Yeardley Smith
Encyclopedia
Yeardley Smith is a French
-born American
actress, voice actress
, writer
and painter
. She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson
on the animated television series The Simpsons
.
She was born in Paris
and moved with her family to Washington, D.C.
in 1966. As a child, Smith was often mocked because of her voice and unusual first name. She became a professional actress in 1982 after graduating from drama school and moved to New York City
in 1984 where she appeared in the Broadway
production of The Real Thing
. She made her film debut in 1985's Heaven Help Us
, followed by roles in The Legend of Billie Jean
and Maximum Overdrive
. She moved to Los Angeles
, California
in 1986 and received a recurring role in the television series Brothers
. In 1987, she auditioned for a role in a series of animated shorts about a dysfunctional family
on The Tracey Ullman Show
. Smith intended to audition for the role of Bart Simpson
, but the casting director felt her voice was too high, so she was given the role of Lisa instead. She voiced Lisa for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show, and in 1989, the shorts were spun off into their own half-hour show, The Simpsons. For her work as the character, Smith received a Primetime Emmy Award
for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
in 1992.
Alongside The Simpsons, Smith appeared in the sitcom Herman's Head
as Louise, and had recurring appearances as Marlene on Dharma & Greg
and Penny in two episodes of Dead Like Me
. She has appeared in several films, including City Slickers
, Just Write
, Toys and As Good as It Gets
. In 2004 Smith performed her own off-Broadway
one-woman show entitled More at the Union Square Theatre
in New York City
. Aside from The Simpsons, Smith has recorded few voice over parts, only commercials and the film We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
. Smith starred in and served as executive producer
for the independent romantic comedy Waiting For Ophelia, which had its world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival
in April 2009.
Smith was married to actor Christopher Grove from 1990 to 1992 and Daniel Erickson from 2002 to 2008. She enjoys writing and painting. During the first season of Herman's Head, Smith taught herself to paint by copying other artists. She released a children's book titled I, Lorelei in 2009 and her story The Race was included in the book Just Humor Me.
in Paris and moved to Washington, D.C.
, United States in 1966, where he became The Washington Post
' s first official obituary editor. Her mother, Martha Mayor, was a paper conservator for the Freer
and Sackler Galleries
at the Smithsonian Institution
. Smith's parents later divorced. Smith labeled her family "upper crust and reserved". As a child, Smith was often mocked because of her unusual first name and her voice. Smith has stated: "I've sounded pretty much the same way since I was six. Maybe [my voice is] a little deeper now." She made her acting debut in a sixth grade play.
theater group on an apprenticeship, featuring in their production of Peter Pan
. She went on to star in several other plays in Washington. She moved to New York City
in 1984 and appeared in the Broadway
production of The Real Thing
alongside Jeremy Irons
and Glenn Close
.
Her first film role came in 1985's Heaven Help Us
. She then played Putter in The Legend of Billie Jean
. The film was a box office bomb
and critically panned, although Smith "thought it would be the movie that launched my career. And then it was out at the box office about 10 days before it died." When filming was over, she rejoined The Real Thing before being out of work for six months and worried her career was over. However, the following year she played Connie in Stephen King
's Maximum Overdrive
, noting it was "truly a dreadful film but I had a great part in it."
She moved to Los Angeles
, California
in 1986 on the "semi-promise" of a part in a TV film. After the audition the role was given to another actress. Smith realized "that people don't mean what they say. It's not malicious. They just don't realize how much impact they have on an impressionable actor — and all actors are impressionable." From then on, she decided to "just sort of build a wall around myself," to cope with the disappointment of not getting a part. In Los Angeles, Smith appeared in theatrical productions of Living On Salvation Street, for which she was paid $14 for each performance, Boys and Girls/Men and Women and How the Other Half Loves, and played the recurring role of Luella Waters on the Showtime series Brothers
. She appeared in the films The Legend of Billie Jean
and Ginger Ale Afternoon
as "trailer-park girls." She later spoke of her regrets of appearing in the latter in her one-woman show More.
on The Simpsons
. She has voiced Lisa since 1987, beginning with The Simpsons shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show
. Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Lisa's brother Bart
, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high. Smith later recalled "I always sounded too much like a girl, I read two lines as Bart and they said, 'Thanks for coming!'" Smith was given the role of Lisa instead, although she almost turned it down. Pietila stated that, having seen her in Living on Salvation Street, Smith was always her preferred choice. In order to perform the voice, Smith lifts her voice up a little. Lisa is the only regular character voiced by Smith, although in some earlier episodes she provided some of Maggie
's squeaks and occasional speaking parts. Smith has only voiced characters other than Lisa on very rare occasions, with those characters usually being some derivative of Lisa, such as Lisa Bella in "Last Tap Dance in Springfield
" (season 11
, 2000) and Lisa, Jr. in "Missionary: Impossible
". (season 11
, 2000) Smith spends two days a week recording the show.
