Yeardley Smith and James Earl Jones Give Pop Culture a Voice

Most people wouldn’t be able to pick Yeardley Smith out of a lineup, but they’d be able to identify her as soon as she opened her mouth; the same could arguably be said of James Earl Jones early on in his storied career. This season marks the 20th year that Yeardley Smith has provided the voice for Lisa Simpson on the animated series ‘The Simpsons.’

Both Yeardley Smith and James Earl Jones have gotten their biggest and most profitable breaks in the entertainment business primarily through their voices. January of 2009, however, is set to showcase and honor these actors’ other talents. James Earl Jones will receive the Lifetime Achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild, while Yeardley Smith’s first novel “I Loralei” will be published by Harper Collins.