Best Known As: Film Actor,  Television Actor

Gist:  Yeardley Smith (; born July 3, 1964) is a French-born American actress, voice artist, writer and painter. She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons.

Born in Paris, France, her family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1966. As a child, Smith was often mocked because of her unusual first name and her voice. She became a professional actress in 1982 after graduating from drama school and moved to New York City in 1984 where she appeared in the Broadway production of The Real Thing. Her first film role came in 1985's Heaven Help Us, followed by roles in The Legend of Billie Jean and Maximum Overdrive. She moved to Los Angeles, California in 1986 and received a recurring role in the television series Brothers. In 1987, she auditioned for a role in a series of animated shorts about a dysfunctional family 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 so she was given the role of Lisa instead. She voiced Lisa for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show, and in 1989, the shorts were spun off into a half hour show called The Simpsons. For her work as the character, Smith received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992.

Alongside The Simpsons, Smith acted in the sitcom Herman's Head as Louise, and had recurring appearances as Marlene on Dharma & Greg, and 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 her own 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 relationship comedy Waiting For Ophelia, which had its world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival in April 2009.

Smith was married to actor Christopher Grove from 1990 to 1992 and Daniel Erickson from 2002 to 2008. She enjoys writing and painting. During the first season of Herman's Head, Smith taught herself to paint by copying other artists. She released a children's book titled I, Lorelei in 2009 and her story The Race was included in the book Just Humor Me.

Life Facts:  Smith was born Martha Maria Yeardley Smith on July 3, 1964 in Paris, France. Her father Joseph Smith worked for United Press International in Paris and moved to Washington, D.C., United States in 1966 where he became The Washington Post's first official obituary editor. Her mother, Martha Mayor, was a gallery worker. Smith's parents later divorced. Smith labeled her family "upper crust and reserved". As a child, Smith was often mocked because of her unusual first name and her voice. Smith has stated: "I've sounded pretty much the same way since I was six. Maybe [my voice is] a little deeper now." She made her acting debut in a sixth-grade play.

From 1991-1994, alongside The Simpsons, Smith acted in the sitcom Herman's Head as Louise. Her other television roles include recurring appearances as Marelene on Dharma & Greg, and Penny in two episodes of Dead Like Me. Smith has also appeared in Phil of the Future and Teen Angel. 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 "that it's far better to have small parts in big movies that everyone sees." In 1997, she appeared as Lulu the palm reader in the independent film Just Write. Her other roles include parts in Barry Levinson's Toys and James L. Brooks' As Good as It Gets. 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. Aside from The Simpsons, Smith has recorded few voice over parts, only commercials and the 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."

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,

Smith starred in and served as executive producer for the independent relationship comedy Waiting For Ophelia, which will be 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."

Career Facts:  From 1991-1994, alongside The Simpsons, Smith acted in the sitcom Herman's Head as Louise. Her other television roles include recurring appearances as Marelene on Dharma & Greg, and Penny in two episodes of Dead Like Me. Smith has also appeared in Phil of the Future and Teen Angel. 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 "that it's far better to have small parts in big movies that everyone sees." In 1997, she appeared as Lulu the palm reader in the independent film Just Write. Her other roles include parts in Barry Levinson's Toys and James L. Brooks' As Good as It Gets. 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. Aside from The Simpsons, Smith has recorded few voice over parts, only commercials and the 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."

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,

Smith starred in and served as executive producer for the independent relationship comedy Waiting For Ophelia, which will be 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."