I Had No Idea Bart Simpson Isn't Always Voiced By The Same Actor
The multi-talented voice actors responsible for bringing The Simpsons to life are often responsible for voicing more than one character, but I was surprised to find out that another member of the cast occasionally fills in for Bart Simpson's regular voice actor, Nancy Cartwright. As one of the longest-running TV shows in history, The Simpsons' cast is one of the hardest-working groups working in the industry today. The iconic voices heard throughout The Simpsons' decades-long run are even recognizable to those who aren't particularly into the show, and it seems the people behind some of those voices can be interchangeable.
Bart is often at the heart of many of The Simpsons' best episodes. Even when he isn't the story's focus, he can always be relied upon to contribute in other ways. As a member of the animated sitcom's titular family, the rebellious 10-year-old with a secret heart of gold is never far from the action, so Cartwright voices Bart in almost every episode in which he appears. However, the actress has recently admitted that it isn't always her uttering Bart's famous catchphrases into the microphone, but a fellow member of the cast instead.
Nancy Cartwright Admits Another Member Of The Simpsons Cast Sometimes Voices Bart Simpson
Tress MacNeille has been revealed as Bart's occasional voice actor
When answering the question, "Who is the voice of Bart when you're not there?" on Facebook, Cartwright identifies Simpsons costar Tress MacNeille as her occasional replacement. Both actresses lend their voices to many of Springfield's younger male characters, so although it makes sense that MacNeille is capable of a convincing Bart impression, it's still an interesting factoid to discover.
Cartwright doesn't explain in which circumstances she has been unavailable to voice Bart, but given how long the show has run for, it's understandable that she would have needed to be absent at various points.
Because of the sheer number of Simpsons episodes that have been made since the show's inception in 1989, it would be a Herculean task to look through the credits and see when MacNeille has tagged in for Cartwright. Besides, this performance quirk may have resulted in some inaccurate credits over the decades, and Cartwright gives nothing more to go on in the short Facebook video. That said, she has no reason to lie, so the relevant episodes/scenes will likely remain unknown.
I'm Not That Surprised That Tress MacNeille Is Able To Replace Cartwright As Bart Without Me Noticing
MacNeille's immense talent can be heard in other Matt Groening projects too
MacNeille is a very versatile voice actor, and among her most-reprised Simpsons roles are Agnes Skinner, Dolph, and Brandine Spuckler. She also voices various background characters who aren't always named. So, it's not that much of a shock that she's been able to stand in for Cartwright and record lines as Bart without detection. Additionally, MacNeille has voiced characters in other Matt Groening projects, like Mom in Futurama. So, it begs the question of how often Cartwright and MacNeille have covered each other's absences before now.
Source: Facebook
The Simpsons
- Release Date
- December 17, 1989
- Network
- FOX
- Showrunner
- Al Jean
- Directors
- Steven Dean Moore, Mark Kirkland, Rob Oliver, Michael Polcino, Mike B. Anderson, Chris Clements, Wes Archer, Timothy Bailey, Lance Kramer, Nancy Kruse, Matthew Faughnan, Chuck Sheetz, Rich Moore, Jeffrey Lynch, Pete Michels, Susie Dietter, Raymond S. Persi, Carlos Baeza, Dominic Polcino, Lauren MacMullan, Michael Marcantel, Neil Affleck, Swinton O. Scott III, Jennifer Moeller
- Writers
- J. Stewart Burns, Michael Price, Brian Kelley, Bill Odenkirk, Dan Vebber, Kevin Curran, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Castellaneta, Deb Lacusta, Billy Kimball, Jessica Conrad, Cesar Mazariegos, Daniel Chun, Jennifer Crittenden, Conan O'Brien, Valentina Garza, Elisabeth Kiernan Averick, Christine Nangle, Broti Gupta, Loni Steele Sosthand, Megan Amram, Bob Kushell, David Isaacs, David Mandel
Cast
Homer Simpson / Abe Simpson / Barney Gumble / Krusty (voice)
Marge Simpson / Patty Bouvier / Selma Bouvier (voice)
- Franchise(s)
- The Simpsons
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