Famous cyber-activist and whistle-blower Julian Assange is ready to turn his back on all his previous incarnations and devote himself to a new career as a TV star.
The WikiLeaks founder is launching his own talk show on RT as soon as in March. He will be talking to all sorts of “iconoclasts, visionaries and power insiders” who, Assange believes, have the potential to shape “the world tomorrow.” As if all that weren’t enough, he has another, somewhat unorthodox item on his resume – The Simpsons!
Julian Assange is set to play a new and controversial neighbor of the Simpson family in the milestone 500th episode of the show, due to be aired on February 19.
The iconic whistle-blower recorded his lines for the episode remotely, at an “unknown location” while remaining under house arrest in the UK. “I was just given a number to call,” The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean told Entertainment Weekly magazine.
In the episode, the Simpsons are forced to leave their house and move into a new place, only to find themselves living next to Julian Assange. “[Assange is] sort of their new Flanders,” said Jean. “He lives next door. The similarities end there.”
Jean insists, however, that Assange’s appearance on The Simpsons has nothing to do with his current legal situation. “We wanted to make sure it was satirical, and he was willing to do that,” he explained.
Australian-born Assange is facing extradition from the UK to Sweden, where he is wanted on charges stemming from allegations of a sexual assault against two former WikiLeaks volunteers. He is due to appear before Britain’s Supreme Court on February 1 to appeal his extradition.