Until 1998, Smith was paid $30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing to cast new voices. However, the dispute was soon resolved and she received $125,000 per episode until 2004, when the voice actors demanded that they be paid $360,000 an episode. The issue was resolved a month later, and Smith earned $250,000 per episode. After salary renegotiations in 2008, the voice actors now receive approximately $400,000 per episode.
Despite her world famous role, Smith is rarely recognized in public, which she does not mind, saying "it's wonderful to be in the midst of all this hype about the show, and people enjoying the show so much, and to be totally a fly on the wall
; people never recognise me solely from my voice." In a 2009 interview with The Guardian
she commented: "It's the best job ever. I have nothing but gratitude for the amount of freedom The Simpsons has bought me in my life."
Smith received a Primetime Emmy Award
in 1992 but felt it was not worth anything, saying "there’s part of me that feels it wasn’t even a real Emmy." The Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
is a Creative Arts and not handed out during the primetime telecast and, prior to 2009, was a juried award without nominations. However, Smith says "if I had to be associated with one character in fiction, I will always be thrilled that it was Lisa Simpson." The show's creator Matt Groening
has called Smith very similar to Lisa: "Yeardley has strong moral views about her character. There are lines that are written for Lisa that Yeardley reads and says, 'No, I wouldn't say that.'" Writer Jay Kogen
praised her performance on the show, particularly in the episode "Lisa's Substitute
", as able "to move past comedy to something really strong and serious and dramatic."
as Louise. Her other television roles include recurring appearances as Marelene on Dharma & Greg
, and Penny in two episodes of Dead Like Me
. Smith has also appeared in Phil of the Future
and Teen Angel. Her one scene role as pregnant checkout girl Nancy in 1991's City Slickers
earned her "more attention than all [her] previous roles combined," and taught her that "that it's far better to have small parts in big movies that everyone sees." In 1997, she appeared as Lulu the palm reader in the independent film Just Write
. Her other roles include parts in Barry Levinson
's Toys and James L. Brooks
' As Good as It Gets
. Brooks, who is also executive producer of The Simpsons, had cast Smith in his 1994 film I'll Do Anything
(in one of the film's musical numbers) but her part was cut. Aside from The Simpsons, Smith has recorded few voice over parts, only commercials and the film We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
. She "had a voice over agent for about two years, and I used to go out [on auditions] all the time, but it never really came to anything. Everybody said, 'Oh Yeardley, you'll clean up,' and that was definitely not the case."
In 2004 Smith performed her own Off-Broadway one-woman show entitled More at the Union Square Theatre
in New York City
. Directed by Judith Ivey
, the play is about her mixed feelings over the success of The Simpsons, her parents, her relationships and her struggles with bulimia. The New York Times
critic Margo Jefferson called it an "appealing if overlong show", adding that "The career narrative needed shortening. This would involve some editing and revising but wouldn't taint the best parts of More. It is refreshing to hear a celebrity talk cleanly about being fame-driven and about not getting the degree or the kind of fame you craved. It's fun to watch a skilled actress use her craft to the full." She would later perform the play for three weeks in Los Angeles the following year.
Smith starred in and served as executive producer
for the independent romantic comedy Waiting for Ophelia, which was released in 2009. She funded the film, which was written by Adam Carl and based on a stage play he wrote in 2003. She said: "I loved it. I never get to play parts like that. I always play the friend of a friend, never the lead. And the script surprised me." Carl stated it was very unlikely she would recoup her money, but Smith decided she "believe[d] in this project, and my expectations have already been fulfilled by making the movie", and added: "You can support art even if it's not going to make a zillion dollars." It premiered on April 4, 2009 at the Phoenix Film Festival
.
, Smith stated "I am shy, but I have an extroverted persona which I can draw on when I need to," and that she is a "private" actress. In 2009 she commented that "People have said to me that I'm unassuming. It's true, I'm the worst celebrity ever. But I'm trying to become better." Smith had bulimia
since she was a teenager. She noted "It would make me high, I would feel endorphins and this great sense of victory."
She enjoys writing and painting. During the first season of Herman's Head, Smith taught herself to paint by copying other artists. The book Just Humor Me includes a story titled The Race, written by Smith. She also wrote a children's book, I, Lorelei, which was published by HarperCollins
in February 2009.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, voice actress
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
on the animated television series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
She was born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and moved with her family to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1966. As a child, Smith was often mocked because of her voice and unusual first name. She became a professional actress in 1982 after graduating from drama school and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1984 where she appeared in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of The Real Thing
The Real Thing (play)
The Real Thing is a play by Tom Stoppard, first performed in 1982. It examines the nature of honesty, and its use of a play within a play is one of many levels on which the author teases the audience with the difference between semblance and reality....
