Nancy Jean Cartwright (born October 25, 1957) is an American actress and voice actress. She is known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series "The Simpsons". Cartwright also voices other characters for the show, including Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, Kearney, Database, and Maggie (previously voiced by fellow co-star, Yeardley Smith). Cartwright was born in Dayton, Ohio. Cartwright moved to Hollywood in 1978 and trained alongside voice actor Daws Butler. Her first professional role was voicing Gloria in the animated series "Richie Rich", which she followed with a starring role in the television movie "Marian Rose White" (1982) and her first feature film, "" (1983).
Introduction
Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Cartwright | Introduction
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who does the voice over for bart simpson
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Nancy Jean Cartwright (born October 25, 1957) is an American actress and voice actress. She is known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson on the animated television series "The Simpsons". Cartwright also voices other characters for the show, including Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, Kearney, Database, and Maggie (previously voiced by fellow co-star, Yeardley Smith). Cartwright was born in Dayton, Ohio. Cartwright moved to Hollywood in 1978 and trained alongside voice actor Daws Butler. Her first professional role was voicing Gloria in the animated series "Richie Rich", which she followed with a starring role in the television movie "Marian Rose White" (1982) and her first feature film, "" (1983).
Nancy Cartwright | Introduction
During the first season of "The Simpsons", Fox ordered Cartwright not to give interviews, because they did not want to publicize the fact that Bart was voiced by a woman. Cartwright's normal speaking voice is said to have "no obvious traces of Bart", and she believes her role is "the best acting job in the world" since she is rarely recognized in public. When she is recognized and asked to perform Bart's voice in front of children, Cartwright refuses because it "freaks [them] out". Bart's catchphrase "Eat My Shorts" was an ad-lib by Cartwright in one of the original table readings, referring to an incident from her high school days.
Nancy Cartwright | "The Simpsons"
Creator Matt Groening let her try out for Bart and gave her the job on the spot. Bart's voice came naturally to Cartwright, as she had previously used elements of it in "My Little Pony", "Snorks", and "Pound Puppies". Cartwright describes Bart's voice as easy to perform compared with other characters. The recording of the shorts was often primitive; the dialog was recorded on a portable tape deck in a makeshift studio above the bleachers on the set of "The Tracey Ullman Show". Cartwright, the only cast member to have been professionally trained in voice acting, described the sessions as "great fun".
Nancy Cartwright | "The Simpsons"
Ralph Wiggum had originally been voiced by Jo Ann Harris, but Cartwright was assigned to voice the character in "Bart the Murderer" (season three, 1991). Todd Flanders, the only voice for which Cartwright used another source, is based on Sherman (voiced by Walter Tetley), the boy from "Peabody's Improbable History", a series of shorts aired on "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show".
Nancy Cartwright | "The Simpsons"
For her subsequent work as Bart, Cartwright received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992 and an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in the Field of Animation in 1995.
Nancy Cartwright | Introduction
After continuing to search for acting work, in 1987, Cartwright auditioned for a role in a series of animated shorts about a dysfunctional family that was to appear on "The Tracey Ullman Show". Cartwright intended to audition for the role of Lisa Simpson, the middle child; when she arrived at the audition, she found the role of Bart—Lisa's brother—to be more interesting. Matt Groening, the series' creator, allowed her to audition for Bart and offered her the role on the spot. She voiced Bart for three seasons on "The Tracey Ullman Show", and in 1989, the shorts were spun off into a half-hour show called "The Simpsons".
Nancy Cartwright | Introduction
Once while performing, members of the Fairmont West High School marching band switched their chant from the usual "Fairmont West! Fairmont West!" to the irreverent "Eat my shorts!" Cartwright felt it appropriate for Bart, and improvised the line; it became a popular catchphrase on the show. Cartwright voices several other characters on the show, including Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, Kearney, and Database. She first voiced Nelson in the episode "Bart the General" (season one, 1990). The character was to be voiced by Dana Hill, but Hill missed the recording session and Cartwright was given the role. She developed Nelson's voice on the spot and describes him as "a throat-ripper".
Nancy Cartwright | "The Simpsons"
In flashforward episodes, Cartwright still provides the voice of Bart. For "Lisa's Wedding", (season six, 1995) Bart's voice was electronically lowered. Despite Bart's fame, Cartwright is rarely recognized in public. When she is recognized and asked to perform Bart's voice in front of children, Cartwright refuses as it "freaks [them] out". During the first season of "The Simpsons", the Fox Network did not allow Cartwright to give interviews because they did not want to publicize that Bart was voiced by a woman.
Bart Simpson | Voice
People feel these are real people." Kavner takes recording sessions seriously, and feels that voice acting is "a little more limiting than live acting. And I have nothing to do with my character's movement." Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart Simpson, said in her book "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy" that Kavner is "a workhorse of an actor" with "extraordinary professionalism and quiet work ethic", and notes that she is rarely late for recording sessions.
Julie Kavner | "The Simpsons"
Cartwright is best known for her role as Bart Simpson on the long-running animated television show "The Simpsons". On March 13, 1987, she auditioned for a series of animated shorts about a dysfunctional family that was to appear on "The Tracey Ullman Show", a sketch comedy program. Cartwright originally intended to audition for the role of Lisa Simpson, the elder daughter. After arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the middle child and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart, described as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, [and] clever".
Nancy Cartwright | "The Simpsons"
"The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening named Nelson after the wrestling hold of the same name. Cast member Nancy Cartwright voices the character, which first appeared in the fifth episode of the first season, "Bart the General" (1990). American voice actress Dana Hill was first supposed to provide Nelson's voice, and attended the read-through of the episode. However, as Cartwright wrote in her autobiography "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy", "the producers were still putting together this ensemble of [actors] and, come Monday, at the recording, she was nowhere to be found and the part was assigned to me. I didn't have time to ask why and I still don't have a clue." Cartwright also commented that when she first found out she would be voicing Nelson, "I asked myself, 'What does a bully sound like?' Well...
