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Voice of 'Bart Simpson' created scholarship to give back

Nancy Cartwright graduated from Fairmont West High School in 1976.

Nancy Cartwright is a Kettering native and voice of cartoon character Bart Simpson. She is also the creator of the Nancy Cartwright Artist Achievement Scholarship.

Photo submitted by JAG Entertainment/JAG Entertainment Nancy Cartwright is a Kettering native and voice of cartoon character Bart Simpson. She is also the creator of the Nancy Cartwright Artist Achievement Scholarship.

By Kelli Wynn, Staff Writer Updated 3:06 PM Thursday, June 4, 2009

KETTERING — Three decades ago, Nancy Cartwright called Daws Butler’s California home and discovered that the American voice-over artist spoke with a British accent on his answering machine message.

Butler was the voice of various cartoon characters like Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear and Quick Draw McGraw.

Instead of leaving a message in her regular voice, Cartwright decided to leave a message for Butler in her best Cockney accent impression.

“I think it got his attention,” Cartwright said May 28 via phone from California.

A friendship and mentorship was formed between the two, resulting in Cartwright transferring from Ohio University to UCLA, where she graduated in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in theatre.

“I felt quite privileged that he started sending me scripts through the mail,” Cartwright said. Butler passed away in 1986, the year before Cartwright landed the role of Bart Simpson in “The Simpsons.” The show is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

A woman who worked for Warner Bros. Music, whom Cartwright met while she was working at a radio station and majoring in interpersonal communications at Ohio University, put her in contact with Butler. The woman told Cartwright that her voice reminded her of Mel Blanc’s Tweety Bird.

Cartwright’s voice also got her noticed at Fairmont West High School. Cartwright, who grew up at 788 Lovetta Drive, competed in forensic competitions and judges would comment on her “unusual voice.”

Her achievements on Fairmont’s forensic team landed her a scholarship with Ohio University when she graduated high school in 1976.

Cartwright, who was president of the National Forensic League while attending Ohio University, created the Nancy Cartwright Artist Achievement Scholarship as a way to give back to her community and to the university that created an opportunity for her success.

Cartwright credits the encounters with Butler and the Warner Bros. representative as key events in her voice-over career, which started in 1980 when Cartwright was cast as Gloria in the cartoon “Ritchie Rich.”

Cartwright said she is currently producing and creating other characters.

She has a daughter Lucy, 19, and son Jack, 17. Cartwright is the one of six children. Her father, Frank, and stepmother, Marilyn, live in Kettering. Her mother, Miriam, died of cancer before she moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970s.

Nancy Cartwright

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I was impressed with her speech.

I would much rather listen to someone who has hit the "bigtime" with a message for our students, than someone such as Rhine McLin who is the "darling" of her people.

wiggles
7:23 AM, 6/5/2009

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I remember her in the film "Twilight Zone: The Movie" she was kinda scary looking to say the least. With a face like that, it was a good career move to get into voice over work.

Scott
8:52 PM, 6/4/2009

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Don't feel bad West Alumni, she won't call back the guys she had sex with in high school either! I grew up in the same neighborhood too. She turned snob when she got the job doing "Lillypad" at WING.

Doberman Pincher
6:38 PM, 6/4/2009

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I graduated from Fairmont West with Nancy and new her a little but knew she was a great talant even then. I also moved to Los Angeles after graduation and called Nancy once to congratulate her on a great performance she gave in a made for TV movie. She blew me off and hung up. I guess fame does that to people.

Fairmont West Alum
6:06 PM, 6/4/2009

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