Editing Yeardley Smith (section)

==Career==

===Early career===
Smith became a professional actress in 1982.<ref name= local/><ref name=austele/> After appearances in a number of school plays, she joined the local [[Arena Stage]] theater group on an apprenticeship, featuring in their production of ''[[Peter and Wendy|Peter Pan]]''. She went on to star in several other plays in Washington.<ref name=local/> She moved to New York City in 1984 and appeared in the Broadway production of [[Tom Stoppard]]'s play ''[[The Real Thing (play)|The Real Thing]]'' alongside [[Jeremy Irons]] and [[Glenn Close]].<ref name=love/><ref name="Town"/>

Smith's first film role came in ''[[Heaven Help Us (film)|Heaven Help Us]]'' (1985).<ref name=love/> She then played Putter in ''[[The Legend of Billie Jean]]'' (also 1985). The film was a [[box office bomb]] and critically panned, although Smith "thought it would be the movie that launched my career. And then it was out at the box office about 10 days before it died."<ref name=targum/> When filming was over, she rejoined ''The Real Thing'' before being out of work for six months. Smith worried her career was over.<ref name=love/> However, the following year, she played Connie in [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[Maximum Overdrive]]'' (1986), noting it was "truly a dreadful film, but I had a great part in it."<ref name=love/>

Smith moved to Los Angeles in 1986 on the "semi-promise" of a part in a TV film.<ref name="Steps"/><ref name=love/> After the audition, the role was given to another actress. Smith realized "that people don't mean what they say. It's not malicious. They just don't realize how much impact they have on an impressionable actor – and all actors are impressionable." From then on, she decided to "just sort of build a wall around myself", to cope with the disappointment of not getting a part.<ref name=love/> In Los Angeles, Smith appeared in theatrical productions of ''Living on Salvation Street'', for which she was paid $14 for each performance,<ref name= austele/> ''Boys and Girls/Men and Women'', and ''[[How the Other Half Loves]]'', and played the recurring role of Louella Waters on the [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] series ''[[Brothers (1984 TV series)|Brothers]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brothers on Showtime|url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/brothers/200260|work=[[TV Guide]]|access-date=April 3, 2009|archive-date=July 23, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723201552/http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/brothers/200260|url-status=live}}</ref> She appeared in the films ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' and ''[[Ginger Ale Afternoon]]'' (1989) as "trailer-park girls".<ref name="Steps"/> She later spoke of her regrets of appearing in the latter in her one-woman show ''More''.<ref>{{Cite web|title= "The Simpsons" Actress Yeardley Smith Brings Her More to Los Angeles|last= Hernandez|first= Ernio|work= [[Playbill]]|url= http://www.playbill.com/news/article/90684-The_Simpsons_Actress_Yeardley_Smith_Brings_Her_More_to_Los_Angeles|archive-url= https://archive.today/20120911153338/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/90684-The_Simpsons_Actress_Yeardley_Smith_Brings_Her_More_to_Los_Angeles|url-status= dead|archive-date= September 11, 2012|date= January 19, 2005|access-date= May 24, 2009}}</ref>