Nelson Muntz | Character
I read two lines as Bart and they said, 'Thanks for coming!'" Smith was given the role of Lisa instead. On March 13, 1987, Nancy Cartwright went in to audition for the role of Lisa. After arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart, who was described as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, [and] clever". Matt Groening let her try out for the part instead, and upon hearing her read, gave her the job on the spot.
Bart Simpson | Voice
Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith all began voicing their characters on "The Tracey Ullman Show". Nancy Cartwright was the only one of the group who had been trained to be a voice actor while Castellaneta had done some voice over work in Chicago. Castellaneta and Kavner had been part of the regular cast of "The Tracey Ullman Show" and voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask them to voice Homer and Marge rather than hire more actors. The producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Yeardley Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high.
Simpson family | Casting
Cartwright is the only one of the six main "Simpsons" cast members who had been professionally trained in voice acting prior to working on the show. Cartwright's normal speaking voice is said to have "no obvious traces of Bart". The voice came naturally to Cartwright; prior to "The Tracey Ullman Show", she had used elements of it in shows such as "My Little Pony", "Snorks", and "Pound Puppies". Cartwright describes Bart's voice as easy to perform, saying, "Some characters take a little bit more effort, upper respiratory control, whatever it is technically. But Bart is easy to do. I can just slip into that without difficulty." She usually does five or six readings of every line in order to give the producers more to work with.
Bart Simpson | Voice
Bart's voice is provided by Nancy Cartwright, who voices several other child characters on "The Simpsons", including Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, and Kearney. While the roles of Homer and Marge were given to Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner because they were already a part of "The Tracey Ullman Show" cast, the producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Yeardley Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high. Smith later recalled, "I always sounded too much like a girl.
Bart Simpson | Voice
Chuckie because ... he's an asthmatic with five personalities rolled into one—plus I have to do the voice the way [Cavanaugh] did it for 10 years." Other television shows that have used her voice work include "Galaxy High," "God, the Devil and Bob," "Goof Troop," "Mike, Lu & Og," "The Replacements," "Pinky and the Brain" and "Timberwolf". Cartwright has appeared on camera in numerous television shows and films, including "Fame", "Empty Nest", "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", "Flesh and Blood", "Godzilla," and "24". In 2000, Cartwright published her autobiography, "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy". The book details her career (particularly her experiences as the voice of Bart) and contains stories about life behind the scenes of "The Simpsons".
Nancy Cartwright | Further career
Lurleen's last name, Lumpkin, came from the country bumpkin character Tony Lumpkin in the 1773 comedy play "She Stoops to Conquer" by Oliver Goldsmith. Bart's voice actor, Nancy Cartwright, wrote in her autobiography "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy" that the episode's script gives the audience a "visual and aural feast". She said the background designers "must have gone on another field trip for this one" because they captured the look of a typical musical recording studio. The recording studio in the episode, where Lurleen records her new songs with the Simpson family, features two rooms, one for the artist and one for the engineer, with a pane of glass between them.
Colonel Homer | Animation
Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Castellaneta as well as Julie Kavner to voice Homer and Marge, rather than hire more actors. Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith performed the voices of Bart Simpson and Lisa Simpson respectively.
The Simpsons (franchise) | Shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show"
The segment was based on "The Twilight Zone" television series episode "It's a Good Life", which was later parodied in "The Simpsons" episode "Treehouse of Horror II" (1991). Cartwright continued to do voice work for projects including "Pound Puppies", "Popeye and Son", "Snorks", "My Little Pony" and "Saturday Supercade". She joined a "loop group", and recorded vocals for characters in the background of films, although in most cases the sound was turned down so that very little of her voice was heard. She did minor voice-over work for several films, including "The Clan of the Cave Bear" (1986), "Silverado" (1985), "Sixteen Candles" (1984), "Back to the Future Part II" (1989), and "The Color Purple" (1985).
Nancy Cartwright | Early career
The producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high, so she was given the role of Lisa instead. Cartwright was originally brought in to voice Lisa, but upon arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart, who was described as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, [and] clever". Groening let her try out for the part instead, and upon hearing her read, gave her the job on the spot.
The Simpsons | Voice actors
In addition to her work on "The Simpsons", Cartwright has voiced many other characters on several animated series, including Chuckie Finster in "Rugrats" and "All Grown Up!", Margo Sherman in "The Critic", Mindy in "Animaniacs," and Rufus the naked mole-rat in "Kim Possible". For the role of Rufus, Cartwright researched mole-rats extensively, and became "a font of useless trivia". She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program in 2004 for her work on the show. In 2001, Cartwright took over the "Rugrats" role of Chuckie Finster when Christine Cavanaugh retired. Cartwright describes Rufus and Chuckie as her two most difficult voices: "Rufus because my diaphragm gets a workout while trying to utilize the 18 vocal sounds a mole makes.
Nancy Cartwright | Further career
Each episode of "The Simpsons" takes more than six months to produce, so it is difficult for the show to comment on current events. The writers therefore decided to add a brief response to the next broadcast of "The Simpsons", which was a rerun of "Stark Raving Dad" on January 30. Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart, was quickly called in so she could record a line. The broadcast included a new tongue-in-cheek opening. The scene, from the episode "Simpson and Delilah", begins in the Simpsons' living room where the family is watching Bush's speech. When Bush says "to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons", Bart replies, "Hey, we're just like the Waltons.
Stark Raving Dad | Alternate opening
Yeardley Smith originally tried out for the role of Bart, while Nancy Cartwright (who was later cast as the voice for Bart) tried out for Lisa. Producers considered Smith's voice too high for a boy, so she was given the role of Lisa. In the "Tracey Ullman Show" shorts, Lisa was something of a "female Bart" who mirrored her brother's mischief, but as the series progressed she became a liberal voice of reason which has drawn both praise and criticism from fans of the show. Because of her unusual pointed hairstyle, many animators consider Lisa the most difficult "Simpsons" character to draw.