. She made her film debut in 1985's Heaven Help Us
Heaven Help Us (film)
Heaven Help Us is a 1985 comedy-drama film starring Andrew McCarthy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kevin Dillon, Donald Sutherland, Wallace Shawn, Stephen Geoffreys, John Heard, and Patrick Dempsey.-Story:...
, followed by roles in The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean is a 1985 American drama film, directed by Matthew Robbins.-Plot:Billie Jean Davy , a Corpus Christi, Texas high school girl, rides with her younger brother, Binx , on a Honda Elite to a local lake to enjoy a day of swimming and relaxation...
and Maximum Overdrive
Maximum Overdrive
Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American action-horror-science fiction film written and directed by novelist Stephen King. The screenplay was inspired by and loosely based on King's short story, Trucks, which was included in King's first collection of short stories, Night Shift.Maximum Overdrive is...
. She moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1986 and received a recurring role in the television series Brothers
Brothers (TV series)
Brothers is an American television sitcom that originally aired on the cable network Showtime from July 13, 1984 to July 25, 1989, totaling 115 episodes. It was produced by Gary Nardino Productions, in association with two separate divisions of Paramount; first by the Paramount Video division and...
. In 1987, she auditioned for a role in a series of animated shorts about a dysfunctional family
Simpson family
The Simpson family is a family of fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Homer and Marge and their three children Bart, Lisa and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town...
on The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
. Smith intended to audition for the role of Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, but the casting director felt her voice was too high, so she was given the role of Lisa instead. She voiced Lisa for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show, and in 1989, the shorts were spun off into their own half-hour show, The Simpsons. For her work as the character, Smith received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Emmy Award given out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is awarded to a performer for an outstanding "continuing or single voice-over performance in a series or a special." Prior to 1992, voice-actors...
in 1992.
Alongside The Simpsons, Smith appeared in the sitcom Herman's Head
Herman's Head
Herman's Head is an American sitcom that aired on the Fox network from 1991 to 1994. The series stars William Ragsdale as the titular character, Herman Brooks.-Synopsis:...
as Louise, and had recurring appearances as Marlene on Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
and Penny in two episodes of Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me was an American-Canadian comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for the Showtime network, where it ran for two seasons...
. She has appeared in several films, including City Slickers
City Slickers
City Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance....
, Just Write
Just Write
Just Write is a 1997 romantic comedy directed by Andrew Gallerani starring Jeremy Piven, Sherilyn Fenn, JoBeth Williams and Wallace Shawn.-Plot:...
, Toys and As Good as It Gets
As Good as It Gets
As Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with an asthmatic son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was...
. In 2004 Smith performed her own off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
one-woman show entitled More at the Union Square Theatre
Union Square Theatre
Union Square Theater is an Off-Broadway theatre, owned by Reading International, who also owns Reading Entertainment.- Productions :*Visiting Mr. Green by Jeff Baron*The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic Theater Project...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Aside from The Simpsons, Smith has recorded few voice over parts, only commercials and the film We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (film)
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story is a 1993 American animated film, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, distributed by Universal Pictures, and originally released to theaters on November 24, 1993 for the United States. It was rated G by the MPAA...
. Smith starred in and served as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for the independent romantic comedy Waiting For Ophelia, which had its world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival
Phoenix Film Festival
Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. The celebration takes place annually in the city of Phoenix, Arizona...
in April 2009.
Smith was married to actor Christopher Grove from 1990 to 1992 and Daniel Erickson from 2002 to 2008. She enjoys writing and painting. During the first season of Herman's Head, Smith taught herself to paint by copying other artists. She released a children's book titled I, Lorelei in 2009 and her story The Race was included in the book Just Humor Me.
Early life
Smith was born Martha Maria Yeardley Smith on July 3, 1964 in Paris, France. Her father, Joseph Smith, worked for United Press InternationalUnited Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
in Paris and moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States in 1966, where he became The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
Freer Gallery of Art
The Freer Gallery of Art joins the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery to form the Smithsonian Institution's national museums of Asian art. The Freer contains art from East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Islamic world, the ancient Near East, and ancient Egypt, as well as a significant collection of...
and Sackler Galleries
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery joins the Freer Gallery of Art to form the Smithsonian Institution's national museums of Asian art. The Sackler celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2012....
at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
. Smith's parents later divorced. Smith labeled her family "upper crust and reserved". As a child, Smith was often mocked because of her unusual first name and her voice. Smith has stated: "I've sounded pretty much the same way since I was six. Maybe [my voice is] a little deeper now." She made her acting debut in a sixth grade play.
