The #StateofVO was back with a bang tonight with fabulous guest and Simpsons superstar Nancy Cartwright!! She’s not only voiced the world’s favorite 4th grader and so many other memorable characters, but Nancy is also a Masterclass instructor and author/narrator of her book “I’m Still a 10-Year-Old Boy.”
Nancy and Joan started the discussion talking about art and inspiration. “Life is an art, and you have to treat it that way,” Nancy said, and that being prepared and taking care of yourself is essential. “You gotta spin a lot of plates in life in order to stay ahead of the game,” she added.
In talking about happiness, Nancy emphasized the importance of knowing and being comfortable with yourself. She said that you shouldn’t depend on others to make you happy, you have to create that for yourself. You have to look inward and take responsibility for your happiness and your life.
And sometimes, as hard as it can be, that could mean ending those relationships that don’t fulfill you. Nancy gave an example: when you’re done hanging out with someone, do you feel uplifted or bummed? If you’re feeling down, that could be telling you something about that relationship.
“Think of it as spring cleaning: clean out your closet of people who are not supporting you in your life,” Nancy said, and that you should “help yourself by recognizing who is helping you or not helping you.”
And forget about the haters — some people just want to tear others down.
I loved it when Nancy told us that we should share our art with people. “Artists are the most valuable people on the planet. We elevate the culture,” she said. And Joan added, “Getting your self expression out there, what else is there?”
We were treated to a demonstration of Nancy’s talents when she performed Bart Simpson’s voice at age 10, then at age 2, age 5, age 10 again, and what he would sound like at 13 with a voice that’s starting to crack. All unmistakably Bart, yet all definitely reflecting those different age ranges. “I don’t know how I do this,” she said, adding that she’s not thinking about a technical aspect, like using her head voice or throat voice.
Marc Guss asked Nancy some audience questions and her answers to each of them were so interesting and valuable. When asked about a challenging job, she talked about how she handled stepping into the role of Chuckie on Rugrats with grace and respect for her fellow voice actors.
She shared her Six Salient Steps to Successful Survival, which include doing what you love and sharing your genius with others. And when asked about a time when performing Bart for fan had an affect on her, she told told an absolutely touching and memorable story of how she visited a boy whose Make-A-Wish request was to meet Bart Simpson and spent time with him and his family.
Huge thanks to Nancy Cartwright for her time and expertise that she shared with us in the audience, and as always, thanks to the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, Joan Baker, Marc Guss, Rudy Gaskins & the team for putting together another amazing event!
What a way to start the new season of SOVAS Q&A events! Don’t miss a thing, check out the State of VO page on the SOVAS website.
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