Bio
Nancy Cartwright is an American voice actress best known for providing the voices of Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz and Ralph Wiggum on the animated television show The Simpsons, since 1989.
In addition to her work on The Simpsons she has lent her voice to characters on various other animated series including Kim Possible, The Replacements, Richie Rich, Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, My Little Pony, The Critic, God, The Devil and Bob, Mike, Lu & Og, Pound Puppies, The Snorks, Galaxy High as well as Chuck Jones' final work, Timberwolf.
Cartwright has also appeared on camera in numerous television series and movies, playing roles in Fame, Empty Nest, Cheers, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Flesh + Blood, and Godzilla as well as the lead in the TV movie Marian Rose White.
Cartwright also appeared in a Season 6 episode of 24 as Jeannie Tyler, the woman Chloe O'Brian thinks is Morris O'Brian's current AA sponsor (filmed during the same season, Kiefer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub reprised their roles as Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian on the Simpsons episode "24 Minutes").
Cartwright is also the voice of Putt-Putt in the Putt-Putt computer game Putt-Putt Enters The Race.
She was invited to perform the female voices for South Park, but declined, claiming the show was too offensive even for her standards. The role then went to Mary Kay Bergman.
Her best-selling autobiography, My Life as a Ten-Year-Old Boy (Hyperion/Bloomsbury, 2001), offers a behind-the-scenes look at the phenomenon of The Simpsons. This book was converted into a stage show, which was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2004.
She recorded an updated version of the autobiography, which was released as an audio book in 2004.
Cartwright received an Emmy Award and an Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Voice-Over Performance as Bart Simpson, and Nelson Muntz.
She has also received Emmys for Animaniacs and Elmyra, Pinky and The Brain; a People's Choice Award; and the Drama Logue Award for her one-woman play, "In Search of Fellini."
Cartwright’s production company, SportsBlast, and partners Turner Sports Interactive hosting Nascar.com were recognized with the Silver Award by the Houston Film Festival for their original series The Kellys.
The Kellys also received an Aurora Gold Award and Cartwright Entertainment received an Aurora Gold for her “Day in the Life” documentary.
Cartwright actively supports many nonprofit organisations that help children, including Famous Fone Friends, Make-a-Wish Foundation, The Way To Happiness Foundation and World Literacy Crusade.
She is co-founder of "Happy House", a non-profit organisation dedicated to building better families. She is a member of Women in Film, ASIFA, Women in Animation and The Chouinard Foundation.
In 2005 an incorrect news story circulated that Cartwright had entered politics and been elected mayor of Northridge, California. In fact, Cartwright had been honoured with the ceremonial title of "Honorary Mayor" by the Northridge Chamber of Commerce. Northridge is a neighbourhood of Los Angeles and has no office of mayor.
She is a member of the Church of Scientology, joining in 1989, becoming a Clear on October 1, 1991. Two of the organisations she supports, the Way to Happiness Foundation and the World Literary Crusade, are themselves linked to the Church of Scientology.
Cartwright married writer Warren Murphy in 1988. The couple had two children before divorcing in 2005.