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He's been hailed as the world’s most famous Scot but Simpsons grouch Groundskeeper Willie was meant to be Swedish.

Dan Castellaneta, who voices Willie, revealed that the show’s producers felt the Scandinavian accent was not funny enough – so he switched to Scots.

And he took inspiration from another TV classic – Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Chicago-born Dan, who also provides the voice for Homer Simpson, says he drew from the Pythons’ famous sci-fi sketch where aliens come to Earth and turn everyone into Scotsmen.

Dan, 56, said: “I actually got Groundskeeper Willie’s accent from watching Michael Palin do his Scottish bit in the Monty Python sci-fi sketch.”

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The star – whose voice talents on the hit cartoon have earned him a reputed £60million – was delighted when the aggressive jannie was voted the world’s most famous Scot, ahead of Billy Connolly and Sir Sean Connery.

But Dan said: “Originally, he was to be Swedish but the producers didn’t find it funny when I read lines.

“I went through a bunch of accents until I hit on the Scottish voice.

“I flashed on this bitter Scot and that was the take I gave him – that he hated his job and all the kids better not mess up his perfect school.

“They loved it and Willie was born.”

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Dan won’t be drawn on how he thinks Willie would vote in the forthcoming referendum.

In an official statement released by the show earlier this year, he would only say: “No matter which way the vote goes, he’ll be angry.”

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* This story originally appeared on the Daily Record website