‘The Simpsons’ Star Yeardley Smith Reflects on Lisa Simpson’s ‘Resilience’ for International Women’s Day (Exclusive)

Lisa Simpson might be 8 years old, but the awe-inspiring animated TV character has always been ahead of her time. Sharing valuable nuggets of wisdom with audiences worldwide since The Simpsons first premiered in 1989, the second-grader has proven to be one of the most important feminist icons of our modern century. Standing up for what she believes in while struggling with her own insecurities and accepting her missteps, Lisa might be a two-dimensional character, but her strength through multiple challenges over three decades is every bit as textured and intricate as the beacon of empowerment and education she serves.

But while Lisa’s actions are one thing through strong writing, it’s her voice that is the true leader of a movement through actress Yeardley Smith, who has been playing the character for more than three decades now. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com in celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8, commemorating the cultural achievements of women in the industry, Smith reflects on why the second-grader is such an enduring staple of feminism and hope.

“I think it’s her humility, but also her ability to learn from her mistakes is really uncanny. It’s super uncanny for an 8-year-old. It would be uncanny for a grownup,” Smith said. “I feel like she has a resilience that I certainly aspire to. The joke on The Simpsons is everything they give to Lisa Simpson at the beginning of the show, 22 minutes later they’ve taken it away. So the fact that she survives all that sort of, ‘Here you go. Oh, I’m taking a back,’ kind of those stories that the writers write for her is extraordinary.”

Adding how she just loves her character so much, the Small Town Dicks podcast host adds it’s her “wonderful sense of humor, a genuine, really authentic sense of justice” that sets Lisa apart from other characters on television. “I think the things that she gets behind, she really believes in and then if she becomes disillusioned, then she calls that out,” she said. “She’s just this warrior. Even if she frets over something, ultimately she’s down for doing the right thing.”

When it comes to celebrating International Women’s Day during Women’s History Month, Smith says today is the kind of day Lisa Simpson would be all about. “I feel like Lisa Simpson [would] probably wear, ‘It’s Women’s History Month, celebrate the women in your life,’ little T-shirt to school every day over her little red strapless dress,” Smith said in the Lisa Simpson voice. “Maybe she’d wear a sash like beauty queens. I think that she’d definitely have a lot of log entries about Women’s History Month. I think she might stage a parade. Lisa Simpson would be all about it. She would be so honored. Maybe she’d run for president, even though she’s only 8.”

For more with Yeardley Smith and all her projects, including Oil & Water and Small Town Dicks, keep it locked to PopCulture.com for the latest.