Lisa Simpson | Introduction
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. On March 13, 1987, Nancy Cartwright went in to audition for the role of Lisa. After arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart who she found more fascinating because he was described as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, [and] clever." Matt Groening let her try out for the part instead, and upon hearing her read, gave her the job on the spot.
Simpson family | Casting
Schooley attributes much of the show's success to Romano and Friedle's chemistry, explaining, "they add something to this that makes it more than a typical gag-oriented cartoon." To prepare herself for the role of Rufus, Nancy Cartwright, best known for her long-running voice work as Bart Simpson on "The Simpsons", researched naked mole rats extensively to the point of which she became "a font of useless trivia" and knowledge. Cartwright cites Rufus among her two most difficult characters to voice due to the constant use of her diaphragm required to produce 18 mole rat sound effects. Her performance earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program.
Kim Possible | Casting
While the roles of Homer and Marge were given to Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner because they were already a part of the "Tracey Ullman Show" cast, the producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Nancy Cartwright intended to audition for the role of Lisa, but disliked the character's bland description—Lisa was described simply as the "middle child"—and read for the role of Bart instead. Casting director Bonita Pietila brought Yeardley Smith in for an audition after seeing her performing in the play "Living on Salvation Street". Smith was hesitant to audition for an animated series, but her agent had persuaded her to give it a try.
Lisa Simpson | Voice
Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep was called in to do the voice of Jessica. Nancy Cartwright, who provides the voice of Bart Simpson on the show, was a huge fan of Streep and she assumed that Streep would record her lines individually, but all of their recordings were done together. Streep showed up alone with no entourage at the Village Recorder in West Los Angeles at 2:30 p.m., where she recorded her parts with Cartwright. Streep was continually doing many different versions of her lines. Mirkin felt she was easy to work with because she was versatile and keen to do a lot of different things, and as Mirkin expressed it, "easily evil".
Bart's Girlfriend | Production
My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy is an autobiography written by Nancy Cartwright. First published in September 2000 by Hyperion, it details Cartwright's career, particularly her experiences as the voice of Bart Simpson on "The Simpsons" and contains insights on the show, diary entries and anecdotes about her encounters with various guest stars. Critics commented that the book seemed to be aimed at fans of "The Simpsons" rather than a more general audience. Other criticisms included the simplicity of the writing and a lack of interesting stories. In 2004, Cartwright adapted the book into a one-woman show, which she has performed in the UK and North America, including at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy | Introduction
The judges often suggested to her that she should perform cartoon voices. Cartwright graduated from high school in 1976 and accepted a scholarship from Ohio University. She continued to compete in public speaking competitions; during her sophomore year, she placed fifth in the National Speech Tournament's exposition category with her speech "The Art of Animation". In 1976, Cartwright landed a part-time job doing voice-overs for commercials on WING radio in Dayton. A representative from Warner Bros. Records visited WING and later sent Cartwright a list of contacts in the animation industry. One of these was Daws Butler, known for voicing characters such as Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Elroy Jetson, Spike the Bulldog and Yogi Bear.
Nancy Cartwright | Early life
"The Simpsons" has six main cast members: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer. Castellaneta voices Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby, Barney Gumble, and other adult, male characters. Julie Kavner voices Marge Simpson and Patty and Selma, as well as several minor characters. Castellaneta and Kavner had been a part of "The Tracey Ullman Show" cast and were given the parts so that new actors would not be needed. Cartwright voices Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum and other children. Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters.
The Simpsons | Voice actors
Hayden provides voices for characters in "The Simpsons" including Bart Simpson’s unlucky best friend Milhouse Van Houten, teenage thug Jimbo Jones, Ned Flanders' first-born son Rod, Chief Wiggum’s wife and Ralph Wiggum‘s mother Sarah, Lois Pennycandy and Lisa Simpson’s friend Janey Powell. She also originally voiced the character of Katrina (Shanks) Meltsner on the Focus on the Family radio drama "Adventures in Odyssey" from 1993 to 2000. She is also the voice actress for Bianca from "", Douglas McNoggin on "Lloyd in Space" and Sublimity Jill/Daughter #2 in "Party Wagon".
Pamela Hayden | Biography
Bartholomew JoJo Simpson is a fictional character in the American animated television series "The Simpsons" and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in "The Tracey Ullman Show" short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed Bart while waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip, "Life in Hell", but instead decided to create a new set of characters. While the rest of the characters were named after Groening's family members, Bart's name is an anagram of the word "brat".
Bart Simpson | Introduction
All of the male Simpson family members that showed up were voiced by Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer. He had asked for the recording tape to be run for about 20 minutes, so he could do many different voice variations that would fit the different men, but still be close to Homer's voice.
Lisa the Simpson | Production
He proceeded to mass-produce his new product and regained his fortune. He then bought each member of the family gifts and paid Homer back with a vibrating chair, along with his forgiveness. The episode was recorded on August 13, 1990. The voice of Herb was provided by guest star Danny DeVito, an American actor who was suggested for the role by "Simpsons" executive producer Sam Simon. Bart's voice actor, Nancy Cartwright, writes in her autobiography "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy" that DeVito had to record his lines quickly because he had another appointment, so the staff focused on recording only his scenes instead of the whole episode at once.
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? | Production
She knew what she wanted to do and was able to do it; end of story." Lee Bacchus of "The Province" wrote that "This little book by the voice of Bart Simpson reads as if it were written by a 10-year-old boy. Not that that's all bad. Cartwright, who voices Bart along with Ralph Wiggum and a few others on The Simpsons, gives a very unchallenging tour behind the scenes of the phenomenally successful series. It's kind of fun to discover how the show is put together and how an adult woman snagged one of the coolest jobs in the world If only it wasn't all so relentlessly perky." Another common criticism was that the book was aimed at fans of "The Simpsons" and not a general audience.
My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy | Reception
Cartwright was born in Dayton, Ohio, on October 25, 1957, Frank and Miriam Cartwright's fourth of six children. She grew up in Kettering, Ohio, and discovered her talent for voices at an early age. While in the fourth grade at the school of St. Charles Borromeo, she won a school-wide speech competition with her performance of Rudyard Kipling's "How the Camel Got His Hump". Cartwright attended Fairmont West High School, and participated in the school's theater and marching band. She regularly entered public speaking competitions, placing first in the "Humorous Interpretation" category at the National District Tournament two years running.
