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Yeardley Smith

Yeardley Smith

Actor, also producer · Born July 3, 1964 (62) · Paris, France

Primetime Emmy winner

Martha Maria Yeardley Smith (/ˈjɑːrdli/ YARD-lee; born July 3, 1964) is an American actress. She stars as the voice of Lisa Simpson on the animated television series 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 of Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing. She made her film debut in 1985's Heaven Help Us, followed by roles in The Legend of Billie Jean and Maximum Overdrive. She moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and took a recurring role in the television series Brothers. In 1987, Smith auditioned for the Simpsons shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. Smith intended to audition for the role of 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 were spun off into their own half-hour show, The Simpsons. For her work on The Simpsons, Smith received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992. Alongside The Simpsons, Smith appeared in the sitcom Herman's Head as Louise, and had recurring appearances as Marlene on Dharma & Greg and as Penny in two episodes of Dead Like Me. She has appeared in several films, including City Slickers, Just Write, Toys, and As Good as It Gets. In 2004, Smith performed an off-Broadway one-woman show entitled More at the Union Square Theatre in New York City. Aside from The Simpsons, Smith has recorded few voice-over parts, only commercials and the film We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story. Smith starred in and served as executive producer for the independent romantic comedy Waiting For Ophelia, which had its world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival in April 2009. Description above from the Wikipedia article Yeardley Smith, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 3, 1964 (62)
From
Paris, France
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
48 on MovieCove · 87 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

What are Yeardley Smith's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Animation7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 20th percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Self
20%
Survival
14%
Morality
10%
Society
10%
Power
2%
Ideas
1%
Friendship9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 22 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 14 · Serious 6 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 12 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 10 · Charged 10 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 11 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 4

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 17 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 19 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 6
Herald
1 of 6
Hero
1 of 6
Threshold guardian
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
11
Joyful
10
Tense
9
Hopeful
7
Absurd
4
Other
21

How their films linger

Feel-good12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet9
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Yeardley Smith's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 31 of their 48 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Yeardley Smith's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

87 credits, 48 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The New Simpsons Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • The Shepherd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Executive Producer

  • Simpsley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Lisa (voice)

  • Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • Fortnite x The Simpsons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • The Simpsons: O C'mon All Ye Faithful (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • The Simpsons Funday Football (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • Possessions(2024)

    Producer · as Dr. Young

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Snack Shack(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Who Are You People(2023)

    Producer · as Sarah

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Feliz Navidad(2022)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Welcome to the Club(2022)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • When Billie Met Lisa(2022)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Simpsons in Plusaversary(2021)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • The Simpsons | Balenciaga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Lisa

  • The Good, the Bart, and the Loki(2021)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Gossamer Folds(2020)

    Producer · as Phyllis

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Alone(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Dear Class of 2020 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Lisa Simpson

  • Love & Debt(2019)

    as Allison Joy

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • All Square(2018)

    Producer · as Beaches

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Miles(2016)

    as Mrs. Armstrong

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Planet of the Couches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • Fresh Off the Boat(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Marie

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Mom(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Enid

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Tug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Mom

  • The Mindy Project(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dr. Carolyn King

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • FOX 25th Anniversary Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice) (uncredited)

  • 8(2012)

    as Nancy F. Cott

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • New Year's Eve(2011)

    as Maude

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Revenge(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Phyllis

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Chaperone(2011)

    as Miss Miller

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Hot in Cleveland(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Margaret

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • High School(2010)

    as Computer Skills Teacher

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Virginia(2010)

    Executive Producer · as Mrs. Whitaker

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Wishing Well (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Mary Williams

  • Waiting for Ophelia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Caitlin O'Malley

  • The Big Bang Theory(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Sandy

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • The Simpsons Movie(2007)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Mad Men(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Nurse Mary

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Back by Midnight(2004)

    as Veronica

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Simpsons: Christmas 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Actor

  • Phil of the Future(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · as Mandy Teslow

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all shows

  • Best Week Ever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • The Simpsons: Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as (archive footage)

  • Dead Like Me(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · as Penny

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • CyberWorld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • Strong Medicine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · as Real Estate Agent

  • The Simpsons: Too Hot For TV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Actor

  • Family Guy(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Lisa Simpson (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Becker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Ruby

  • Sports Night(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Malory Moss

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • As Good as It Gets(1997)

    as Jackie Simpson

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Toothless(1997)

    as Gatekeeper

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Gatekeeper

  • Teen Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Miss Gross

  • Dharma & Greg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 15 episodes · as Marlene

  • Smart Guy(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Ms. Rawlings

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • Just Write(1997)

    as Lulu

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Jingle All the Way(1996)

    as Woman Who Flirts with Howie (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Nash Bridges(1996)

    Show 1 episode · as Stevie Strong

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story(1993)

    as Cecilia (voice)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration(1993)

    as Lisa Simpson (voice) (segment "Monster in the Mirror") (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Toys(1992)

    as Researcher

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Likely Suspects (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 13 episodes · Actor

  • Herman's Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 72 episodes · as Louise Fitzer

  • City Slickers(1991)

    as Nancy

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Sydney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 802 episodes · as Lisa Simpson / Maggie Simpson (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Ginger Ale Afternoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Bonnie

  • Silence Like Glass(1989)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Listen to Me(1989)

    as Cootz

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Murphy Brown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Phoebe Cramer

  • Three O'Clock High(1987)

    as Cheerleader

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Tracey Ullman Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 57 episodes · as Lisa Simpson (voice)

  • Mathnet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Jane Rice Burroughs

  • Square One Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 231 episodes · as Jane Rice-Burroughs

  • Maximum Overdrive(1986)

    as Connie

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Legend of Billie Jean(1985)

    as Putter

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Heaven Help Us(1985)

    as Cathleen

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Mom's on Strike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Jenny

  • Tales from the Darkside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Betty Ann Cooper / Good Time Rita

  • Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 51 episodes · as Louella Waters

  • ABC Afterschool Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Jenny

  • A Bobby Thing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 87 titles, 84 of them dated from 1972 to 2026; peak year 2021.

Biggest box office

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

$536M worldwide

Highest rated

The Simpsons (1989)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

MilestoneAward win
19722026

Peak 2021 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting83 of 87: 80 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score52ndProducing7 of 87: 4 only producing, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score55th

87 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s15 · acting1990s20 · acting2000s14 · acting2010s16 · 16 acting · 2 crew2020s18 · 16 acting · 3 crew

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 0% of 24 roles
859515

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

Won a Primetime Emmy in 1992, Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Yeardley Smith's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 40th percentile, the median of all 34; across their 22 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 36th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Approval · how many liked their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 22

Midcredits score across 48 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th10

Shape of the crowd

18 of their 48 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed18

Most divisive · actor

8 (2012)

95th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Simpsons (1989)

Midcredits 96th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 19 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Yeardley Smith's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles35–75 · median 53 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles22–54 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles47–78 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles19–62 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles30–67 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Yeardley Smith work with?

People who share at least 2 of Yeardley Smith's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nancy Cartwright shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers