The woman-of-all-trades in voice acting: Nancy Cartwright

Calan Mengel
Mar 4, 2022
8 min read

Let's talk about Bart Simpson- I mean Todd Flanders- I mean Nancy Cartwright!!!

Nancy Cartwright in a talk with North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Nikki Basi, 2019. Picture sourced from Wikipedia.

I am a HUGE fan of The Simpsons. It's a show that I've watched with my dad since I was a kid. Now that I am older and that all 32 seasons of the show are available on Disney+, I've taken the liberty of going back and rewatching the show and enjoying a good laugh. This nuclear animated family has taken the hearts of many people around the world for generations, inviting them in with their pop-culture references, common-family-problem-based storylines (for some), and bundles of satire.

Specifically, one member of the family has become a favorite amongst many viewers: none other than Bart Simpson himself. This mischievous little dude has inspired other mischievous little dudes of the early 90's and beyond, plus many other audience members of The Simpsons as a whole. He's been featured on t-shirts, made into action figures and plushies, embroidered onto flat top hats, seen in the Springfield area of Universal Orlando, and even scribbled onto park structures and things in permanent marker labelled, "El Barto" (I've seen it all). Bart even has his own song, Do the Bartman!, which has been performed live and featured on the 1990 album, The Simpsons Sing the Blues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc8foK41qmo

The original music video and clip of Do the Bartman, uploaded by Mateus Gowen on YouTube.

So, who's the mastermind behind Bart Simpson? Who has grasped the attention of millions of people over the past 3 decades? Who is this comical genius?

!!!!! Nancy Cartwright !!!!!

To kick off our Women's History Month series of articles for March 2022, this article is dedicated to Cartwright herself. We will be looking at not only her life and voice acting accomplishments, but also her non-profit work, her artwork, and her very own production company, amongst many other things that make her an extremely interesting female role model for many ladies, inside of the industry and out.

Background: Early Life and Beginnings

One of the first questions I have when I learn about professional women in the film/TV/media industry is, "Where did they come from?". Why? Because we all came from somewhere, and I think it's grounding for young entrepreneurs to see where folks got their beginning. So, let's look a bit at Cartwright's early life.

Cartwright grew up in Kettering, Ohio (not too far from Pittsburgh!) where she participated in theatre among other things, like orchestra and band (IMDB). Once graduated, she went to Ohio University and found her niche in voice acting through a job at the local radio station, WING radio. According to IMDB, it's understood that a representative from Warner Bros. Records visited the station and mentioned some contacts with industry professionals, one of which was the infamous Daws Butler, who had voiced many characters, including Yogi Bear.

Cartwright transferred to UCLA in 1978 to get closer to the voice actor action in Hollywood, and eventually became Daws Butler's mentee. From there, she made her way up the ladder: playing characters such as Gloria Glad from the Richie Rich cartoon series. Cartwright didn't limit herself to voice acting work-- she also worked on live-action pieces, such The Twilight Zone: The Movie, Fame, and even an episode of Cheers. Her biggest break, though, is when Matt Groening's The Simpsons debuted on The Tracy Ullman Show's Tracy Ullman Shorts.

The Simpsons Shorts poster. Photo sourced from IMDB.

Work on The Simpsons

As The Simpsons took off and were picked up by Fox eventually, Cartwright had made significant progress in her voice acting career, not only voicing Bart Simpson, but also a few other characters in the show, including Ralph Wiggum, Nelson Muntz, Rod Flanders, Maggie Simpson, Database, and Kearney.

Her most recent award, according to her website, was being nominated for a Primetime Emmy in Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for playing Bart, Nelson, Ralph, and Todd in the 2020 episode, Better of Ned. This specific episode contains tons of lines performed by Cartwright herself, and with all the work she's completed in the past, it makes perfect sense she was nominated.

Her earliest award, according to her website, was being presented a Multi-Platinum Sales Award to commemorate the selling of over 2 million copies of The Simpsons Sing the Blues (in which Do The Bartman can be found on!). Over the years, Cartwright has done significant work on The Simpsons, amongst her other debuts in shows, such as voicing Chucky in The Rugrats (it's so interesting to see how many roles she has played, check out her IMDB!).

While I have given a very brief overview of Cartwright's work on The Simpsons, I want to showcase some of her more personal achievements she has made in life. Her non-profit work, dedication to art and prescription drug education, voice acting seminars, and her love for movie making is extremely interesting and really showcases what kind of human being she really is aside from her normal work.

Non-Profit Work and the Know More About Drugs Alliance

Nancy Cartwright is also infamous for being a philanthropist, using much of the income she makes to benefit those in the community. I find this portion of Cartwrights life to be very honorable, especially for those looking for a role model in their life, for community work and service is a fantastic act I personally believe should be done by all human beings. Cartwright has worked with and donated to:

- The local Police Community Youth Center

- The local Boys and Girls Club

- The American Library Association

- The Make-A-Wish Foundation

- Happy House (which is a non-profit she co-founded that helps children develop

their character through outreach, books, and educational programs)

The last program I'd like to mention is one that Cartwright has spent a lot of time on. She has also co-founded the Know More About Drugs Alliance.

"THE KNOW MORE ABOUT DRUGS ALLIANCE WAS FORMED TO MAKE THE FDA MEDICATION GUIDES AVAILABLE TO AS MANY PARENTS AS POSSIBLE."

- Quoted directly from the Know

More About Drugs Alliance

Website Homepage

This alliance is dedicated to tackling the prescription drug epidemic in the world. Specifically, like the above quote mentions, it's goal is to provide parents with access to more information about prescription drugs and the long-term effects they can have when taken on a regular or overdosed basis. Cartwright has a fantastic video explaining the missions, located on the website's homepage and on their YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMm6yKi6gfg

In addition to her dedication to working on the project, she debuted an art show in 2019 for the Know More about Drugs Alliance. The exhibit was called Reverse Effects, and took place in Los Angeles, California.

