Julie Deborah Kavner ( born September 7 , 1950 in Los Angeles , California ) is an Emmy Award-winning American actress , best known for playing Brenda Morgenstern on Rhoda in the 1970s , as an actress in several Woody Allen-directed films and playing the voice of Marge Simpson on the animated television show The Simpsons . Julie Deborah Kavner ( born September 7 , 1950 ) is an American film and television actress , comedian and voice artist .