Aug 16, 2019

Former "Simpsons" composer Alf Clausen sues Fox over firing

Alf Clausen, the longtime composer for The Simpsons, is suing Fox two years after he was fired by the company. In the lawsuit, the 78-year-old Clausen claims he was fired because of his age and disability.

In August 2017, Clausen told reporters that Simpsons producer Richard Sakai relieved him of his duties because Fox wanted "a different kind of music." At the time, it was speculated that the company's real motive was to cut costs; according to Variety, the composer was working with a 35-piece orchestra, a setup that show creator Matt Groening had always insisted on, but at a cost of several million dollars a year

Clausen's suit alleges that Sakai's justification is "pretextual and false." Instead, the plaintiff's unlawful termination was due to his perceived disability and age.

Clausen's replacement was Bleeding Fingers Music, a music production company co-founded by Russell Emanuel, Hans Zimmer, and Steve Kofsky. The lawsuit notes that the replacement was "not only much younger in age and lower in salary, but also was not disabled." No specific disability was mentioned. The defendants are Fox, its new owner Disney, and James L. Brooks' Gracie Films.

Clausen was hired for the 1990-91 season and spent 27 years with The Simpsons. He composed background music, cues, songs (in collaboration with others), and arranged variations on Danny Elfman's famous theme. He composed over 560 episodes and was nominated for 23 Emmy Awards (winning twice).

However, that almost never materialized; in a 2015 interview (see below), Clausen recalls being approached by Groening. The composer initially said he did not want to work in animation: "I am interested in feature films." Gruning added: "I don't think of our show as a cartoon, but as a character-driven drama.

Clausen's other credits include the animated series "The Critic" and numerous television shows and films, including "The Naked Gun" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." In addition to two Emmy Awards, he has won five Annie Awards, all All of these have been for his work on The Simpsons.