Nancy Cartwright | Early life
A clip from "A Clockwork Yellow" was first shown at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2014. Executive producer Al Jean spoke to "Entertainment Weekly" in September 2014 about the third segment of the episode, and the difference in voices between the older and newer versions of the characters. He said that although Dan Castellaneta’s portrayal of Homer is better remembered for its evolution over time, Nancy Cartwright’s voicing of Bart changed as well, because "it was lower-register, and you can see in the difference in this segment. It was really funny to get the interplay [between the two versions of the Simpsons] and for the actors to see the voice evolution.
Treehouse of Horror XXV | Production
Who the hell are you?". However, the exception of "Ay, caramba!", these hallmarks have been retired or not often used. Bart has appeared in other media relating to "The Simpsons" – including video games, "The Simpsons Movie", "The Simpsons" Ride, commercials, and comic books – and inspired an entire line of merchandise. In casting, Cartwright originally planned to audition for the role of Lisa, while Yeardley Smith tried out for Bart. Smith's voice was too high for a boy, so she was given the role of Lisa. Cartwright found that Lisa was not interesting at the time, so instead auditioned for Bart, which she thought was a better role.
Bart Simpson | Introduction
Cartwright said in an interview with "The Pantagraph" that she really wanted Streep's autograph, but was afraid to ask for it. After the recording session, Streep tapped Cartwright on the shoulder, and said her kids were big "The Simpsons" fans and that she would be in "big trouble" if she did not get Cartwright's autograph.
Bart's Girlfriend | Production
However, she wanted to appear in the live-action sketches and occasionally showed up for recording sessions early, hoping to be noticed by a producer. In 1989, the shorts were spun off into a half-hour show on the Fox network called "The Simpsons". Bart quickly became the show's breakout personality and one of the most celebrated characters on television—his popularity in 1990 and 1991 was known as "Bartmania". Bart was described as "television's brightest new star" by Mike Boone of "The Gazette" and was named 1990's "entertainer of the year" by "Entertainment Weekly". Despite Bart's fame, however, Cartwright remained relatively unknown.
Nancy Cartwright | "The Simpsons"
Cartwright is the only one of the six main "Simpsons" cast members who had been professionally trained in voice acting prior to working on the show. Azaria and Shearer do not voice members of the title family, but play a majority of the male townspeople. Azaria, who has been a part of the "Simpsons" regular voice cast since the second season, voices recurring characters such as Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and Professor Frink. Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns, Mr. Smithers, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Reverend Lovejoy and Dr. Hibbert. Every main cast member has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.
The Simpsons | Voice actors
Actor Sean Giambrone, who plays Ron in the film, expressed admiration for Cartwright's "ability to bring Rufus to life with her voice", feeling that he bonded with the character despite being unable to see or interact with him while filming. Despite being best known for voicing Bart Simpson in "The Simpsons", Cartwright considers voicing Rufus a highlight of her career, enjoying fans' surprised reactions when she demonstrates her Rufus impression for them: "it’s kind of surprising that I’m like five feet tall, I’ve got children of my own, I’m a grandma, and these sounds come out of this little package here.
Rufus (Kim Possible) | Creation and voice
Borgnine apologized because he felt that he was not being able to sing very well, but Nancy Cartwright, who provides the voice of Bart, thought his voice "added to the authenticity of his character". "The Simpsons"s creator Matt Groening thought the recording sessions with Borgnine were "so much fun". Hank Azaria, who provides the voice of Apu, commented that Borgnine "had no idea what the hell he was doing. He's a good actor, and he read his lines just fine, but he had no idea what the show was, no idea what we were doing." In her book "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy", Cartwright comments that she was a fan of Borgnine's performance in "Marty".
Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood | Production
Castellaneta and Kavner were asked to voice the lead roles of Homer and Marge Simpson as they were regular cast members of "The Tracey Ullman Show" on which "The Simpsons shorts" appeared. Cartwright auditioned for the part of Lisa, but found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. She then became more interested in the role of Bart, so "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening let her try out for that part instead, and upon hearing her read, he gave her the job on the spot. Smith had initially been asked by casting director Bonita Pietila to audition for the role of Bart, but Pietila then realised that Smith's voice was too high, Smith was given the role of Lisa instead.
List of The Simpsons cast members | Background
The kids still needed voices, and Nancy Cartwright, a journeyman voice actress, came in to audition. She recalled that "I was already doing voicework for eight different shows at the time and thought this would just be another job. They originally wanted me for Lisa's voice, but I thought 'Nah, I don't want to be the boring middle child, I want to be a bratty 10-year old boy.' So as soon as I gave a demonstration, [Brooks and Groening] hired me on the spot." Some time later, Yeardley Smith, a 22-year-old B-movie actress whose most notable accomplishment to date was featuring in the notorious 1986 Stephen King film "Maximum Overdrive", was brought in to do Lisa's voice.
The Simpsons shorts | Development
Nancy Cartwright was then assigned the role. The second character, Herman, has been used far less. The design of Herman, with the exception of his missing arm, was inspired by writer John Swartzwelder. His voice, as performed by Harry Shearer, was partly inspired by George H. W. Bush. The original idea for Herman was for him to have a differing story for the loss of his arm with every appearance.
Bart the General | Production
Cartwright said in 2012 that she thinks Nelson "has evolved the most out of all the characters I do. There's a soft spot in him that the writers have found. He's got this special attraction to Marge, and he sings these songs, and he's got a crush on Lisa. There's something about this poor kid – his mother works at Hooters, his dad went out to buy cigarettes and never came back. I wouldn't want him to come over for dinner, but I really love doing his voice."
