Hank Azaria does iconic The Simpsons voices to King's Guard in attempt to make them crack
Actor Hank Azaria is enjoying a break in the UK with his nearest and dearest, but it's something as a busman's holiday for him - as he just can't stop cracking out impressions.
The 60-year-old, from New York, US, has got an enviable set of pipes and mouth skills on him, which allow him to expertly morph into some of our favourite cartoon characters without breaking so much as a sweat.
He whipped out a cockney twang while trawling through Mayfair, before doing his best British impression court side at Wimbledon and then roping comedian Matt Friend and sports commentator Chris Fowler into the shtick.
They mimicked Howard Stern and the character Jim Brockmire while waiting for game, set, match in a viewing box, while Fowler just stuck to himself - but like I said, it's been a busman's holiday for Azaria.
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What a party trick, though...and I'm sure it's guaranteed to get plenty of laughs at the fancy dinner parties he attends with other famous faces who are also a fan of his work on iconic shows such as The Simpsons.
But while exploring London, Azaria wanted to take the opportunity to put his vocal skills to the ultimate test.
So of course, he headed right to the Tower of London with his wife, American therapist and former actress Katie Wright, as well as their son Hal, 15, in a bid to get one of the notoriously rigid King's Guards to crack up.
Take a look here at how he got on:
The hilarious The Simpsons spoof has gone down a treat with fans of the animated sitcom, as social media users were fascinated by Azaria's ability to switch between voices so seamlessly.
Explaining what he was getting up to in the clip, the star said: "Let's see if the guard is a Simpsons fan at all. Hello sir, I do voices on The Simpsons. I do Moe the bartender, just wanted to thank you for your service here.
"I'm also Police Chief Wiggum. So I know what it's like to, you know...do my duty.
"I'm also Snake. So, if I were to rob anything, you certainly would deter me from that sir. My goodness!
"I'm also Professor Frink my good man. My goodness, you do seem to be concentrating and not at all bothered by what I'm doing over here. Kudos to you sir!
"I don't think he's gonna...I'm Comic Book Guy, does that matter? Best. Guard. Ever. Hm, he seems impenetrable."
Despite the comedy genius throwing his best work at him, the Royal Guard didn't even flinch.
As most people will be aware, the guards must follow a series of super strict rules - including one which forbids them from breaking their composure by laughing or smiling.
Even still, fans of The Simpsons just couldn't believe that the bearskin-wearing bloke had been able to stay stony-faced despite Azaria's impressions in the viral video.
One said: "Obsessed with Hank Azaria doing the voices of Moe, Chief Wiggum, etc, in an attempt to make this soldier crack. I don’t think I’d last a microsecond."
Another laughed: "This is the second best thing Hank Azaria has ever made in London after the criminally underrated romcom Run Fatboy Run."
A third wrote: "That’s hilarious. I definitely would not have lasted."
A fourth joked: "I love that Comic Book Guy is his secret weapon, checks out."
Azaria dejectedly captioned his post: "Not even a blink."
His disappointment at the lack of his success was probably largely exacerbated by the fact that his co-star on The Simpsons, Nancy Cartwright, claims to have got a giggle out of one of the Royal Guards.
In a video shared to TikTok last year, the woman who voices the sling-shot toting schoolboy Bart explained that she was visiting the UK and doing typical touristy things when she decided to 'have a little fun'.
Cartwright said: " I sidled up beside this guard who was wearing his red coat and the big, tall, fur bearskin hat. They're not supposed to speak and they're not supposed to move. He was taller than me, everybody is.
"And I looked up at him and I'm like... And the guy, he totally broke! His knees buckled and he kind of fell down a little bit.
"I was like, woah! I try to get out of there, he's chasing after me like, 'Mrs Cartwright, stop! We're all big fans!' I couldn't believe it. A moment in history!"
Sounds like Buckingham Palace believe that only Bart is worth breaking the rules for, eh?
Azaria was somewhat vindicated, as he later uploaded a snap of himself, Katie and Hal smiling alongside a Royal Guard who was grinning like a Cheshire cat on Instagram. Maybe that one had clocked off, eh?
Topics: Celebrity, London, UK News, Royal Family, The Simpsons
Olivia Burke