The poster advertisement Cartwright posted onto her Facebook account on September 9th, 2019. Photo sourced from Facebook.

Two people looking at one of Cartwright's most notable pieces in the exhibit. Photo sourced from Nancy Cartwright's Twitter account.

Artwork: Sculptures and Paintings

Cartwright's love for art runs much deeper than just her advocacy for the Know More About Drugs Alliance. She has worked on numerous sculptures and paintings here and there, some of which she's shown on her YouTube channel. Many of her pieces, specifically her paintings, have been inspired by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol (go Pittsburgh again!), which can be plainly seen while looking at some of these pieces:

Lil' bit of soup of the left, lil' bit of ladies on the right. Can you see the inspiration? Photo taken by Richard Liu of The Desert Sun.

Another really notable piece Cartwright has made is actually a completely bronze statue of Bart Simpson from the shoulders up. Sarah Cascone of Artnet News reported Bartman back in 2015, which stands in New York. According to the article, Cartwright "who has only one (a) hour-long sculpting class under her belt, (took) 20 hours to complete in her Northridge, California studio." Additionally, Cartwright worked in clay first, then transferred the sculpture into a mold that was to be cast into bronze. Neat, right?

How cool is this?!? Bartman. Photo sourced from Sarah Cascone's article on the Artnet News website.

Spotted Cow Entertainment

Now, this section is for you filmmakers out there-- Cartwright has a production company.

Spotted Cow Entertainment is run by Nancy Cartwright and her business counterpart, Monica Gil, and has three pieces featured: In Search of Fellini, Holiday Joy, and 24 Hours with Mary Lynn Rajskub.

While this is not a lot of filmography, I find this section of Cartwright's life to be very intriguing, especially because of In Search of Fellini (2017). From what I understand, this movie is based off a true story of Cartwright's adventure into finding Federico Fellini.

Spotted Cow Entertainment's Logo. Photo sourced directly from the Spotted Cow Entertainment website.

Education and Voice Acting Classes

The final piece of information I'd like to cover about Nancy Cartwright's goals in the industry is her education work. Cartwright is an advocate for education, for children and for young adults all the same. She has hosted many classes and workshops for folks, but as of 2020, she has paired up with Masterclass to create a voice acting class online!

A photo from Cartwright's Masterclass, including her little animated figure who helps teach you!

If you have a Masterclass membership and want to learn, or would like to just watch the promo video for free or for more information, you can find it here: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/nancy-cartwright-teaches-voice-acting

Conclusion

There are many things about Cartwright that I have not covered-- she has books written and has won more awards than I can count. What do you expect out of a woman who has 166 credits on IMBD? There is a method to my madness, though, of sharing all of this research information I have found....

For one, Nancy Cartwright is an amazing woman in the acting industry, and should be recognized. I'm sure many of you know who she is, but did you know about her production company? How about her non-profit work? It's insane to see how much she has done in her lifetime and how much she advocates for those around her.

Additionally, I want to remind people, especially those who didn't know Cartwright at all, or thought Bart Simpson was voiced by a guy: it took about 30 years for Cartwright to get recognized as a voice acting individual-- I want people, specifically women in the industry, to know a few things off of this fact:

For one, if it weren't for women like Nancy Cartwright, we would not be as represented in the industry. She, like many other famous female filmmakers, graphic designers, artists, etc., has carved a pathway for many more female voice actors, and has provided lots of resources to practice and hone skills. Additionally, I want people to know from her example that it takes time to establish yourself in the industry, no matter what concentration you are, and that there is no rush. Take your time.

Finally, Cartwright is a prime example that you don't have to stay in one career box. She's an artist, a painter, a doner, and educator, and many many other things, and you can be too. It's okay and safe to explore other things as you grow as a human being. As long as you have heart, you can create and spread love and joy.

So, I hope you enjoyed this article and find comfort in Nancy Cartwright's work and self.

P.S. Check out Nancy's social media accounts. She is super active on all sites (with help of her social media team of course) and is really fun to interact with!

Sources:

The Simpsons Shorts Poster - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12294152/mediaindex/?ref_=tt_mv_close

'In Search of Fellini' personal story for Nancy Cartwright Article - https://www.telegram.com/story/entertainment/local/2017/12/24/in-search-of-fellini-personal-story-for-nancy-cartwright/16770926007/

Simpsons Actress Nancy Cartwright Creates Bronze Bart Sculpture After Just One Art Class - https://news.artnet.com/art-world/simpsons-actress-creates-bronze-bart-sculpture-just-one-art-class-294235

Nancy Cartwright's Website - https://nancycartwright.com

Spotted Cow Entertainment's Website - https://spottedcowentertainment.com

Nancy Cartwright's IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004813/

People are confused because Bart Simpson voice actor Nancy Cartwright keeps watching their Instagram stories Article - https://www.nme.com/news/tv/people-are-confused-because-bart-simpson-voice-actor-nancy-cartwright-keeps-watching-their-instagram-stories-2620977

The Simpsons’ Nancy Cartwright On Why It Took 30 Years for Her to Be Recognized for Her Voice-Over Work - https://www.awardsdaily.com/2020/08/19/nancy-cartwright-the-simpsons-bart-voice-interview/

NANCY CARTWRIGHT’S NEW VOICE: HER ARTWORKS - https://nancycartwright.com/news/nancy-cartwrights-new-voice-her-artworks/

Nancy Cartwright Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Cartwright

Know More About Drugs Alliance Website - https://knowmoreaboutdrugs.com