Nelson Muntz | Character
On July 28, 2020, it was announced the show had received three nominations for the 72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. "Thanksgiving of Horror" was nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, while both Nancy Cartwright and Hank Azaria were up for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Cartwright was nominated for playing Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum and Todd Flanders for the episode "Better Off Ned" and Azaria for his roles of Professor Frink, Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Carl Carlson, Cletus Spuckler, Kirk Van Houten and Captain McCallister in "Frinkcoin". On September 19, 2020 it was announced however that "Rick and Morty" won the award for Outstanding Animated Program, while Maya Rudolph picked up the voice-acting award for her work in "Big Mouth".
The Simpsons (season 31) | Accolades
Gagnon voiced Homer Simpson in the Quebec version of "The Simpsons" beginning in 1991. He continued in that role for 27 years until 2017, when he retired due to health reasons. He was described as having a completely differently personality than Homer, with Gagnon remembered as "charming, polite and refined" by fellow voice actor Natalie Hamel-Roy. Nonetheless, his voice became so synonymous with the character that during a week-long visit to Cuba, he was constantly asked by children there to repeat Homer's catchphrase "D'oh!" He also did the voice-over for Grampa Simpson after the death of the previous voice-actor, Jean-Louis Millette.
Hubert Gagnon | Career
Hubert Gagnon (September 29, 1946June 7, 2020) was a Canadian actor from Quebec. He was noted for being the voice-over of Homer Simpson and Grampa Simpson in the Canadian French-version of "The Simpsons". He also acted in television and theatre.
Hubert Gagnon | Introduction
Castellaneta is most famous for his role as Homer Simpson on the longest running American animated television show "The Simpsons". "The Tracey Ullman Show" included a series of animated shorts about a dysfunctional family. Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Castellaneta and fellow cast member Julie Kavner to voice Homer and Marge Simpson respectively, rather than hire more actors. Homer's voice began as a loose impression of Walter Matthau, but Castellaneta could not "get enough power behind that voice" and could not sustain his Matthau impression for the nine- to ten-hour long recording sessions.
Dan Castellaneta | "The Simpsons"
Pamela Hayden (born November 28, 1953) is an American actress and voice actress, known for providing various voices for the animated television show "The Simpsons", such as Milhouse Van Houten.
Pamela Hayden | Introduction
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson (voiced by Nancy Cartwright) is the eldest child and only son in the family—at age 10. Bart's most prominent character traits are his mischievousness, rebelliousness, disrespect for authority and sharp wit. During the first two seasons of "The Simpsons", Bart was the show's main character. The name "Bart" is an anagram of the word "brat". Groening conceived Bart as an extreme version of the typical misbehaving child character, merging all of the extreme traits of characters such as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn into one person. Groening's older brother Mark provided most of the inspiration for Bart.
Simpson family | Bart Simpson
"Looking for Mr. Goodbart" is the twentieth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the animated television series "The Simpsons", and the 616th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 30, 2017. In the episode, Bart accompanies elderly women in exchange for gifts, and befriends one woman who he realizes is suicidal. Meanwhile, Homer becomes addicted to the augmented reality game "Peekimon Get" (a parody of "Pokémon Go"). The episode was watched by 2 million viewers, making it the second-most viewed show on Fox that night. For her performance as Bart, Nancy Cartwright was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.
Looking for Mr. Goodbart | Introduction
Homer's voice is performed by Dan Castellaneta, who voices numerous other characters, including Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Barney Gumble, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby and Hans Moleman. Castellaneta had been part of the regular cast of "The Tracey Ullman Show" and had previously done some voice-over work in Chicago alongside his wife Deb Lacusta. Voices were needed for the Simpsons shorts, so the producers decided to ask Castellaneta and fellow cast member Julie Kavner to voice Homer and Marge rather than hire more actors. In the shorts and first season of the half-hour show, Homer's voice is different from the majority of the series.
Homer Simpson | Voice
Brooks. Yeardley Smith, who provides the voice of Lisa, said she grew as an actress after working with Hoffman that day. "The Simpsons" writer Al Jean said he remembered that when the audio track of the episode came back, Hoffman's voice was too low on the singing parts. The staff were "petrified" that the singing scenes would not show up on air, so they had Hoffman re-record them when he was in Los Angeles. Vitti mentioned on Twitter that the note Lisa receives at the end of the episode should have had an exclamation point at the end. He did not notice it in the animatic and it still "haunts [him] to this day".
Lisa's Substitute | Production
While attending UCLA, which did not have a public speaking team, Cartwright continued training as a voice actress with Butler. She recalled, "every Sunday I'd take a 20-minute bus ride to his house in Beverly Hills for a one-hour lesson and be there for four hours ... They had four sons, they didn't have a daughter and I kind of fitted in as the baby of the family." Butler introduced her to many of the voice actors and directors at Hanna-Barbera. After she met the director Gordon Hunt, he asked her to audition for a recurring role as Gloria in "Richie Rich".
Nancy Cartwright | Early career
Guest voice actors for this season include Zooey Deschanel, Danny Glover, Chloë Grace Moretz, Mark Cuban, Olivia Wilde, Sinbad, Josh Groban, Alan Thicke, Robin Thicke, Gillian Jacobs, Terry Crews, Gary Busey, Mae Whitman, Pete Holmes, Diego Luna, Patrick Stewart, Alison Brie and Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson.
American Dad! (season 10) | Introduction
Marge's voice is performed by Julie Kavner, who also does the voices of Marge's mother Jacqueline and her sisters Patty and Selma. Kavner had been part of the regular cast of "The Tracey Ullman Show". Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Kavner and fellow cast member Dan Castellaneta to voice Marge and Homer rather than hire more actors. Part of Kavner's contract says that she will never have to promote "The Simpsons" on video and she rarely performs Marge's voice in public because she believes it "destroys the illusion. People feel these are real people." Kavner takes recording sessions seriously and feels that voice acting is "a little more limiting than live acting.
Marge Simpson | Voice
In its original American broadcast, "Bart the Mother" finished 58th in the ratings for the week of September 21–27, 1998, with a Nielsen rating of 7.4, translating to 7,355,600 households. Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, called it one of her favorite "The Simpsons" episodes, along with "Bart Sells His Soul" and "Lisa's Substitute". The "Toronto Sun"s Bruce Kirkland wrote that "Bart the Mother" was one of the "classic episodes" of the series' tenth season.
