What is Nancy Cartwright's Net Worth and Salary?
Nancy Cartwright is an accomplished American actress, comedian, and voice artist with an esteemed net worth of $60 million. Renowned primarily for her voice acting work on the legendary series "The Simpsons," Nancy has become a household name. Though her net worth may slightly lag behind some of her co-stars, this contrasts with her significant philanthropic contributions, particularly over $20 million to Scientology.
On "The Simpsons," Nancy voices iconic characters including Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, Nelson Muntz, and Maggie Simpson. As per their latest contracts, each principal voice actor earns $400,000 per episode, amounting to approximately $9 million per season. Beyond "The Simpsons," Nancy has lent her voice to numerous animated projects such as "Goof Troop" (1992–1993), "Rugrats" (1992; 2002–2004), "The Critic" (1994–1995), "Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain" (1998–1999), and "Kim Possible" (2002–2007).
Nancy's on-screen roles also include appearances in "Twilight Zone: The Movie" (1983) and "Godzilla" (1998), as well as TV shows like "Cheers" (1985), "Mr. Belvedere" (1987), "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1995), and "24" (2007).
Early Life
Nancy Jean Cartwright was born on October 25, 1957, in Dayton, Ohio. She grew up in Kettering, Ohio, with her mother, Miriam, father Frank, and five siblings. Tragically, her mother passed away in 1978. During her school years at St. Charles Borromeo and Fairmont West High School, Nancy excelled in public speaking and dramatics, winning a school speech competition in fourth grade by performing Rudyard Kipling's "How the Camel Got His Hump." She was actively involved in school plays and the marching band and served as president of the Forensic League.
After graduating in 1976, Nancy earned a scholarship to Ohio University, where she continued her success in public speaking, ranking fifth in the exposition category at a national tournament. In 1976, she began doing voice-overs for ads on Dayton's WING radio station. A fortuitous meeting with a Warner Bros. Records representative led to an introduction to Daws Butler, the famed voice of Yogi Bear, who became her mentor, prompting Nancy to move to Los Angeles and transfer to UCLA, where she earned her theater degree in 1981.
Career
With Daws Butler’s support, Nancy was introduced to Hanna-Barbera’s top voice talents and directors. Gordon Hunt, one of the directors, invited her to audition for "Richie Rich," securing her the role of Gloria Glad (1980-1984). This laid the foundation for numerous other roles including the title character in the TV movie "Marian Rose White" (1982) and a notable part in "Twilight Zone: The Movie" (1983).
Throughout the 1980s, Nancy worked on various animation projects, including "My Little Pony: The Movie" (1986) and "Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw" (1988). Her major break came in 1987 when she auditioned for an animated slot on "The Tracey Ullman Show." Although she initially aimed for Lisa Simpson’s role, she identified more with Bart Simpson’s character, landing the role instantly offered by creator Matt Groening. The shorts evolved into the long-running series "The Simpsons," which has aired over 700 episodes across 32 seasons, becoming the longest-running American sitcom and scripted primetime series.
Aside from Bart, Nancy voiced Chuckie Finster on Nickelodeon's "Rugrats" and Rufus the naked mole rat on Disney's "Kim Possible," further demonstrating her versatile voice acting talent. Her filmography includes extensive voice work in series and movies such as "The Land Before Time VI" (1998), "The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story" (1998), and "Leroy & Stitch" (2006), amassing over 150 credits. She featured in the documentary "I Know That Voice" (2013) and the Nerdist web series "Talkin' Toons" (2017).
Personal Life & Scientology
On December 24, 1988, Nancy married writer Warren Murphy, who was 24 years her senior. They had two children, Lucy, and Jack, before divorcing in 2002. Nancy later began a relationship with fellow Scientologist Stephen Brackett in 2007; they were engaged when Brackett tragically died in 2009.
Raised in a Roman Catholic household, Nancy embraced Scientology in the early 1990s, ultimately donating over $21 million and receiving the Patron Laureate Award in 2007. Her contributions extend beyond Scientology as she has supported the ASIFA-Hollywood's Animation Archive Project and was honored with Make-a-Wish Foundation's Wish Icon Award in 2007 for her dedicated fundraising.
In 2005, she was named Honorary Mayor of Northridge, California, and created a scholarship at Fairmont High School. She also co-founded the Know More About Drugs alliance focusing on the side effects of psychotropic drugs.
Awards and Nominations
Nancy Cartwright's remarkable talent has garnered numerous accolades, including three Primetime Emmy nominations for "The Simpsons," with a win for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992. She won an Annie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting in 1995 and received the Drama-Logue Award the same year for "In Search of Fellini." Nancy has been recognized by the Behind the Voice Actors and the Online Film & Television Association.