It is not unknown that being a voice-actor on the most-popular and longest-running animated show on television is the job-of-the-century. The hours are short. The hair and make-up is “come-as-you-are.” There are no marks* to hit. The lighting is friendly and functional, and the pay is pretty darn good. That said, none of these facts address what I feel is the greatest asset of all in being on The Simpsons. How do you put a price on freedom? How do you determine what “time” costs? How much would you charge someone to give you opportunities to do other things? The truth is that you can’t, you don’t, and you would drive yourself crazy to try!
I have been asked by many people, “If you weren’t doing voice-work for a living, what would you do?” Well, so far I have worked at an ice cream shop—waiting tables, scooping ice cream and gaining a few pounds; at a radio station filling in for anyone who went on vacation, waiting tables at a Greek restaurant; assisting the president of the dorm at UCLA; and working at a factory to burn off those earlier pounds I packed on with the ice cream! These were all jobs that I did that, from the surface, would appear were just for the sake of earning the money. In retrospect, I realize that I always had a purpose in mind when I accepted these jobs. There was always “a bigger plan” when I did them, be it “to have unlimited access to all the ‘Rocky Road’ I could cram down my throat” or “to earn enough money to move to California.”
Since it only takes about 4 hours to record my part of The Simpsons or any other animated show, be it Kim Possible or Rugrats-All Grown Up, the hours are minimal. And this is where I consider the greatest asset of being a voice-actor lies.
On October 4th, Nancy and other dignitaries cut the ribbon to open The Way to Happiness Foundation International’s new home in Glendale, CA.
On October 4th, Nancy and other dignitaries cut the ribbon to open The Way to Happiness Foundation International's new home in Glendale, CA.
If I could do anything I wanted besides what I do, I would no doubt spend my days helping others who don’t have as much as I have—which is a hell of a lot of people! I have been the spokesperson for The Way to Happiness since 1992. Check it out under “Community Volunteer”. I am also an advocate of literacy. A strong supporter of the American Library Association, I have passed out their “Read, Man” bookmarkers that depict The Simpsons characters since 1994 or so. I am on the Board of Advisors for the Kettering School system and I support “Project Read”, a non-profit organization for literacy that is headquartered in my hometown, Dayton, Ohio. With the world in the condition that it is in today, we need all the help we can get in order to find happiness and to achieve our goals. I consider my freedom my most valued possession. And the time that I have because of my work has allowed me to meet people all over the world who want and need any help they can get. I love that I can give them some tools to help them.
I decided that I wouldn’t let time or commitments get in the way. I decided that I could do both: do what I love as a voice-artist and spend as much time as I can, traveling and helping/inspiring those who don’t have as much as I. This makes for a happier Nancy and a happier world.
* A “mark” is a spot on the floor or ground that designates where an actor is to stand for the shot.
