YEARDLEY SMITH: I think that it was a well that needed to be tapped, sort of a balance between Homer�s silliness and Bart�s antics. She�s sort of the humanity of the show. Really humanity is too strong a word, but she brings that sort of cathartic element to the show. But you couldn�t have that all the time. Because it�s not a drama, it�s a half hour comedy.

TVG: What does Lisa yearn for?

YS: She craves understanding and a sense of belonging. She�s quite the loner, and really struggles to figure out where she fits in. And I think that�s a source of enormous sadness for her, as it would be for any 8-year-old. To feel as though you don�t really belong.

TVG: It�s stated so well in the show�s opening every week, when Lisa goes off on that saxophone riff�

YS...and gets chastised by the teacher and sent out of the room. That, in itself, is a great commentary of the whole arc of the character. Lisa is so contained and self-sufficient that when she actually expresses a need and doesn�t get it, I think it�s incredibly heart breaking. So you really pull for her. She�s not reckless or shallow about her needs; she chooses them carefully. And so you rarely hear from her in that regard, so when you do, you really, really, really want her to get it.

TVG: There have been moments when she�s actually been like a mother to Marge in expressing those very things. In a way, Marge learns from Lisa.

YS: Yes, which again, given Lisa�s particular struggle, I think is a very heartfelt moment for her to be able to say "I don�t often succeed in this area, but I know that you should never stop fighting for what you want. So I encourage you as I encourage myself to do that." She�s a great little character, I�m enormously fond of her.