Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson, went through an eating disorder and an identity crisis before she became inspired by her character

Vanity Fair

Smith is the only Simpsons star who only voices one character. And because her young-sounding voice never aged, she's had trouble expanding into other actor roles. That's how she came to feel inadequate about herself. Now, at age 53, Smith can fully appreciate Lisa Simpson. “I think my favorite thing about Lisa Simpson is her resilience. Oh, that I could be that resilient! And I will say, if I’ve learned anything from her, I’ve learned that," she says, adding: “She’s so beautifully fleshed out. In the animation, and the writing and, hopefully, in the performance, that I feel as though she exists quite separately from me,” says Smith. “I really feel like—I honestly feel this—it’s been such an honor to embody a character that I would look up to. And then, the icing on the cake is that other people look up to her too. She’s so who I wish I could be.”