CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: Nancy Cartwright, the longtime voice behind Bart Simpson, was honored for donating at least $21 million to the Church of Scientology, according to a new report. The actress was reportedly felicitated alongside other multi-million dollar benefactors at the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida on New Year’s Eve 2022.
The report on Cartwright’s donation was published in the new issue of Impact Magazine. ‘The Simpsons’ star reportedly wore a navy blue gown for the event and was photographed alongside Scientology CEO, David Miscaviage, before being handed a trophy for reaching “Patron Excalibur With Honors” for her hefty donation. “This was the most beautiful acknowledgement I have ever received in my entire life,” Cartwright told the publication. Scientology blogger Tony Ortega also confirmed that Cartwright was celebrated for donating the “cumulative” amount to the International Association of Scientologists (IAS), the church’s membership organization.
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Who is Nancy Cartwright?
Cartwright is an American actress, voice artist, and comedian. She was born on October 25, 1957, in Ohio and moved to Hollywood in 1978 to train with voice actor Daws Butler. Cartwright is best known for voicing the role of Bart Simpson on the popular animated TV series ‘The Simpsons' for more than 30 years.
She graduated from Fairmont West High School in 1976 and accepted a scholarship from Ohio University. Cartwright returned to the same university for her sophomore year but transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to stay close to Hollywood while getting mentored by Butler. The actress’ first professional voice role was as Gloria in the animated series ‘Richie Rich.’
Shortly after, she earned a starring role in the 1982 TV movie ‘Marian Rose White'. The following year, she appeared in her first feature film, ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie'. In 1987, Cartwright auditioned for a role in the 'Simpsons' family for a series of animated shorts that was set to appear on ‘The Tracey Ullman Show'. Creator Matt Groening offered Cartwright the role of Bart Simpson on the spot and she continued to voice the character on the show for three seasons before reprising the role in the Fox hit ‘The Simpsons'.
Cartwright also lent her voice to ‘My Little Pony: The Movie; (1986), ‘Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw’ (1988), ‘The Little Mermaid’ (1989), ‘Shirt Tales’ (1983–1985), ‘Snorks’ (1984–1988), and ‘My Little Pony 'n Friends’ (1986–1987) and appeared in films like ‘Flesh and Blood’ (1985) and ‘Yellow Pages’ (1988) throughout the 80s. As part of ‘The Simpsons,’ she also voiced the roles of Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, Nelson Muntz, Maggie Simpson, Kearney, and Database in addition to Bart Simpson.
She continued to work as a voice actress for shows like ‘Goof Troop’ (1992–1993), ‘Rugrats’ (1992; 2002–2004), ‘The Critic’ (1994–1995), ‘Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain’ (1998–1999), ‘Kim Possible’ (2002–2007), and several other animated projects. Cartwright even appeared in the 1998 film ‘Godzilla’ and bagged roles in TV shows like Cheers’ (1985), ‘Mr. Belvedere’ (1987), ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1995), and ‘24’ (2007), among others.
Cartwright published her autobiography ‘My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy’ in 2000, and adapted it into a one-woman play in 2004. She also formed two production companies of her own, named SportsBlast and Spotted Cow Entertainment, and produced the 2017 film ‘In Search of Fellini'. For her role in ‘The Simpsons,’ Cartwright received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1992 and an Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in the Field of Animation in 1995.
Nancy Cartwright has been a longtime follower of Scientology
Cartwright has long been known as an ardent follower of the controversial Church of Scientology. She has also been vocal about being a Scientologist. Back in 2011, the actress reportedly lobbied state legislators in Illinois to allow a children’s version of ‘The Way to Happiness,’ a key text written by Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, to be used in schools, the New York Post reported. Cartwright gave a lengthy interview to the Washington Post in 1992 during a trip to the city with the late singer Isaac Hayes, to promote the same book.
In the interview, the actress explained that she became a member of Scientology after being raised as a Catholic in Dayton, Ohio. Cartwright revealed she went to one of its events when she was approaching 30 because she was single, and decided to join. She eventually went to the Scientology “Celebrity Center” in Hollywood where she performed purification. The 65-year-old described the purification as “sitting in a sauna for hours and taking lots of vitamins… and running.”
She also said that Scientology allowed actors to be themselves while mentioning that they can “have a tremendous effect on the public and can serve as role models.” It is believed that Cartwright also allegedly donated a fortune towards the construction of the San Fernando Valley Ideal Organization, which opened in 2017. She even achieved “Diamond Laureate With Honors” status in 2019, signifying that she has donated about $17.5 million to Scientology at the time.
Ortega told the New York Post that members who donate big amounts of money are allegedly referred to as “whales” by church executives. He also alleged that Cartwright is a “very hardcore” Scientologist, “who enforces it on other celebs.” Ortega claimed, “She’s there to remind you you need to donate more, show up more.”
‘Expensive trophy’
Social media users were quick to react to Cartwright’s donation and took to Facebook to share their opinion. “Does she not realize that she is being celebrated for being a world-class dupe?” one user wrote. “Noooo. Nancy has been corrupted. Met her recently, one of the nicest people out there,” added another.
One said, “Imagine if that money went to real charities. Homeless shelters, inner city schools, help for people in war torn areas, cancer research, etc etc.” while another simply wrote, “Expensive trophy.” “How very sad the amount of people this could have helped is astronomical,” one user mentioned. “Didn't she take note of critical thinking tropes in Simpsons scripts?” another mocked.
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