati" (seen in crowd at Shakespeare play)
• Episode – "A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas"
• Episode – "The Dad-Feelings Limited" (seen at birthday party)
• Episode – "Uncut Femmes"
• Episode – "The Wayz We Were"
• Episode – "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire"
• Episode – "Poorhouse Rock"
• Episode – "One Angry Lisa"
• Episode – "The King of Nice"
• Episode – "Carl Carlson Rides Again"
• Episode – "Hostile Kirk Place"
• Episode – "Write Off This Episode"
• Episode – "Homer's Crossing"
• Episode – "A Mid-Childhood Night's Dream"
• Episode – "McMansion & Wife"
• THOH – "Treehouse of Horror XXXIV" (Lout Break)
• Episode – "Iron Marge"
• Episode – "It's a Blunderful Life"
• Episode – "Murder, She Boat"
• Episode – "The Tell-Tale Pants"
• Episode – "Bart's Brain"
• Episode – "Bart's Birthday"
• Episode – "The Yellow Lotus"
• Episode – "Women in Shorts"
• Episode – "Homer and Her Sisters"
• Episode – "Abe League of Their Moe"
• Episode – "Full Heart, Empty Pool"
• Video game – The Simpsons: Tapped Out
• Commercials – Hard Times

The Simpsons: Season Two
"Bart Gets an "F"":	"Simpson and Delilah":	"Treehouse of Horror":	"Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish":	"Dancin' Homer":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Dead Putting Society":	"Bart vs. Thanksgiving":	"Bart the Daredevil":	"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge":	"Bart Gets Hit by a Car":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish":	"The Way We Was":	"Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment":	"Principal Charming":	"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Bart's Dog Gets an F":	"Old Money":	"Brush with Greatness":	"Lisa's Substitute":	"The War of the Simpsons":
Cameo	Absent	Absent	Absent	Cameo
"Three Men and a Comic Book":	"Blood Feud":
Absent	Absent

The Simpsons: Season Four
"Kamp Krusty":	"A Streetcar Named Marge":	"Homer the Heretic":	"Lisa the Beauty Queen":	"Treehouse of Horror III":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie":	"Marge Gets a Job":	"New Kid on the Block":	"Mr. Plow":	"Lisa's First Word":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Homer's Triple Bypass":	"Marge vs. the Monorail":	"Selma's Choice":	"Brother from the Same Planet":	"I Love Lisa":
Absent	Cameo	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Duffless":	"Last Exit to Springfield":	"So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show":	"The Front":	"Whacking Day":
Cameo	Absent	Absent	Absent	Cameo
"Marge in Chains":	"Krusty Gets Kancelled":
Absent	Cameo

The Simpsons: Season Five
"Homer's Barbershop Quartet":	"Cape Feare":	"Homer Goes to College":	"Rosebud":	"Treehouse of Horror IV":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Cameo	Absent
"Marge on the Lam":	"Bart's Inner Child":	"Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood":	"The Last Temptation of Homer":	"$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Homer the Vigilante":	"Bart Gets Famous":	"Homer and Apu":	"Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy":	"Deep Space Homer":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Homer Loves Flanders":	"Bart Gets an Elephant":	"Burns' Heir":	"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song":	"The Boy Who Knew Too Much":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Lady Bouvier's Lover":	"Secrets of a Successful Marriage":
Cameo	Cameo

The Simpsons: Season Six
"Bart of Darkness":	"Lisa's Rival":	"Another Simpsons Clip Show":	"Itchy & Scratchy Land":	"Sideshow Bob Roberts":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Treehouse of Horror V":	"Bart's Girlfriend":	"Lisa on Ice":	"Homer Badman":	"Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy":
Absent	Cameo	Absent	Absent	Cameo
"Fear of Flying":	"Homer the Great":	"And Maggie Makes Three":	"Bart's Comet":	"Homie the Clown":
Absent	Absent	Cameo	Cameo	Absent
"Bart vs. Australia":	"Homer vs. Patty and Selma":	"A Star is Burns":	"Lisa's Wedding":	"Two Dozen and One Greyhounds":
Absent	Absent	Cameo	Cameo	Absent
"The PTA Disbands":	"'Round Springfield":	"The Springfield Connection":	"Lemon of Troy":	"Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)":
Absent	Absent	Cameo	Absent	Cameo

The Simpsons: Season Seven
"Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)":	"Radioactive Man":	"Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily":	"Bart Sells His Soul":	"Lisa the Vegetarian":
Cameo	Cameo	Absent	Cameo	Cameo
"Treehouse of Horror VI":	"King-Size Homer":	"Mother Simpson":	"Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming":	"The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Cameo	Absent
"Marge Be Not Proud":	"Team Homer":	"Two Bad Neighbors":	"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield":	"Bart the Fink":
Absent	Absent	Cameo	Absent	Absent
"Lisa The Iconoclast":	"Homer The Smithers":	"The Day The Violence Died":	"A Fish Called Selma":	"Bart on the Road":
Cameo	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"22 Short Films About Springfield":	"Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"":	"Much Apu About Nothing":	"Homerpalooza":	"Summer of 4 Ft. 2":
Absent	Absent	Cameo	Absent	Absent

The Simpsons: Season Nine
"The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson":	"The Principal and the Pauper":	"Lisa's Sax":	"Treehouse of Horror VIII":	"The Cartridge Family":
Absent	Cameo	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Bart Star":	"The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons":	"Lisa the Skeptic":	"Realty Bites":	"Miracle on Evergreen Terrace":
Absent	Cameo	Cameo	Cameo	Cameo
"All Singing, All Dancing":	"Bart Carny":	"The Joy of Sect":	"Das Bus":	"The Last Temptation of Krust":
Absent	Cameo	Absent	Absent	Cameo
"Dumbbell Indemnity":	"Lisa the Simpson":	"This Little Wiggy":	"Simpson Tide":	"The Trouble with Trillions":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Cameo
"Girly Edition":	"Trash of the Titans":	"King of the Hill":	"Lost Our Lisa":	"Natural Born Kissers":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent

Gallery

The full image gallery for Bernice Hibbert may be viewed at Bernice Hibbert/Gallery.