Early career
Smith became a professional actress in 1982 after graduating from drama school. After appearances in a number of school plays she joined the local Arena StageArena Stage
Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest Washington, D.C. Its declared mission"is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Arena has broad shoulders and a capacity to produce anything from vast epics...
theater group on an apprenticeship, featuring in their production of Peter Pan
Peter and Wendy
Peter and Wendy, published in 1911, is the novelisation by J. M. Barrie of his most famous play Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up...
. She went on to star in several other plays in Washington. She moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1984 and appeared in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of The Real Thing
The Real Thing (play)
The Real Thing is a play by Tom Stoppard, first performed in 1982. It examines the nature of honesty, and its use of a play within a play is one of many levels on which the author teases the audience with the difference between semblance and reality....
alongside Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
and Glenn Close
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and singer of theatre and film, known for her roles as a femme fatale Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress and...
.
Her first film role came in 1985's Heaven Help Us
Heaven Help Us (film)
Heaven Help Us is a 1985 comedy-drama film starring Andrew McCarthy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kevin Dillon, Donald Sutherland, Wallace Shawn, Stephen Geoffreys, John Heard, and Patrick Dempsey.-Story:...
. She then played Putter in The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean is a 1985 American drama film, directed by Matthew Robbins.-Plot:Billie Jean Davy , a Corpus Christi, Texas high school girl, rides with her younger brother, Binx , on a Honda Elite to a local lake to enjoy a day of swimming and relaxation...
. The film was a box office bomb
Box office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
and critically panned, although Smith "thought it would be the movie that launched my career. And then it was out at the box office about 10 days before it died." When filming was over, she rejoined The Real Thing before being out of work for six months and worried her career was over. However, the following year she played Connie in Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's Maximum Overdrive
Maximum Overdrive
Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American action-horror-science fiction film written and directed by novelist Stephen King. The screenplay was inspired by and loosely based on King's short story, Trucks, which was included in King's first collection of short stories, Night Shift.Maximum Overdrive is...
, noting it was "truly a dreadful film but I had a great part in it."
She moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1986 on the "semi-promise" of a part in a TV film. After the audition the role was given to another actress. Smith realized "that people don't mean what they say. It's not malicious. They just don't realize how much impact they have on an impressionable actor — and all actors are impressionable." From then on, she decided to "just sort of build a wall around myself," to cope with the disappointment of not getting a part. In Los Angeles, Smith appeared in theatrical productions of Living On Salvation Street, for which she was paid $14 for each performance, Boys and Girls/Men and Women and How the Other Half Loves, and played the recurring role of Luella Waters on the Showtime series Brothers
Brothers (TV series)
Brothers is an American television sitcom that originally aired on the cable network Showtime from July 13, 1984 to July 25, 1989, totaling 115 episodes. It was produced by Gary Nardino Productions, in association with two separate divisions of Paramount; first by the Paramount Video division and...
. She appeared in the films The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean is a 1985 American drama film, directed by Matthew Robbins.-Plot:Billie Jean Davy , a Corpus Christi, Texas high school girl, rides with her younger brother, Binx , on a Honda Elite to a local lake to enjoy a day of swimming and relaxation...
and Ginger Ale Afternoon
Ginger Ale Afternoon
Ginger Ale Afternoon is a 1989 independent film by director Rafal Zielinski, based on a stage play by Gina Wendkos.-Plot summary:A man and his pregnant wife, played by Dana Anderson live in a trailer park. The wife discovers that the husband has been spending time with their young neighbor...
as "trailer-park girls." She later spoke of her regrets of appearing in the latter in her one-woman show More.
The Simpsons
Smith's longest-running role is voicing Lisa SimpsonLisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
on The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. She has voiced Lisa since 1987, beginning with The Simpsons shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show
The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts...
. Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Lisa's brother Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high. Smith later recalled "I always sounded too much like a girl, I read two lines as Bart and they said, 'Thanks for coming!'" Smith was given the role of Lisa instead, although she almost turned it down. Pietila stated that, having seen her in Living on Salvation Street, Smith was always her preferred choice. In order to perform the voice, Smith lifts her voice up a little. Lisa is the only regular character voiced by Smith, although in some earlier episodes she provided some of Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
's squeaks and occasional speaking parts. Smith has only voiced characters other than Lisa on very rare occasions, with those characters usually being some derivative of Lisa, such as Lisa Bella in "Last Tap Dance in Springfield
Last Tap Dance in Springfield
"Last Tap Dance in Springfield" is the twentieth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 7, 2000. In the episode, Lisa decides to sign up for tap dancing lessons after being inspired by a film...
" (season 11
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
, 2000) and Lisa, Jr. in "Missionary: Impossible
Missionary: Impossible
"Missionary: Impossible" is the fifteenth episode of the 11th season of The Simpsons, which originally aired February 20, 2000.-Plot:In an attempt to end a pledge drive which interrupts a favorite show of his on PBS , Homer pledges $10,000 to the network...
". (season 11
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
, 2000) Smith spends two days a week recording the show.
Until 1998, Smith was paid $30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing to cast new voices. However, the dispute was soon resolved and she received $125,000 per episode until 2004, when the voice actors demanded that they be paid $360,000 an episode. The issue was resolved a month later, and Smith earned $250,000 per episode. After salary renegotiations in 2008, the voice actors now receive approximately $400,000 per episode.
Despite her world famous role, Smith is rarely recognized in public, which she does not mind, saying "it's wonderful to be in the midst of all this hype about the show, and people enjoying the show so much, and to be totally a fly on the wall
Fly on the wall
Fly on the wall is a style of documentary-making used in filmmaking and television production. The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on a wall might see them...
; people never recognise me solely from my voice." In a 2009 interview with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
she commented: "It's the best job ever. I have nothing but gratitude for the amount of freedom The Simpsons has bought me in my life."
Smith received a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
in 1992 but felt it was not worth anything, saying "there’s part of me that feels it wasn’t even a real Emmy." The Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Emmy Award given out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is awarded to a performer for an outstanding "continuing or single voice-over performance in a series or a special." Prior to 1992, voice-actors...
is a Creative Arts and not handed out during the primetime telecast and, prior to 2009, was a juried award without nominations. However, Smith says "if I had to be associated with one character in fiction, I will always be thrilled that it was Lisa Simpson." The show's creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
has called Smith very similar to Lisa: "Yeardley has strong moral views about her character. There are lines that are written for Lisa that Yeardley reads and says, 'No, I wouldn't say that.'" Writer Jay Kogen
Jay Kogen
-Early life:Jay Steven Kogen was born on May 3rd, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Mad writer Arnie Kogen, and Sue Kogen . His paternal grandparents, Samuel Kogen and Pauline Gorin, were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , while his maternal grandparents, Harold Hirsch and Ida...
praised her performance on the show, particularly in the episode "Lisa's Substitute
Lisa's Substitute
"Lisa's Substitute" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1991. In the episode, Lisa's teacher Miss Hoover takes medical leave due to what she thinks is Lyme disease, so substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom takes over the...
", as able "to move past comedy to something really strong and serious and dramatic."
Further career
From 1991–1994, alongside The Simpsons, Smith appeared in the sitcom Herman's HeadHerman's Head
Herman's Head is an American sitcom that aired on the Fox network from 1991 to 1994. The series stars William Ragsdale as the titular character, Herman Brooks.-Synopsis:...
as Louise. Her other television roles include recurring appearances as Marelene on Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg
Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites...
, and Penny in two episodes of Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me was an American-Canadian comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for the Showtime network, where it ran for two seasons...
. Smith has also appeared in Phil of the Future
Phil of the Future
Phil of the Future is an American situation comedy that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006 for a total of two seasons. The series was created by Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber and produced by 2121 Productions, a part of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment...
and Teen Angel. Her one scene role as pregnant checkout girl Nancy in 1991's City Slickers
City Slickers
City Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance....
earned her "more attention than all [her] previous roles combined," and taught her that "that it's far better to have small parts in big movies that everyone sees." In 1997, she appeared as Lulu the palm reader in the independent film Just Write
Just Write
Just Write is a 1997 romantic comedy directed by Andrew Gallerani starring Jeremy Piven, Sherilyn Fenn, JoBeth Williams and Wallace Shawn.-Plot:...
. Her other roles include parts in Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
's Toys and James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...
' As Good as It Gets
As Good as It Gets
As Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with an asthmatic son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was...
. Brooks, who is also executive producer of The Simpsons, had cast Smith in his 1994 film I'll Do Anything
I'll Do Anything
I'll Do Anything is a 1994 American dramedy film written and directed by James L. Brooks. Its primary plot concerns a down-on-his-luck actor who suddenly finds himself the sole caretaker of his six-year-old daughter.-Synopsis:...
(in one of the film's musical numbers) but her part was cut. Aside from The Simpsons, Smith has recorded few voice over parts, only commercials and the film We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (film)
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story is a 1993 American animated film, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, distributed by Universal Pictures, and originally released to theaters on November 24, 1993 for the United States. It was rated G by the MPAA...
. She "had a voice over agent for about two years, and I used to go out [on auditions] all the time, but it never really came to anything. Everybody said, 'Oh Yeardley, you'll clean up,' and that was definitely not the case."
In 2004 Smith performed her own Off-Broadway one-woman show entitled More at the Union Square Theatre
Union Square Theatre
Union Square Theater is an Off-Broadway theatre, owned by Reading International, who also owns Reading Entertainment.- Productions :*Visiting Mr. Green by Jeff Baron*The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic Theater Project...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Directed by Judith Ivey
Judith Ivey
Judith Lee Ivey is an American actress and director.-Personal life:Ivey was born in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Dorothy Lee , a teacher, and Nathan Aldean Ivey, a college instructor and dean. She spent 1965-1968 in Dowagiac, Michigan, where she attended Union High School through tenth grade...
, the play is about her mixed feelings over the success of The Simpsons, her parents, her relationships and her struggles with bulimia. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
critic Margo Jefferson called it an "appealing if overlong show", adding that "The career narrative needed shortening. This would involve some editing and revising but wouldn't taint the best parts of More. It is refreshing to hear a celebrity talk cleanly about being fame-driven and about not getting the degree or the kind of fame you craved. It's fun to watch a skilled actress use her craft to the full." She would later perform the play for three weeks in Los Angeles the following year.
Smith starred in and served as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for the independent romantic comedy Waiting for Ophelia, which was released in 2009. She funded the film, which was written by Adam Carl and based on a stage play he wrote in 2003. She said: "I loved it. I never get to play parts like that. I always play the friend of a friend, never the lead. And the script surprised me." Carl stated it was very unlikely she would recoup her money, but Smith decided she "believe[d] in this project, and my expectations have already been fulfilled by making the movie", and added: "You can support art even if it's not going to make a zillion dollars." It premiered on April 4, 2009 at the Phoenix Film Festival
Phoenix Film Festival
Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. The celebration takes place annually in the city of Phoenix, Arizona...
.
Personal life
Smith married English-Canadian actor Christopher Grove in 1990. They were divorced in 1992, citing irreconcilable differences. She married Daniel Erickson in 2002; the marriage lasted for six years and Smith filed for divorce on May 21, 2008, citing once again irreconcilable differences. In a 1997 interview with The Daily TargumThe Daily Targum
The Daily Targum is the official student newspaper of Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey. Founded in 1869, it is the second-oldest collegiate newspaper in the United States. The Daily Targum is student written and managed, and boasts a circulation of 18,000...
, Smith stated "I am shy, but I have an extroverted persona which I can draw on when I need to," and that she is a "private" actress. In 2009 she commented that "People have said to me that I'm unassuming. It's true, I'm the worst celebrity ever. But I'm trying to become better." Smith had bulimia
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
since she was a teenager. She noted "It would make me high, I would feel endorphins and this great sense of victory."
She enjoys writing and painting. During the first season of Herman's Head, Smith taught herself to paint by copying other artists. The book Just Humor Me includes a story titled The Race, written by Smith. She also wrote a children's book, I, Lorelei, which was published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in February 2009.
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Heaven Help Us Heaven Help Us (film) Heaven Help Us is a 1985 comedy-drama film starring Andrew McCarthy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kevin Dillon, Donald Sutherland, Wallace Shawn, Stephen Geoffreys, John Heard, and Patrick Dempsey.-Story:... |
Kathleen | |
| The Legend of Billie Jean The Legend of Billie Jean The Legend of Billie Jean is a 1985 American drama film, directed by Matthew Robbins.-Plot:Billie Jean Davy , a Corpus Christi, Texas high school girl, rides with her younger brother, Binx , on a Honda Elite to a local lake to enjoy a day of swimming and relaxation... |
Putter | ||
| 1986 | Maximum Overdrive Maximum Overdrive Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 American action-horror-science fiction film written and directed by novelist Stephen King. The screenplay was inspired by and loosely based on King's short story, Trucks, which was included in King's first collection of short stories, Night Shift.Maximum Overdrive is... |
Connie | |
| 1987 | Three O'Clock High Three O'Clock High Three O'Clock High is a 1987 high-school comedy film, directed by Phil Joanou, written by Richard Christian Matheson and Thomas Szollosi, and produced by Aaron Spelling. It was filmed at Ogden High School in Ogden, Utah, but, in part, was inspired by Joanou's own experiences at La Canada High School... |
Cheerleader | |
| 1989 | Listen to Me | Cootz | |
| Zwei Frauen Zwei Frauen Zwei Frauen is a 1989 German dramatic film. The film stars Jami Gertz, George Peppard, Bruce Payne and Rip Torn.... |
Karen | ||
| Ginger Ale Afternoon Ginger Ale Afternoon Ginger Ale Afternoon is a 1989 independent film by director Rafal Zielinski, based on a stage play by Gina Wendkos.-Plot summary:A man and his pregnant wife, played by Dana Anderson live in a trailer park. The wife discovers that the husband has been spending time with their young neighbor... |
Bonnie Cleator | Credited as "Yeardly Smith" | |
| 1991 | City Slickers City Slickers City Slickers is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Ron Underwood and starring Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby, Helen Slater and Jack Palance. Palance won an Academy Award for his performance.... |
Nancy | |
| 1992 | Toys | Researcher Miss Drum | |
| 1993 | We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (film) We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story is a 1993 American animated film, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, distributed by Universal Pictures, and originally released to theaters on November 24, 1993 for the United States. It was rated G by the MPAA... |
