The Voice behind Bart Simpson

Voicing everyone's favourite ten-year-old.

As I continue looking at the voices behind the animations we love, I dig a little deeper into the icon that is Bart Simpson - Nancy Cartwright.

Early life

Nancy Jean Cartwright was born on 25 October 1957 in Dayton, Ohio, and raised in nearby Kettering. A born mimic, she began competing in school speech contests and on local radio at a young age before securing a scholarship to Ohio University.

Everything shifted when she struck up a correspondence with Daws Butler, the legendary voice behind Yogi Bear. Who became her long-distance tutor, guiding her by cassette tape (remember those kids :) until she moved to Los Angeles, transferred to UCLA, and amazingly sat in Butler’s living room for Sunday lessons.

Inspirations

Cartwright’s influences were not just the famous names, Jonathan Winters’ improvisational brilliance, Butler’s technical precision, but the conviction that voice acting is acting first, microphone second. That philosophy rings out across her work, whether it’s Bart’s bratty swagger or Ralph Wiggum’s dreamy comic word mix-ups.

Early career

The 1980s were an apprenticeship in Saturday-morning graft. Cartwright clocked hours at Hanna-Barbera, voicing Gloria in Richie Rich, and then moved through Snorks, Pound Puppies, Galaxy High School and more. They weren’t glamorous credits, but they were the reps she needed: quick turnaround sessions, multiple roles per episode, and directors who demanded clarity over ego.

After researching and writing about both these voice artists and the productivity pieces, it really shows how much effort people have put into their craft in animation.

Breakthroughs

In 1987, she auditioned for Matt Groening’s new shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. Initially, she was cast for Lisa; she cheekily read Bart instead and landed the role on the spot. By 1989, The Simpsons was its own series, and Cartwright’s mischievous ten-year-old was leading a cultural earthquake. Alongside Bart came Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders and Kearney: a whole chorus of Springfield oddballs carried on one set of vocal cords.

Career highlights

Cartwright never stood still. She voiced Mindy in Animaniacs, Margo Sherman in The Critic, Pistol Pete in Goof Troop, and Rufus the naked mole-rat in Kim Possible (an Emmy-nominated turn, mainly built on squeaks and timing). She inherited Chuckie Finster in Rugrats after Christine Cavanaugh’s retirement, then reprised him for the 2021 reboot.

She also wrote My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy (2000), a memoir later adapted into a one-woman show that toured North America and the UK, including a stint at Edinburgh Fringe. Later came the production of In Search of Fellini (2017), her dreamlike homage to the Italian filmmaker who once inspired her.

Accomplishments

Cartwright won a Primetime Emmy in 1992 and an Annie Award in 1995, honours that recognised not just Bart but the craft behind him. Yet her greatest accomplishment is longevity: a single role carried with energy and invention for almost four decades. Bart’s catchphrases became playground currency around the world—’ Eat my shorts’ as global shorthand for defiance.

Challenges

A career this visible isn’t without some challenges. The Simpsons cast faced contract negotiations and endless commentary about whether the show had outlived its prime. Cartwright also drew scrutiny for her involvement in Scientology, including a high-profile donation and a controversial robocall; however, she has largely let her work speak louder, continuing to lend her voice to characters now adored across generations.

During this period

While Springfield kept her steady, Cartwright explored the margins: educational projects like HBO’s Crashbox, Disney’s The Replacements, and ongoing appearances at conventions and masterclasses. She also co-founded production companies and set up charities, most notably the Know More About Drugs Alliance, which produces plain-English guides for parents.

Legacy

Nancy Cartwright redefined what voice acting could mean. She proved a woman could embody a boy without it being gimmickry, and that animated leads could sustain prime-time for decades. Teachers still hear Bart’s lines echoed in class. In the end, Cartwright hasn’t just been ‘the voice of Bart’, she’s been one of the defining voices of modern animation.