===''The Simpsons''===
{{Quote box |width=30em | bgcolor=transparent |align=right |quote=It's a happy fluke. When she was cast back in 1987, I just liked the sound of her voice. She's also a great actress. In general, people who make their living doing voices on cartoons aren't always great for us. Most cartoons want things peppy and cartoony. Yeardley is able to go through moments of great emotion and wring it for all she's worth.|salign=right|source=—[[Matt Groening]] on Smith's vocal style<ref name=love/>}}
Smith's longest-running role is voicing [[Lisa Simpson]] on ''The Simpsons''. She has voiced Lisa since 1987, beginning with ''[[The Simpsons shorts]]'' on ''The Tracey Ullman Show''. Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Lisa's brother [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], but casting director [[Bonita Pietila]] thought her voice was too high. Smith later recalled "I always sounded too much like a girl, I read two lines as Bart and they said, 'Thanks for coming!'"<ref name=austele/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/20070725/story.jhtml |title='Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers |access-date=July 29, 2007 |date=October 26, 2008 |first=Larry |last=Carroll |publisher=MTV |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220140402/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/20070725/story.jhtml |archive-date=December 20, 2007 }}</ref> Smith was given the role of Lisa, instead. She denies rumors that she almost turned down the role, though admits she had never planned a career in voice-over work.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.newshub.co.nz/entertainment/yeardley-smith-life-as-lisa-simpson-2013052413| work= 3 News NZ| title= Life as Lisa Simpson| date= May 24, 2013| access-date= September 24, 2020| archive-date= August 7, 2018| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180807185813/https://www.newshub.co.nz/entertainment/yeardley-smith-life-as-lisa-simpson-2013052413| url-status= dead}}</ref> Pietila stated that, having seen her in ''Living on Salvation Street'',<ref name=austele/> Smith was always her preferred choice.<ref name=love/> Smith lifts her voice up slightly to perform the role.<ref name=austele>{{cite news|title=She who laughs last| date= December 8, 2007| page=8E| work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)]]|first= Charles |last= Miranda}}</ref> Lisa is the only regular character voiced by Smith, although in some earlier episodes, she provided some of [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]]'s squeaks and occasional speaking parts.<ref name=com>{{cite video | people=Smith, Yeardley|date=2007|title=Audio commentary for ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]''| medium= DVD| publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Smith has only voiced characters other than Lisa on very rare occasions, with those characters usually being some derivative of Lisa, such as Lisa Bella in "[[Last Tap Dance in Springfield]]" and Lisa, Jr. in "[[Missionary: Impossible]]" (both from [[The Simpsons (season 11)|season 11]] in 2000).<ref name=name>Smith, Yeardley. (2005). Commentary for "[[Missionary: Impossible]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Eleventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Smith spends two days a week recording the show.<ref name=guard/>

Until 1998, Smith was paid $30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing to cast new voices.<ref name=Glaister/> However, the dispute was soon resolved and she received $125,000 per episode until 2004, when the voice actors demanded that they be paid $360,000 per episode.<ref name=Glaister>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544690429.html|title=Simpsons actors demand bigger share|access-date=February 10, 2009|date=April 3, 2004|author=Glaister, Dan|newspaper=The Age|archive-date=November 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116081914/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544690429.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The issue was resolved a month later,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/simpsons-cast-goes-back-to-work/|title='Simpsons' Cast Goes Back To Work|access-date=February 10, 2009|date=May 1, 2004|work=[[CBS News]]|archive-date=November 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110113625/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/01/entertainment/main615066.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> and Smith earned $250,000 per episode.<ref name="Sheridan"/> After salary renegotiations in 2008, the voice actors received about $400,000 per episode.<ref>{{cite news | title = Simpsons cast sign new pay deal | work = [[BBC News]] | date = June 3, 2008 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7434296.stm | access-date = February 10, 2009 | archive-date = June 20, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180620154525/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7434296.stm | url-status = live }}</ref> Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel the series unless production costs were cut, Smith and the other cast members accepted a 25% pay cut, down to just over $300,000 per episode.<ref>{{cite news|last=Block|first=Alex Ben|title='The Simpsons' Renewed for Two More Seasons|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/simpsons-renewed-two-more-seasons-245748|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=October 15, 2011|date=October 7, 2011|archive-date=January 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125073424/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/simpsons-renewed-two-more-seasons-245748|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Yeardley Smith 2012.png|thumb|Smith at the [[At Long Last Leave#Promotion|''Simpsons'' 500th Episode Marathon]], February 2012]]
Despite her world-famous role, Smith is rarely recognized in public, which she does not mind, saying, "it's wonderful to be in the midst of all this hype about the show, and people enjoying the show so much, and to be totally a [[fly on the wall]]; people never recognise me solely from my voice."<ref name="Sheridan">{{cite news|title=Meet the Simpsons|date=May 6, 2004|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|Daily Express]]| first=Peter |last= Sheridan}}</ref> In a 2009 interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'', she commented: "It's the best job ever. I have nothing but gratitude for the amount of freedom ''The Simpsons'' has bought me in my life."<ref name=guard>{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jan/16/lisa-simpson-yeardley-smith-film |title= From Springfield to Tinseltown |date= January 16, 2009 |first= Lisa |last= Marks |work= [[The Guardian]] |access-date= February 16, 2009 |archive-date= October 13, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131013100608/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jan/16/lisa-simpson-yeardley-smith-film |url-status= live }}</ref>