Cecilia | |
| 1996 | Jingle All the Way Jingle All the Way Jingle All the Way is a 1996 American family comedy film directed by Brian Levant and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Jake Lloyd, James Belushi and Robert Conrad... |
Woman who hits Howard with her purse | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Just Write Just Write Just Write is a 1997 romantic comedy directed by Andrew Gallerani starring Jeremy Piven, Sherilyn Fenn, JoBeth Williams and Wallace Shawn.-Plot:... |
Lulu | |
| As Good as It Gets As Good as It Gets As Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with an asthmatic son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was... |
Jackie Simpson | ||
| 2002 | Back by Midnight Back by Midnight Back By Midnight is a 2002 comedy film starring Rodney Dangerfield, Phil LaMarr, Harland Williams, Randy Quaid, Gilbert Gottfried, and Kirstie Alley. However, it was not released until 2005... |
Veronica | |
| 2007 | The Simpsons Movie The Simpsons Movie The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress... |
Lisa Simpson Lisa Simpson Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening... |
|
| 2009 | Waiting for Ophelia | Caitlin O'Malley | Awaiting release; also executive producer |
| Miracle of Phil | Holly | Awaiting release | |
| Tug Tug (film) Tug is a 2010 Comedy / Romance film by Abram Makowka. Shown at the Newport Beach Film Festival & the Waterfront Film Festival.- Plot :A small town guy tries to decide between staying with his current girlfriend or going back to his psycho ex... |
Mom | Post-production | |
| 2010 | High School | TBA | Filming |
| 2011 | The Chaperone The Chaperone (film) The Chaperone is a 2011 film by WWE Studios starring WWE wrestler Triple H, Yeardley Smith, Ariel Winter, Kevin Corrigan, José Zúñiga, Kevin Rankin, Enrico Colantoni, and Israel Boussard.-Plot:... |
Ms. Miller |
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | ABC Afterschool Special ABC Afterschool Special The ABC Afterschool Special is an American television anthology series that aired on ABC from 1972 to 1996, usually in the late afternoon on week days. Most of the episodes were dramatic presentations of situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were... |
Jenny | Episode 13.4: "Mom's on Strike" |
| 1984–1989 | Brothers Brothers (TV series) Brothers is an American television sitcom that originally aired on the cable network Showtime from July 13, 1984 to July 25, 1989, totaling 115 episodes. It was produced by Gary Nardino Productions, in association with two separate divisions of Paramount; first by the Paramount Video division and... |
Luella Waters | Appeared in 46 episodes |
| 1985 | The Recovery Room | Jill | TV film |
| 1986 | Tales from the Darkside Tales from the Darkside Tales from the Darkside is an anthology horror TV series produced by George A. Romero; it originally aired from 1983 to 1988. Similar to Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt, each episode was an individual short story that ended with a plot... |
Betty Ann Cooper | Episode 2.23: "Fear of Floating" |
| Mama's Family Mama's Family Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,... |
Bonita Rokeke | Episode 3.13: "Where's There's Smoke" | |
| 1987 | Square One Television (Mathnet Mathnet Mathnet is a segment on the children's television show Square One, of which five seasons were produced . This parody of Dragnet featured detectives at the Los Angeles Police Department who solved mysteries using their mathematical skills. There were two main characters: detectives Kate Monday and... ) |
Jane Rice-Burroughs | Appeared in four episodes Episode 1.2: "The Problem of the Missing Monkey" |
| 1987–1989 | The Tracey Ullman Show The Tracey Ullman Show The Tracey Ullman Show was an American television variety show, hosted by British comedian and onetime pop singer Tracey Ullman. It debuted on April 5, 1987 as the Fox network's second primetime series after Married... with Children, and ran until May 26, 1990. The show blended sketch comedy shorts... |
Lisa Simpson | The Simpsons shorts |
| 1988 | CBS Summer Playhouse CBS Summer Playhouse CBS Summer Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from June 12, 1987 to August 22, 1989 on CBS. It aired unsold television pilots during the summer season.-Overview:... |
Paula Bennett | Episode 2.17: "Tickets, Please" |
| 1989 | Murphy Brown Murphy Brown Murphy Brown is an American situation comedy which aired on CBS from November 14, 1988, to May 18, 1998, for a total of 247 episodes. The program starred Candice Bergen as the eponymous Murphy Brown, a famous investigative journalist and news anchor for FYI, a fictional CBS television... |
Phoebe Cramer | Episode 2.5: "Miles' Big Adventure" |
| 1989- | The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie... |
Lisa Simpson | Main cast member; longest-running role Won Primetime Emmy Award Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming... |
| 1990 | Sydney | Tracy Cole | Episode 1.8: "The Me Nobody Knows" |
| 1991–1994 | Herman's Head Herman's Head Herman's Head is an American sitcom that aired on the Fox network from 1991 to 1994. The series stars William Ragsdale as the titular character, Herman Brooks.-Synopsis:... |
Louise Fitzer | Appeared in 32 episodes |