Bart the Mother | Reception
The producers ignored the notes and "family jewels" remained in the episode. This act of attempted censorship was reflected in the part where Grampa Simpson writes a letter complaining of how sexualized television has become and gives a list of words he never wants to hear on television again, one of which is the phrase "family jewels". Two new characters were introduced in this episode. The first, Nelson Muntz, remains a frequently used recurring character. Voice actress Dana Hill was originally assigned to play Nelson and was present at the table read, but not at the recording session (for unknown reasons).
Bart the General | Production
Cartwright also voiced a shoe that was "dipped" in acid in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), describing it as her first "off-screen death scene", and worked to correctly convey the emotion involved.
Nancy Cartwright | Early career
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Lisa Simpson | Voice
He also gave his voice to Marge Simpson in the Czech adaptation of "The Simpsons", to the narrator of TV series "M.A.S.H.", and to ground sloth Sid in "Ice Age".
Jiří Lábus | Introduction
Smith originally auditioned for the role of Bart but 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!'" Pietila offered Smith the role of Lisa instead. Smith and the show's writers worked to give Lisa a more defined personality, and she has developed greatly during the series. In her 2000 memoir "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy", Cartwright wrote: "with the brilliant wit of the writers and the wry, in-your-eye, honest-to-a-fault interpretation, Yeardley Smith has made Lisa a bright light of leadership, full of compassion and competence beyond her years.
Lisa Simpson | Voice
Maggie Roswell was given the role of Maude, Ned's loving wife, and became a regular cast member with this episode. She had previously played supporting parts in the show's first season. Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart, commented on Roswell's acting: "Maggie has been blessed with a skill in creating one of the hardest things to create: the 'normal sound', whatever that is. So she can easily slip into the gal next door."
Dead Putting Society | Production
Unique features included audio playback from the show and the actual voice actor; placing the Homer Simpson figure on an appropriate playset would trigger the playback of a quote as performed by Dan Castellaneta on the original episode. Each playset held quotes and voice clip performances for a variety of characters so that placing the Marge Simpson figure or the Bart figure would trigger different quotes and voice clips. One limitation was that not every character worked with every playset — some for story logic reasons (character might not appear at that setting), release logistics (figures released long after a playset) or presumably for cost reasons (as each voice clip had to be approved and licensed).
World of Springfield | Level of success
She shared the award with five other voice actors from "The Simpsons". Various episodes in which Bart is strongly featured have been nominated for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, including "Radio Bart" in 1992, "Future-Drama" in 2005, "The Haw-Hawed Couple" in 2006 and "Homer's Phobia", which won the award in 1997. In 1995, Cartwright won an Annie Award for "Voice Acting in the Field of Animation" for her portrayal of Bart in an episode. In 2000, Bart and the rest of the Simpson family were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.
Bart Simpson | Commendations
In 1998, "Time" named Bart one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. He was the only fictional character to make the list. He had previously appeared on the cover of the edition of December 31, 1990. He was also ranked No. 48 in "TV Guide"s "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" in 1996 and both he and Lisa ranked No. 11 in "TV Guide's" "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time" in 2002. At the 44th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1992, Cartwright won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for voicing Bart in the season three episode "Separate Vocations".
Bart Simpson | Commendations
Maggie Roswell went on to voice other recurring characters on the show, such as Helen Lovejoy (the reverend's wife), Miss Hoover (an elementary school teacher), and Luann Van Houten (the mother of Bart's best friend, Milhouse), as well as several more one-time characters and background characters. Fellow "Simpsons" cast member Nancy Cartwright wrote in her autobiography that "Maggie Roswell has been blessed with a skill in creating one of the hardest things to create: the 'normal sound,' whatever that is. So she can easily slip into the gal next door or any number of assorted reporters, medical students, jury members, accountants, scientists and moms." Roswell was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on "The Simpsons".
Maggie Roswell | Early "The Simpsons", Roswell 'n' Rayle, pay dispute
Ling Bouvier (voiced by Nancy Cartwright) is Selma Bouvier's adopted daughter. She shares Selma's laugh. In "Goo Goo Gai Pan", Selma discovers that she has reached menopause and adopts Ling in China, after lying that she is married to Homer, to fool the Chinese authorities into thinking that Ling would be part of a traditional family as opposed to being raised by a single mother. The authorities briefly reclaim Ling, but the adoption agent Ms. Woo relates to her experiences of her childhood with her single mother and allows Selma to adopt Ling. Ling has since become a recurring character and has appeared in several episodes.
Simpson family | Ling Bouvier
Kearney Zzyzwicz Jr. is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. He is the son of Kearney. He first appeared in the school bus when Kearney was mentioning his divorce. He is also seen building a sand castle and sitting on Gil's lap, who was dressed as Santa Claus. He later appeared in the town square in the season 26 episode Covercraft.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Kearney Zzyzwicz Jr
Julie Kavner (another "Tracey Ullman" cast member), Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith performed the voices of Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, and Lisa Simpson respectively. The crew began to string the clips together on tape to play for the show's live audience, and "The Simpsons" generated "the biggest laughs of the show" according to John Ortved, author of "". The writing staff of "Ullman" soon began to view "The Simpsons" as poor relations due to the popularity, and Brooks began to consider adapting the shorts for its own half-hour series. Brooks' decision was partly inspired by the cheerleading of David Silverman, who drunkenly approached him at a Christmas party and suggested the idea, passionately emphasizing what a primetime series would mean for the animation industry.
History of The Simpsons | The Tracey Ullman shorts (1987–1989)
Groening has described it as "the tragic story of Bart Simpson, a bad youth gone worse." "The Simpsons" cast member Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart on the show, provided the character's voice in "Deep, Deep Trouble" as well. The characters Homer Simpson and Maggie Simpson are also featured, with Homer (voiced by Dan Castellaneta like on the show) ranting at Bart, and Maggie sucking on her pacifier to the beat of the song. "Deep, Deep Trouble" was released in early 1991 as the second single from "The Simpsons Sing the Blues" after "Do the Bartman", which also features Bart rapping.