Smith received a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] in 1992, but felt it was not worth anything, saying "there's part of me that feels it wasn't even a real Emmy." The Emmy for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance|Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]] is a [[Creative Arts Emmy Award|Creative Arts]] and not handed out during the primetime telecast and, prior to 2009, was a juried award without nominations.<ref name="Happy">{{cite news| title=She's happy as Lisa Simpson, although she'd like more d'oh |date=April 4, 2004|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|publisher=Associated Press|first=Heidi | last= Vogt}}</ref> However, Smith says "if I had to be associated with one character in fiction, I will always be thrilled that it was Lisa Simpson."<ref name="Happy"/> The show's creator [[Matt Groening]] has called Smith very similar to Lisa: "Yeardley has strong moral views about her character. There are lines that are written for Lisa that Yeardley reads and says, 'No, I wouldn't say that.{{'"}}<ref name=love/> Writer [[Jay Kogen]] praised her performance on the show, particularly in the episode "[[Lisa's Substitute]]", as able "to move past comedy to something really strong and serious and dramatic".<ref name=love/>

===Further career===
From 1991 to 1994, alongside ''The Simpsons'', Smith was one of the lead cast members in the sitcom ''[[Herman's Head]]'' as Louise.<ref name=local>{{cite news|title=Local actress finds a voice in 'Simpsons'|date=November 20, 1994|work=[[The Washington Times]]|first=Paul|last=Freeman}}</ref> Her other television roles include recurring appearances as Marlene on ''[[Dharma & Greg]]'', and Penny in two episodes of ''[[Dead Like Me]]''. Smith has also appeared in ''[[Phil of the Future]]'' and ''[[Teen Angel (1997 TV series)|Teen Angel]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=6653|title=Development update – July 12–13|work=The Futon Critic|date=July 13, 2004|access-date=April 3, 2009}}</ref> Her one-scene role as pregnant checkout girl Nancy in 1991's ''[[City Slickers]]'' earned her "more attention than all [her] previous roles combined", and taught her "that it's far better to have small parts in big movies that everyone sees."<ref name=targum/> In 1997, she appeared as Lulu the palm reader in the independent film ''[[Just Write]]''.<ref name=targum/> Her other roles include parts in [[Barry Levinson]]'s ''[[Toys (film)|Toys]]'' and [[James L. Brooks]]' ''[[As Good as It Gets]]''.<ref name="Steps"/> Brooks, who is also executive producer of ''The Simpsons'', had cast Smith in his 1994 film ''[[I'll Do Anything]]'' (in one of the film's musical numbers), but her part was cut.<ref name=targum/> Aside from ''The Simpsons'', Smith has recorded few voice-over parts, only commercials and the film ''[[We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (film)|We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story]]''. She "had a voice-over agent for about two years, and I used to go out [on auditions] all the time, but it never really came to anything. Everybody said, 'Oh Yeardley, you'll clean up,' and that was definitely not the case."<ref name=love/>

In 2004, Smith performed her own off-Broadway one-woman show entitled ''More'' at the [[Union Square Theatre]] in New York City. Directed by [[Judith Ivey]],<ref name="More"/> the play is about her mixed feelings over the success of ''The Simpsons'', her parents, her relationships, and her struggles with [[bulimia]].<ref name="Steps">{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE7D71731F934A25750C0A9629C8B63|title=Lisa Simpson's Voice Steps Out on Her Own|author=Gates, Anita|access-date=October 26, 2008|date=March 17, 2004|work=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=August 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809003628/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/17/theater/lisa-simpson-s-voice-steps-out-on-her-own.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Happy"/> ''[[The New York Times]]'' critic Margo Jefferson called it an "appealing if overlong show", adding that "The career narrative needed shortening. This would involve some editing and revising but wouldn't taint the best parts of ''More.'' It is refreshing to hear a celebrity talk cleanly about being fame-driven and about not getting the degree or the kind of fame you craved. It's fun to watch a skilled actress use her craft to the full."<ref name="More">{{Cite web|author=Jefferson, Margo|work=The New York Times|title=Theater review; What Do I Want? It's Just One Word|url=http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?html_title=More%20(Play)&tols_title=More%20(Play)&pdate=20040325&byline=Margo%20Jefferson&id=1078134675658|date=March 25, 2004|access-date=April 3, 2009|archive-date=November 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111010809/https://www.nytimes.com/section/theater?byline=Margo+Jefferson&html_title=More+%2528Play%2529&id=1078134675658&pdate=20040325&tols_title=More+%2528Play%2529|url-status=live}}</ref> She would later perform the play for three weeks in Los Angeles the following year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Weekend/GC12Jp10.html |title=Local hero |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |last=Heffley |first=Lynne |year=2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629121817/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Weekend/GC12Jp10.html |archive-date=June 29, 2011 }}</ref>

