Julie Kavner

Julie Deborah Kavner, born on September 7, 1950, in Los Angeles, California, harbored a lifelong ambition to act. Her early life in Southern California included attending Beverly Hills High School, where her talent for improvisation was noted, despite not being cast in many school plays. She pursued a drama major at San Diego State University, where she further developed her acting skills, excelling in both comedic and dramatic roles, before landing her first professional acting role.

Kavner’s career began effectively in 1974 when she was cast as Brenda Morgenstern in the sitcom “Rhoda,” a role that earned her significant recognition, including a Primetime Emmy Award in 1978. Following “Rhoda,” she expanded her live-action filmography, appearing in several Woody Allen films such as “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986) and “Radio Days” (1987), which she credits with revitalizing her career. Her distinct voice and acting style led her to “The Tracey Ullman Show” in 1987, where she took on various characters and began an iconic journey.

It was on “The Tracey Ullman Show” that Kavner originated the voice of Marge Simpson for a series of animated shorts. These shorts eventually spun off into the highly successful animated series “The Simpsons.” Kavner has voiced Marge Simpson for over 35 years, a role for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992. Beyond Marge, she also voices other prominent characters on the show, including Marge’s mother Jacqueline Bouvier and sisters Patty and Selma Bouvier. Her commitment to character integrity is evident in her contractual agreement not to promote “The Simpsons” on video, maintaining the illusion that the animated characters are real individuals.