Yeardley Smith

Yeardley Smith is an actress and producer, widely recognized as the voice of Lisa Simpson, who has also developed a career in dramatic and comedic roles in film and television, and as an entrepreneur. After being cast as the iconic voice of Lisa Simpson for The Simpsons shorts in 1987, Yeardley Smith became globally recognized for her portrayal, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992 for The Simpsons series, launched in 1989. Her early career also included a Broadway debut as an understudy in Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing in 1984, followed by early film roles in Heaven Help Us (1985) and The Legend of Billie Jean (1985), and a recurring role as Louella Waters on the television series Brothers (1984-1989). Beyond her enduring work voicing Lisa and other characters on The Simpsons for over three decades, Smith expanded her acting range with a main cast role as Louise Fitzer in the sitcom Herman’s Head from 1991 to 1994.

In 2014, she co-founded Paperclip Ltd., an entertainment development company, diversifying her creative footprint in the industry. Building on this entrepreneurial spirit, in 2017, she co-created and began co-hosting the popular true-crime podcast Small Town Dicks, which explores real-life crime stories with actual law enforcement officers. Her impactful contributions were further recognized in 2019 when she received the prestigious Human Rights Campaign’s National Leadership Award for her advocacy. Most recently, Smith continued her prolific career across acting and production, serving as an executive producer for the independent film Snack Shack (2024), further cementing her versatile role in the entertainment landscape.