CASTELLANETA'S CAN-`DOH!' ATTITUDE.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Staff Writer

When Dan Castellaneta goes to a party or out to eat or even to pick up his dry cleaning, somebody will invariably point and whisper, ``It's . . . him.'' And Castellaneta usually overhears the other person say, ``Him? No . . . Really? I'd never have guessed.''

``It's like somebody walking up to Clark Kent and saying, `You're Superman?' Castellaneta says. ``And they'll say, `I love it when you do this and that' and, of course, they're talking about another person. It's a very weird thing.''

That other person is Homer Simpson, the clown prince of Fox television's long-running hit animated series, ``The Simpsons.'' Castellaneta has been giving voice to Homer's rants and raves and ``dohs'' ever since the show debuted on April 19, 1987, as a short sketch on ``The Tracey Ullman Show.'' Castellaneta also lends his voice to a host of other regular ``Simpsons'' characters - including Grandpa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby and the family dog, Santa's Little Helper.

``The Simpsons'' has made Castellaneta financially secure (particularly after a much-publicized holdout gained him and other cast members a pay raise two years ago), but the show has done little to make his name a familiar one in American households.

``Homer is an international star, but I could walk down the street and go unrecognized,'' Castellaneta says. ``It doesn't bother me, but it's a little ironic that I'm on a hit show and can't really reap the career benefits from it outside of doing more animated TV shows.''

Castellaneta hopes to change that for the better with his one-man showcase, ``Where Did Vincent Van Gogh?'' playing Wednesdays through July at the Acme Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles. During the 75-minute show, Castellaneta puts his vocal chops (and acting ability) to good use through a host of sharply observed characters. One moment he's a ventriloquist's dummy, the next he's a ponytailed, 5-year-old girl (with a hilarious story to tell through the use of vivid storyboards).

Castellaneta also plays a nun, a Billie Holiday impersonator, an ersatz Van Gogh, a machine shop operator and a Broadway impresario producing a show about dogs and cats (he gives voice to the pets, too). It's a formidable showcase, made all the more enjoyable by the humanity Castellaneta gives his characters and their concerns. The play's theme - we're all part of the ultimate one-person show - gives the night a resonance you might not expect from Homer Simpson's alter ego.

``A lot of the writing comes from watching people and from people I know,'' says the slightly built, 40-ish Castellaneta. (About the only thing he has in common with Homer is his hairline, although the actor has some way to go before he's down to the animated character's three hairs.)

``I had been seeing a lot of one-person shows, like Lily Tomlin's and Julia Sweeney's, and the great thing about the format is that you can do it whenever and wherever you want. My wife (Deb Lacusta - they met as a voice-over team in Chicago) has written plays, but then you have to worry about someone falling out if they get work that actually pays something.''

Like, say, ``The Simpsons.'' Castellaneta isn't planning on quitting his daytime job soon (particularly when it requires only a few hours of his time) but hopes that his showcase might lead to more movie roles or a regular part on a television series. (He was a cast member on ABC's short-lived ``Sibs.'')

``You'll never hear me complain,'' Castellaneta says. ``I'm a fan of Homer just like everyone else. He's one of the great characters in television history.''

THE FACTS

What: Dan Castellaneta in ``Where Did Vincent Van Gogh?''

Where: Acme Comedy Theatre, 135 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through July 28.

Tickets: $15. Call Tickets LA: [phone].

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Photo

Photo: Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson and other ``Simpsons'' characters, performs his one-man show, ``Where Did Vincent Van Gogh?'' at the Acme Comedy Theatre.