Deep, Deep Trouble | Background
Bart's middle initial "J" is a "tribute" to animated characters such as Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel from "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show", who received their middle initial from Jay Ward. According to the book "Bart Simpson's Guide to Life", Bart's full middle name is "JoJo". Bart had originally been envisioned as "a much milder, troubled youth given to existential angst who talks to himself", but the character was changed based on Cartwright's voice acting. Groening has credited several different figures with providing inspiration for Bart: Matt Groening's older brother Mark provided much of the motivation for Bart's attitude.
Bart Simpson | Creation
Kavner became most famous for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television show "The Simpsons", a show that continues to the present. "The Tracey Ullman Show" included a series of animated shorts about the dysfunctional Simpson family. Voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Kavner and fellow cast member Dan Castellaneta to voice Marge and Homer rather than hire more actors. Kavner has what Hilary de Vries of "The New York Times" described as a "honeyed gravel voice". Kavner says her distinctive voice is due to "a bump on [her] vocal cords". Although Marge is her most famous character, Kavner's favorite characters to voice are Marge's sisters Patty and Selma Bouvier because "they're really funny and sad at the same time".
Julie Kavner | "The Simpsons"
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and the lead school bully from the animated television series "The Simpsons", best known for his signature mocking laugh "Ha-ha!". He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright and was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as an antagonist, but later became more of a minor antagonist, and a close friend of Bart Simpson.
Nelson Muntz | Introduction
In 1987, Smith auditioned for the "Simpsons" shorts 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, and she was cast as Bart's sister Lisa. In 1989, the shorts were spun off into their own half-hour show, "The Simpsons". For her work on "The Simpsons", Smith received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992.
Yeardley Smith | Introduction
Cartwright was a fan of DeVito's and recalls: "This morning, at the table read, I had just filled my plate with assorted fruits when Bonnie said to my backside, 'Nancy, I want to introduce you to...' and I turned and practically knocked over Danny DeVito, all four feet, eleven inches of him. How embarrassing!" While recording the scenes, Cartwright stood directly across the room from DeVito, which she appreciated since she got to see him in action. She thought DeVito "threw his body and soul" into his performance. While the recording took part, animation director Archer scribbled down some of DeVito's attitudes, gestures, and facial expressions on a piece of paper as he performed.
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? | Production
Before the wedding, Bart fuels a "sacred fire" with pages from a hymn book. Originally, he used pages from the Bible, but after the scene had been animated, Scully found the joke "horrible" and changed the book title to "Hymns". Andrea Martin provided the voice of Apu's mother, recording her part in New York City. She wanted to get the voice perfect, so in between takes she listened to tapes of Hank Azaria reading lines for Apu, to make sure her voice could realistically be Apu's mother's. During the flashback to Apu's childhood, the animators made sure not to show Manjula, as they wished to reveal her at the end of the episode.
The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons | Production
Jacqueline Ingrid Bouvier (née Gurney, voiced by Julie Kavner) is the mother of Marge, Patty and Selma and the widow of Clancy Bouvier. She was first referenced in a flashback in the episode "Moaning Lisa" and made her first appearance in the episode "Bart vs. Thanksgiving". She had a spinster sister named Gladys, who is deceased; Jacqueline and her family attended her funeral in "Selma's Choice". Mr. Burns and Homer's father Abe Simpson once battled for her affections; she became engaged to Burns, but eventually decided not to marry either man, although she and Abe still ran away together at the end of the episode.
Simpson family | Jacqueline Bouvier
This season also features the first episode written by voice actor Nancy Cartwright with the episode "Girl's in the Band", making her the third of the six main cast members to have an episode to their name (Dan Castellaneta having cowritten many scripts since season 11 and Harry Shearer writing the season 28 episode "Trust But Clarify"). This also makes her the first female main cast member credited with a writing credit, and the season overall hit a new high for women writers with ten females with episodes credited to them, including two scripts from Megan Amram and a joint script by veteran Simpsons writer Jeff Martin and his daughter Jenna Martin.
The Simpsons (season 30) | Production
The show won the Annie Award for Best Animated Television Program in 1995 for season six, while Cartwright won the Annie for Voice Acting in the Field of Animation.
The Simpsons (season 6) | Reception
Nancy Cartwright's Bart voice was electronically lowered a couple of notches. This is the first of five future-themed episodes. The others were "Bart to the Future" in season 11, "Future-Drama" in season 16, "Holidays of Future Passed" in season 23, and "Days of Future Future" in season 25. While both "Lisa's Wedding" and "Future-Drama" were nominated for an Emmy, in 2003, "Entertainment Weekly" named "Bart to the Future" the worst episode in the history of the series.
Lisa's Wedding | Production
The script for "Homer vs. Patty and Selma" was written by Brent Forrester and was the first time he received a writing credit on "The Simpsons". Executive producer David Mirkin describes it as a very grounded and emotional episode that seems very "sitcomy". Bart's ballet teacher was voiced by Susan Sarandon, and was designed to look a little bit like her. Sarandon had wanted to guest star on the show because her children were big fans; she brought them with her to the recording session. Due to a traffic jam, she was late for the recording session, but once she arrived, she fell into character and worked very hard on getting her accent accurate.
Homer vs. Patty and Selma | Production
On September 24, 2020, it was announced that Alex Désert would voice Carl Carlson in the first episode of the season, taking over from Azaria who voiced the character since the first season.. On October 11, 2020 Al Jean announced that Eric Lopez would begin voicing Bumblebee Man in the episode "Now Museum, Now You Don't" instead of Azaria, who had provided the voice of the character since his introduction in season four.
The Simpsons (season 32) | Casting
Véronique Augereau (born 25 May 1957) is a French actress who is notably active in dubbing. She is especially known for providing the voice of Marge Simpson in the French version of the animated series "The Simpsons". She is the wife of Philippe Peythieu, he does the voice of Homer Simpson, so also husband and wife in real life.
