Cast Info - Yeardley Smith

A.K.A. Martha Maria Yeardley Smith

Roles on The Simpsons: Lisa Simpsons

Birthday: 7-3-1964

Birthplace: Paris, France

Comic actress and voice specialist Yeardley Smith has built a career out of her odd looks, small figure and distinctive, child-like nasal voice. Although she has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, she is best known for giving vocal life to the animated role of Lisa Simpson, the intelligent, caring, saxophone-playing, vegetarian member of the Simpson family.

The American Smith was born in Paris, France, where her father was a correspondent with UPI. By the time she was two, she and her family had moved to Washington, D.C., where she spent most of her childhood. A shy, introverted child, she started her ‘pixie-ish’ career as a teenager, playing Tinkerbell in a musical adaptation of Peter Pan at a nearby dinner theatre.

After receiving her high-school diploma, she apprenticed for a time at the famed Arena Stage before heading off to New York. She went on to Broadway and understudied the role of Debbie in Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing" which starred Jeremy Irons and Glenn Close; she took over the role for eight months. Small film offers started coming her way with Heaven Help Us (1985) and The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) so in 1986 she headed west… After some work on the LA stage with "Boys and Girls/Men and Women" (1987) and "How the Other Half Loves" (1988) and a recurring role on the ground-breaking gay comedy "Brothers" (1984), Yeardley won the part of Lisa Simpson. The animated character was launched on the sketch TV comedy series The Tracey Ullman Show (1987).

Yeardley has had key roles on numerous TV shows and has made amusing guest appearances on many others. Her acting experience includes "Dharma & Greg" (1997), "Murphy Brown" (1988), "Empty Nest" (1988), "Mama's Family" (1983), and a regular role for three seasons as Louise on "Herman's Head" (1991). Other film supporting roles include City Slickers (1991), Jingle All the Way (1996) and As Good as It Gets (1997).
In 2004, Yeardley performed front-and-center in her own one-woman autobiographical show entitled "More" in New York.
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