Smith starred in and served as executive producer for the independent romantic comedy ''Waiting for Ophelia'', which was released in 2009. She funded the film, which was written by Adam Carl and based on a stage play he wrote in 2003. She said: "I loved it. I never get to play parts like that. I always play the friend of a friend, never the lead. And the script surprised me." Carl stated it was very unlikely she would recoup her money, but Smith decided she "believe[d] in this project, and my expectations have already been fulfilled by making the movie", and added: "You can support art even if it's not going to make a zillion dollars."<ref name=guard/> It premiered on April 4, 2009, at the [[Phoenix Film Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stars come out for Phoenix Film Festival |url=https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/get_out/stars-come-out-for-phoenix-film-festival/article_8f42f875-e088-5bde-b912-5635885d1efa.html |work=[[East Valley Tribune]] |author=Harter, Jess |date=March 31, 2009 |access-date=July 4, 2021 |archive-date=November 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211111010756/https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/get_out/stars-come-out-for-phoenix-film-festival/article_8f42f875-e088-5bde-b912-5635885d1efa.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2011, Smith starred as Ms. Miller in the movie ''[[The Chaperone (2011 film)|The Chaperone]]'' alongside [[Triple H]] and [[Ariel Winter]].

In June 2016, the [[Human Rights Campaign]] released a video in tribute to the victims of the [[Orlando nightclub shooting]]; in the video, Smith and others told the stories of the people killed there.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hrc.org/blog/watch-49-celebrities-honor-49-victims-of-orlando-tragedy-in-new-ryan-murphy |title=49 Celebrities Honor 49 Victims of Orlando Tragedy &#124; Human Rights Campaign |publisher=Hrc.org |access-date=June 30, 2016 |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823154109/http://www.hrc.org/blog/watch-49-celebrities-honor-49-victims-of-orlando-tragedy-in-new-ryan-murphy |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rothaus |first=Steve |date=June 12, 2016 |title=Pulse Orlando shooting scene a popular LGBT club where employees, patrons 'like family' |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article83301677.html |work=The Miami Herald |access-date=June 15, 2016 |archive-date=June 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615082724/http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article83301677.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 30, 2019, Smith was honored with the Human Rights Campaign's National Leadership Award in Los Angeles for her work as an advocate of the [[LGBT community]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Peters |first=Stephen |date=February 22, 2019 |title=HRC to Honor Yeardley Smith with National Leadership Award at 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner |url=https://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-honor-yeardley-smith-with-national-leadership-award-2019-hrc-LA-dinner |work=Human Righrs Campaign |access-date=March 31, 2019 |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401010013/https://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-honor-yeardley-smith-with-national-leadership-award-2019-hrc-LA-dinner |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2017, Smith started a podcast, ''Small Town Dicks'', which explores real life crime in small towns in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Deffenbacher |first1=Chelsea |title=True-crime podcast has a local flavor |url=https://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/35885052-75/true-crime-podcast-has-a-local-flavor.html.csp |work=The Register-Guard |date=September 1, 2017 |access-date=December 6, 2019 |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206060914/https://www.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/35885052-75/true-crime-podcast-has-a-local-flavor.html.csp |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith had co-hosted the podcast with actress and long-time friend Zibby Allen until March 2019 when the two filed lawsuits against one another, with Allen accusing Smith of pushing her out of ownership and profit rights from the show.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hitt |first1=Tarpley |title=The Simpsons' Lisa Simpson Accused of Screwing Over Her Best Friend |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-simpsons-yeardley-smith-aka-lisa-simpson-accused-of-screwing-her-bff-out-of-small-town-dicks-podcast |newspaper=The Daily Beast |access-date=December 6, 2019 |date=September 25, 2019 |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024185741/https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-simpsons-yeardley-smith-aka-lisa-simpson-accused-of-screwing-her-bff-out-of-small-town-dicks-podcast |url-status=live }}</ref>