Nancy Cartwright: Bart Simpson, Fellini, and Finding the Artist Inside [From the Archive]

Episode Description:

Nancy Cartwright is best known as the voice of Bart Simpson. But in this archive conversation, James is interested in the artist behind the voice.

Nancy joins the show to talk about In Search of Fellini, the film she co-wrote with Peter Kjenaas based on her own trip to Italy in the 1980s. At the time, Nancy was already working as an actress and voiceover performer, but she became obsessed with Federico Fellini’s La Strada. She studied scenes from the film in acting class, felt deeply connected to Giulietta Masina’s performance, and eventually decided she wanted to get the rights to adapt La Strada for the stage.

So she wrote Fellini letters. When she finally got a response telling her not to come because Fellini would be working, Nancy heard something else: he would be there.

She went anyway.

That decision becomes the central metaphor of the episode. Nancy describes the trip not as a business errand, but as an immersion into life, art, culture, language, risk, chance encounters, and personal transformation. The film’s line—sometimes you have to travel far, far away to find what is closest to you—comes from one of those real encounters.

James and Nancy also talk about her earlier career. Nancy explains how she found her way from speech competitions in Ohio to radio work, to studying with Daws Butler, to acting classes with Milton Katselas. She shares stories about auditioning for Cheers, getting a part after walking straight out of the casting room, and learning that if you surprise yourself, you can surprise everyone else.

That lesson also applies to The Simpsons. Nancy originally went in to audition for Lisa, but when she saw Bart’s description—“a 10-year-old school-hating underachiever and proud of it”—she knew instantly that was the part. She trusted the instinct.

The conversation becomes a meditation on creativity. Mentorship matters. Preparation matters. But at some point, the artist has to do the work, throw it away, walk into the room, and trust what happens.

Nancy’s story is about voice acting, Fellini, and Bart Simpson. But it is also about making the leap from talent to authorship, from performing other people’s words to finding the story only you can tell.

Editorial Note:

This is a From the Archive episode. References to In Search of Fellini as a new or limited-release film, The Simpsons at that point in its run, Nancy’s projects, and release timing reflect the original recording period.

What You’ll Learn:

Why Nancy Cartwright calls herself one of the most recognizable voices attached to an unrecognizable face.
How Bart Simpson’s voice fits into Nancy’s own personality and childhood mischief.
Why La Strada affected Nancy so deeply as a young actress.
How Nancy’s trip to Italy became the foundation for In Search of Fellini.
Why “sometimes you have to travel far, far away to find what is closest to you” became the emotional center of the film.
How Nancy learned voice acting from Daws Butler.
What Milton Katselas taught her about surprising herself.
Why walking out of a Cheers audition helped her get the role.
How to create an effect without making it feel calculated.
Why auditions are not just competitions, but opportunities to fulfill a decision.
How Nancy knew Bart was the right role even though she had been called in for Lisa.
Why artists need preparation, mentorship, instinct, immersion, and commitment.
How The Simpsons has lasted through writing, love, improv, and a giant universe of relatable characters.
Why Nancy believes artists have a responsibility to connect with people on a deeper wavelength.
How making In Search of Fellini took more than 20 years of persistence, revision, and collaboration.

Timestamped Chapters:

[02:00] The Most Unknown Famous Person in the World
James introduces Nancy Cartwright and asks what it is like to be instantly recognizable by voice but not by face.

[02:43] Bart Simpson Enters the Room
Nancy demonstrates why millions of people know her even if they do not know what she looks like.

[03:04] Bart on an Airplane
Nancy tells the story of using Bart’s voice on a flight to the UK and entertaining the cockpit crew before landing.

[04:55] Beyond Bart Simpson
James introduces Nancy’s broader creative life and her film In Search of Fellini.

[06:37] The Pearl Is the Autobiography of the Oyster
James connects Fellini’s idea of autobiography and art to Nancy’s film.

[06:54] Traveling Far Away to Find What Is Closest
Nancy explains the line from the movie and how it came from her real trip to Italy.

[07:47] Studying La Strada
Nancy describes discovering Fellini’s La Strada in acting class and becoming captivated by Giulietta Masina’s performance.

[10:43] Mentors, Acting Class, and Early Roles
James connects Nancy’s early acting work, voiceover success, Daws Butler, Milton Katselas, and her growing artistic identity.

[10:47] The Cheers Audition
Nancy tells the story of walking out of an audition and discovering that the casting team loved it.

