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Speaking
on Bart’s behalf
It’s
been 13 years since Nancy Cartwright landed the role of Bart Simpson’s
voice. Although he hasn’t matured much through the years, Cartwright’s
new book, “My Life As a 10-Year-Old Boy” ($19.95, hardback,
Hyperion Books), proves that she has.
 Cartwright,
who attended Ohio University from 1976 to 1978, describes her evolution
as a voice-over actor on “The Simpsons,” the longest-running
sitcom still on the air. In an enthusiastic voice, she combines
colorful anecdotes from her career with descriptions of the animation
production process.
“I realized I had to do the book because I get so much fan
mail, and I’m always being asked the same questions,”
Cartwright said from her California home during a recent phone interview.
“And if anyone is inspired by my journey and it awakens an
artist in them, then I’ve done something.”
A production company owner and mother of two, Cartwright says voice-over
actors are as creative as traditional actors. She first recognized
this while watching famous “Simpsons” guest stars, including
Danny DeVito and Meryl Streep, become immersed in their roles.
A native of Kettering, Ohio, Cartwright’s extroverted nature
and unique voice inspired her to participate in speech competitions
in high school. Success in national tournaments helped her land
an Ohio University scholarship.
In the fall of 1977, her sophomore year at OU, she met famous voice-over
actor Daws Butler, aka Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear. Under his
tutelage, Cartwright cultivated her technique. She soon transferred
to UCLA to study one-on-one with Butler, who introduced her to influential
people in the business.
When auditioning for “The Simpsons,” her plan was to try
out for the role of Bart’s sister, Lisa. But when writers described
Bart as “devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent
and clever,” Cartwright knew he was a better fit.
“Bart represents the bad boy in all of us,” she says.
“The satire and humor in the writing has a truth to it, and
we can watch it and laugh at ourselves.”
— Amanda York
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