Daniel Louis Castellaneta was born on Oct. 29, 1957 at Roseland Community Hospital on Chicago’s south side to parents Louis and Elsie. He was raised in River Forest and Oak Park, Ill., and despite being decades away from voicing one of the most popular characters in TV history, he would impress friends and family with uncanny impressions that were gleaned from old comedy records.

By the time he was 16, his mother enrolled him in an acting class and after high school, Dan went on to Northern Illinois University, where he studied art education. It was at NIU where he joined The Ron Petke and His Dead Uncle Show, and began to hone his voice-over skills.