[11:39] Surprise Yourself, Surprise Everyone Else
Nancy shares Milton Katselas’s advice and James identifies the broader lesson behind the audition.

[13:18] Authenticity vs. Calculation
Nancy explains why an effect only works when it is sincere, not staged.

[13:52] The Lobster Hat Audition
Nancy tells the story of Marian Rose White, a strange hat, thick glasses, and how she was already auditioning before she entered the room.

[17:47] You Are On Before You Walk In
James and Nancy turn the audition story into a larger lesson about authenticity and preparation.

[18:24] Twenty Years of Writing In Search of Fellini
Nancy explains how the film evolved through many versions before becoming the final story.

[21:05] Finding the Authentic Artistic Self
James connects Lucy’s journey in the film to Nancy’s own search for her artistic identity.

[21:47] Why Nancy Went to Italy
Nancy explains how studying La Strada turned into a real-life mission to find Fellini and ask for the rights.

[22:14] Storytelling, Speech Competitions, and Childhood Mischief
Nancy talks about growing up as one of six kids, discovering performance, and realizing there was a little Bart in her from the beginning.

[25:23] Finding Daws Butler
Nancy explains how a Warner Brothers contact led her to Daws Butler and how that mentorship changed her career.

[27:14] Learning the Professional Craft
Even with natural talent, Nancy spent years studying before Daws felt she was ready to record a proper voiceover tape.

[30:23] Ride the Horse in the Direction It’s Going
Nancy reflects on seizing the moment and following the career openings that appear.

[31:00] Make a Decision and Back It Fully
Nancy explains how artists can overcome comparison and negative voices by committing to the choice they make.

[33:34] Trust the Work, Then Throw It Away
Nancy describes the balance between preparation and presence: do the work, then go in and trust yourself.

[33:57] Auditioning for Lisa, Choosing Bart
Nancy remembers seeing Bart’s character description next to Lisa’s and immediately knowing where her instinct pointed.

[35:21] Art as a Wavelength
Nancy explains why art can reach people beyond logic and pull something out of them emotionally.

[37:04] Letters to Fellini
Nancy describes writing Fellini repeatedly, finally getting a response, and deciding to go to Italy anyway.

[39:07] Immersing Herself in Italy
The trip becomes more than a meeting. Nancy wants to eat, drink, fall in love, learn the culture, and live inside the experience.

[41:18] The Line That Became the Movie
Nancy explains how a chance encounter in Milan gave her the line about traveling far away to find what is closest.

[43:19] Real Life Becomes Film
James and Nancy connect the people and moments from her trip to the characters and scenes in In Search of Fellini.

[44:34] Why Nancy Didn’t Play Claire
Nancy explains why she realized acting in the film as the mother would distract from the story.

[46:02] Maria Bello, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and the Cast
Nancy talks about the actors who brought the film to life and the commitment they brought to the work.

[48:00] Returning to Italy After Decades
Nancy and her collaborators retrace her old journey, draw from diaries and letters, and rebuild the story.

[49:31] Art After Fear
Nancy tells the story of finding a sculpture after a frightening encounter in Venice and how that moment stayed with her.

[53:47] Yes, And
James identifies the improvisational quality in Nancy’s life: saying yes to the moment and letting the next connection appear.

[56:46] Writing the Script in a Week
After years of drafts, the final version comes together quickly because the deeper material had been building for decades.

[58:11] Everyone Has an Artist Inside
James and Nancy discuss Fellini’s belief that people carry artistic potential that often gets shut down by ordinary life.

[01:00:38] Fellini, Bart, and Surreal Truth
James connects Fellini’s surreal realism to The Simpsons and Nancy’s attraction to Bart.

[01:03:50] From One-Woman Show to Feature Film
Nancy explains how In Search of Fellini began as a monologue and one-woman show before becoming a movie.

[01:07:08] Why The Simpsons Lasted
Nancy credits Springfield’s huge cast of relatable characters, the writers, the performers, and the love behind the work.

[01:08:42] Nancy’s Code for Success
Do what you love, surround yourself with supporters, be professional, find a mentor, surprise yourself, and seize the moment.

[01:10:43] Why the Movie Still Works Without Knowing Fellini
James says viewers do not need to know Fellini to connect with the story of finding the artist inside yourself.

[01:12:00] James’s Reaction to the Film
James says the movie made him cry and describes it as a story about finding your authentic self.

Additional Resources:

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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