Nancy Cartwright.

In Kettering, Ohio, Nancy Jean Cartwright discovered her knack for voices and sound effects as a child. At Fairmont High School, she joined the theater department, played in the orchestra and marching band, and won the National District Tournament’s Humorous Interpretation category twice. Judges steered her toward cartoon voices. By 1976, while attending Ohio University on a full scholarship, she did professional voice work for WING radio. A Warner Bros. Records representative gave her a list of animation industry contacts; she zeroed in on Daws Butler, the voice of Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound. In 1978, she transferred to UCLA to be closer to Butler and the animation industry, taking Sunday bus trips to his home in Beverly Hills for lessons.

In 1983, Nancy Cartwright landed her first feature film role in Twilight Zone: The Movie, directed by Joe Dante. She then voiced Gloria in the Richie Rich cartoon series and did background work in Silverado 1985 and The Color Purple 1985. Her big break came in 1989 when she auditioned for The Simpsons. Originally called in for Lisa, she asked to read for Bart and was hired on the spot. The show premiered on December 17, 1989, and Bart became a cultural phenomenon, sparking Bartmania by 1990. She also voices Ralph Wiggum, Nelson Muntz, Todd Flanders, and Maggie Simpson. She expanded into other series: Rugrats as Chuckie Finster, Kim Possible as Rufus, and Animaniacs. In 1996, she created a one-woman show about her trip to meet Federico Fellini, winning a DramaLogue Award, later adapted into the film In Search of Fellini 2017. In 2019, she wrote her first episode of The Simpsons, Girl’s In the Band.

Nancy Cartwright married Warren Murphy on December 24, 1988; they have two children, Lucy Mae and Jackson, and she is stepmother to Jenny and Logan Brackett. She became a Scientologist in 1991. She is a lifelong Democrat and was appointed Honorary Mayor of Northridge, California in 2005. She has also served as a poll worker and supports various charities focusing on children’s welfare.

Nancy Cartwright’s portrayal of Bart Simpson helped define an era of television. Less than six months after The Simpsons debuted, The New York Times reported on Bartmania, with merchandise selling out nationwide. Her work earned her a Primetime Emmy in 1992 and an Annie Award in 1995. In 2020, she became the first voice actor to teach a MasterClass, joining instructors like James Cameron and Ron Howard. She established a perpetual scholarship at Ohio University and received an honorary Doctor of Communication from the school in 2012. She is most remembered for giving voice to the irreverent 10-year-old Bart Simpson, a character that has lasted for over 30 years.