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Martha Maria Yeardley SmithΒ (/ΛjΙΛrdli/Β YARD-lee;Β born July 3, 1964) is an American actress. She voicesΒ Lisa SimpsonΒ on the animated television seriesΒ The Simpsons.
Smith began acting in 1982 after graduating from drama school. She moved to New York City in 1984, where she appeared in the Broadway production ofΒ Tom Stoppard'sΒ The Real Thing. She made her film debut in 1985'sΒ Heaven Help Us, followed by roles inΒ The Legend of Billie JeanΒ andΒ Maximum Overdrive. She moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and took a recurring role in the television seriesΒ Brothers.
In 1987, Smith auditioned for theΒ SimpsonsΒ shorts onΒ The Tracey Ullman Show. Smith intended to audition for the role ofΒ Bart Simpson, but the casting director felt her voice was too high, and she was cast as Bart's sister Lisa. In 1989, the shorts wereΒ spun offΒ into their half-hour show,Β The Simpsons. For her work onΒ The Simpsons, Smith received aΒ Primetime Emmy AwardΒ forΒ Outstanding Voice-Over PerformanceΒ in 1992.
AlongsideΒ The Simpsons, Smith appeared in the sitcomΒ Herman's HeadΒ as Louise, and had recurring appearances as Marlene onΒ Dharma & Greg and as Penny in two episodes ofΒ Dead Like Me. She has appeared in several films, includingΒ City Slickers,Β Just Write,Β Toys, andΒ As Good as It Gets. In 2004, Smith performed anΒ off-Broadway one-woman show entitledΒ MoreΒ at theΒ Union Square TheatreΒ in New York City. Aside fromΒ The Simpsons, Smith has recorded a few voice-over parts, only commercials and the filmΒ We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story. Smith starred in and served as executive producer for the independent romantic comedyΒ Waiting For Ophelia, which had its world premiere at theΒ Phoenix Film Festival in April 2009.
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