Véronique Augereau | Introduction
Glenn Close was convinced to voice the character in "Mother Simpson" partially because of James L. Brooks. She was directed in her first performance by Josh Weinstein. When Mona gets in the van, her voice is done by Pamela Hayden because Glenn Close could not say "d'oh!" properly and thus they used the original temp track recorded by Hayden. Glenn Close recorded original material for three other episodes: season 15's "My Mother the Carjacker" and season 19's "Mona Leaves-a". A deleted scene featuring Mona from "Mother Simpson" appears in season seven's "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" as well as season thirty-one's "Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?".
Mona Simpson (The Simpsons) | Voice
Ever." celebration which commemorates the 20th anniversary of the show. To promote the broadcast, Jean, Brooks and voice actor Nancy Cartwright visited Ireland and participated in the Saint Patrick's Day parade in Dublin.
In the Name of the Grandfather | Introduction
Julie Andrews (who portrayed the titular role in "Mary Poppins") was originally slated to appear in the episode as Shary, but in the end, the producers went with series regular Maggie Roswell after hearing Roswell's reading for the part. Quentin Tarantino was also asked to guest star, but he did not want to deliver the lines required, believing them to be insulting. Instead, regular Dan Castellaneta did the voice.
Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious | Casting
The main cast consisted of Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, among others), Julie Kavner (Marge Simpson), Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum, Nelson Muntz), Yeardley Smith (Lisa Simpson), Hank Azaria (Moe Szyslak, Apu, Chief Wiggum, among others) and Harry Shearer (Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns, Principal Skinner, among others). Other cast members included Marcia Wallace (Edna Krabappel), Pamela Hayden (Milhouse Van Houten, among others), Tress MacNeille (Agnes Skinner, among others), Russi Taylor (Martin Prince) and Karl Wiedergott (Additional Voices). This season also saw the return of voice actress Maggie Roswell (Helen Lovejoy, Maude Flanders, among others), who had left the show during season 11 because of a contract dispute.
The Simpsons (season 14) | Introduction
Throughout the series, Wendell has been voiced by Jo Ann Harris, Pamela Hayden, Nancy Cartwright, and Russi Taylor.
List of recurring The Simpsons characters | Wendell Borton
"Girl's in the Band" is the 19th episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated sitcom, "The Simpsons", and the 658th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 31, 2019. It's also the first episode written by Nancy Cartwright, voice actor of Bart Simpson among others, making her the third of six main cast members to have an episode to their name. Many scripts since season 11 having been cowritten by Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer Simpson among others, and Harry Shearer, voice of many main supporting characters, writing the season 28 episode "Trust But Clarify".
Girl's in the Band | Introduction
The singing parrot that Apu sends to Manjula was voiced by series main cast member Nancy Cartwright, who also portrays Bart in the series. The episode features singer Sir Elton John as himself. John's lines were recorded by current showrunner Al Jean, who found working with John being a "wonderful experience". "Elton John was a very nice person," Scully spoke for Jean in the DVD commentary for the episode, since Jean was busy during the commentary record. "He was a great sport and worked really hard for the show." Scully also stated that the re-recording of "Your Song", which appears near the end of the episode, had to be recorded "several times," but that John was "very accommodating" about it.
I'm with Cupid | Production
Julie Kavner, who was a member of the original cast of "The Tracey Ullman Show", was asked to voice Marge so that more voice actors would not be needed. Kavner has won several awards for voicing Marge, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992. She was also nominated for an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature for her performance in "The Simpsons Movie". In 2000, Marge, along with the rest of her family, was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Marge Simpson | Introduction
Sarandon would later have a cameo appearance as the voice of a computer in the season 17 episode "Bart Has Two Mommies". Mel Brooks has a cameo appearance as himself. His wife Anne Bancroft had played a role in the episode "Fear of Flying" and Brooks had accompanied her to the recording session. Mirkin realized that Brooks was "dying to do the show" and asked him if he would be willing to do a guest part, and he agreed. Many of the writers were fans of Brooks, and Matt Groening described the chance to have him guest star as "an incredible honor".
Homer vs. Patty and Selma | Production
Accolla died on July 14th 2013 after suffering a long illness. The voice of Homer Simpson was passed on to voice actor and comedian Massimo Lopez.
Tonino Accolla | Death
The episode shows telltale signs of being one of the earliest produced. Several of the characters notably behave differently compared to the episodes surrounding it: akin to her portrayal in the "Tracey Ullman Show" shorts, Lisa is an undisciplined brat indistinguishable from Bart, Marge gets drunk and is inattentive, and Homer is the voice of reason. These roles were reversed in later episodes. It was an early episode for Mr. Burns, who had been voiced by Christopher Collins in the previous episode. Originally, the character was influenced by Ronald Reagan, a concept that was later dropped. The idea that he would greet his employees using index cards was inspired by the way Reagan greeted people.
There's No Disgrace Like Home | Production
For inspiration for the crowd scenes in the film, the production staff referenced a poster featuring more than 320 "Simpsons" characters. Groening said they tried to include every single character in the film, with 98 having speaking parts, and most members of the crowds being previously established characters instead of generic people. The series' regular voice actors: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer, as well as semi-regular performers Tress MacNeille, Pamela Hayden, Marcia Wallace, Maggie Roswell, Russi Taylor and Karl Wiedergott, reprised their roles. Joe Mantegna returned as Fat Tony, while Albert Brooks, who supplied many guest voices in episodes, was cast as the main antagonist Russ Cargill after he told the staff that he wanted to be part of the film.
The Simpsons Movie | Casting
Staff members Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Matt Selman, Tom Gammill, Matt Warburton, David Silverman, and Mike B. Anderson, as well as cast member Nancy Cartwright, participated in the DVD audio commentary for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included in the box set. Reviews from television critics about this episode have been mixed since the release of the "Kiss and Tell" DVD.
Large Marge | Release