| 1992 | Likely Suspects | Unnamed character | Episode 1.11: "Am I Not Your Stiff" |
| 1994 | Empty Nest | Sally | Episode 7.3: "Just for Laughs" |
| 1997 | Toothless | Gatekeeper | TV film |
| Smart Guy | Mrs. Rawlings | Episode 2.5: "Dumbstruck" | |
| Teen Angel | Miss Gross | Episode 1.8: "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog" | |
| 1997–2002 | Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites... |
Marlene | Appeared in 17 episodes |
| 1998 | Sports Night Sports Night Sports Night is an American television series about a fictional sports news show also called Sports Night. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls, and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to produce a good show under constant network pressure... |
Malory Moss | Episode 1.4: "Intellectual Property" |
| 1999 | Nash Bridges Nash Bridges Nash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of... |
Stevie Strong | Episode 5.9: "Crosstalk" |
| 2001 | Last Dance | Unnamed character | TV film |
| 2003 | Becker Becker (TV series) Becker is an American television sitcom that ran from 1998 to 2004 on CBS. Set in the New York City borough of The Bronx, the show starred Ted Danson as John Becker, a misanthropic doctor who operates a small practice and is constantly annoyed by his patients, co-workers, friends, and practically... |
Ruby | Episode 5.19: "Ms. Fortune" |
| 2004 | Dead Like Me Dead Like Me Dead Like Me was an American-Canadian comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for the Showtime network, where it ran for two seasons... |
Penny | Episodes 2.12: "Forget Me Not" and 2.14: "Always" |
| 2005 | Phil of the Future Phil of the Future Phil of the Future is an American situation comedy that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006 for a total of two seasons. The series was created by Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber and produced by 2121 Productions, a part of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment... |
Mrs. Teslow | Episodes 1.18: "Double Trouble" and 1.20: "Corner Pocket" |
| Strong Medicine Strong Medicine Strong Medicine is a medical drama with a focus on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict. The television series aired on the Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The series was created and produced in part by comedienne and... |
Real Estate Agent | Episode 6.5: "Dying Inside" | |
| 2009 | Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each... |
Nurse | Episode 3.5: "The Fog" |
| 2010 | The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers... |
Sandy | Episode 3.14: "The Einstein Approximation" |
Video games
| Year | Game | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Simpsons The Simpsons (arcade game) The Simpsons Arcade Game is an arcade beat 'em up developed by Konami released in 1991, and the first video game based on The Simpsons franchise. The voice actors of the immediate family provide voices for their respective characters... |
Lisa Simpson |
| 1996 | The Simpsons Cartoon Studio The Simpsons Cartoon Studio The Simpsons Cartoon Studio is a computer program based on the animated television series The Simpsons that was released for PC and Mac computers in 1996 by Fox Interactive. It allows users to create their own Simpsons cartoons, using characters, sounds, music, and locations from the show. The cast... |
Lisa Simpson |
| 1997 | Virtual Springfield Virtual Springfield The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield is a Windows and Macintosh computer game released in 1997 and published by Fox Interactive. It lets players to explore the fictional town Springfield featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, and the goal is to collect an entire set of character... |
Lisa Simpson |
| 1999 | The Simpsons Bowling The Simpsons Bowling The Simpsons Bowling is a 3-D trackball arcade game, which features characters from The Simpsons. This game was made by Konami and Fox Interactive, and released in 2000. The game will be released on Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in early or mid 2012.-Gameplay:The game featured nine... |
Lisa Simpson |
| 2001 | The Simpsons Wrestling The Simpsons Wrestling The Simpsons Wrestling is a professional wrestling video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the PlayStation console. The game was developed by Big Ape Productions, and published by Fox Interactive and Activision... |
Lisa Simpson |
| 2001 | The Simpsons Road Rage The Simpsons Road Rage The Simpsons Road Rage is a 2001 video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, and is part of a series of games based on the show. It was developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, and the GameCube... |
Lisa Simpson |
| 2002 | The Simpsons Skateboarding | Lisa Simpson |
| 2003 | The Simpsons Hit & Run The Simpsons Hit & Run The Simpsons Hit & Run is an action-adventure video game based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons. It was released for the GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Windows in North America on September 16, 2003, In Europe and Australia on October 31, 2003 and in Japan on December 25, 2003... |
Lisa Simpson |
| 2007 | The Simpsons Game The Simpsons Game The Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It was released in North... |
Lisa Simpson |
External links
- Yeardley Smith at the Voice Chasers Database
- Yeardley Smith at HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
.com