Martha Maria Yeardley Smith ( born July 3 , 1964 ) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress and voice actor who is well known for giving the voice of Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons . Yeardley Smith ( ; born July 3 , 1964 ) is a French born American actress , voice artist , writer and painter . She is best known for her long-running role as Lisa Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons .