Several decades before The Simpsons and Family Guy, ABC’s The Flintstones thrilled television audiences worldwide. Until it was surpassed by The Simpsons in 1997, The Flintstones was television’s most financially successful and longest-running series. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, famous for co-creating Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s Tom and Jerry, created the original The Flintstones TV series.
The Flintstones centered around its titular family and their next-door neighbors, the Rubbles. The sitcom originally aired for 6 seasons from September 30, 1960, to April 1, 1966. However, besides several other adaptations in film and television, the first live-action movie of the same name was released on May 27, 1994, 28 years after the original series ended. These are the iconic The Flintstones characters and the actors who voiced and played them.
Fred Flintstone
Fred Flintstone is one of the main characters in The Flintstones. He’s a blue-collar worker at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company, where he works as a Bronto-crane operator. He’s known for his loud voice, short temper, and good heart. Fred is the patriarch of the Flinstone family and the husband of Wilma. Fred’s best friend is his neighbor, Barney Rubble. He’s a caveman with black hair who walks barefooted in an orange shirt and blue tie. For most of the episodes in the series, the late actor Alan Reed voiced Fred Flinstone’s character. Actor John Goodman portrayed the character in the 1994 live-action movie.
Wilma Flintstone
Wilma Flintstone is the red-haired wife of Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones. She is known for being a loving and supportive partner to Fred and a caring mother to their daughter, Pebbles. Wilma is also best friends with her neighbor, Betty Rubble, and the two often find themselves getting into various misadventures along with their husbands. The late American voice actress Jean Vander Pyl voiced the character in the original The Flintstones TV series. American actress Elizabeth Perkins portrayed the character in the 1994 live-action movie.
Barney Rubble
Barney Rubble is the patriarch of the Rubble family. Living next door to the Flintstones, Barney is also Fred Flinstone’s best friend. The blond-haired caveman is known for his diminutive figure. Like Fred and Wilma, he’s happily married to Betty Rubble and is the adoptive father of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. For most of The Flintstones TV series, voice actor and radio personality Mel Blanc voiced the character of Barney Rubble. Canadian actor, musician, and filmmaker Rick Moranis portrayed Barney Rubble in the live-action movie.
Betty Rubble
Betty Rubble is Barney Rubble’s kind-hearted and loyal wife. Like her husband, she is more than just a neighbor with the Flintstones; she is also Wilma Flintstone’s best friend. Betty is known for her gentle and caring nature, quick wit, and sense of humor. The black-haired character is the adoptive mother of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. She is often depicted in a supporting role.
The late American actress and comedienne Bea Benaderet voiced the Betty Rubble character for 4 seasons in the original TV series. The late actress and TV host Gerry Johnson voiced the character for the remaining 2 seasons. In the 1994 live-action The Flintstones movie, comedian, television producer/personality, and actress Rosie O’Donnell portrayed Betty Rubble.
Pearl Slaghoople
Interestingly, Pearl Slaghoople’s first name was conceived after the original TV series ended in 1966. However, the last name, Slaghoople, was first revealed in season 4, episode 25 (“Bachelor Daze”). On the show, the character made her debut as Wilma’s disapproving mother in seasons 2 to 6. Actress Verna Felton first voiced the character in seasons 2 and 3 as Wilma’s mother, while Janet Waldo voiced the named character, Pearl Slaghoople. The late British-American actress Elizabeth Taylor portrayed the character in the 1994 live-action movie.
Cliff Vandercave
Cliff Vandercave is the scheming, manipulative executive vice president of Slate & Co. in the 1994 The Flintstones movie. Cliff Vandercave is an original character introduced in the live-action movie. He’s the main antagonist in the film, who schemes for ways to defraud Slate & Co.’s money and pin it on an unsuspecting employee. Primetime Emmy Award-nominated actor Kyle MacLachlan played the character.
Miss Sharon Stone
Miss Sharon Stone was the 1994 The Flintstones’ secondary antagonist. The character was created for the movie and was a secretary at Slate & Co. Although in a lesser capacity, Miss Stone worked with Cliff Vandercave on his plan to defraud the company. However, she helped stop his escape after realizing he planned to betray her. American actress Halle Berry played Miss Sharon Stone in The Flintstones. While The Flintstones dominated airways for decades, today’s TV audiences have grown to love several characters in The Simpsons.
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