Nancy MacKenzie, the prolific actress and voice-over artist who has been the Spanish dub voice of Marge in FOX’s record-breaking animated sitcom The Simpsons in Latin America for 15 seasons, has died at age 81. News of her passing was shared by her co-stars and colleagues on social media.
Patricia Acevedo, the LatAm voice of Lisa Simpson, posted a slideshow of photos and videos of The Simpsons cast over the years, commemorating “the death of our dear mother, Marge Simpson (Nancy MacKenzie).” Humberto Vélez, the local voice of Homer, shared, “It hurts me so much that you are gone, but I celebrate your way of joy, of being free, of living life to the fullest … You were, are and will be a fundamental part of the most important project of my career. You are many things. You are my wife, Marge.” An in memoriam message was also shared by dub studio New Art Group on Facebook, saying, “Your voice is and will be part of your legacy.”
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Born December 6, 1942 in Lima, MacKenzie began her entertainment career as a folk dancer before landing her first Peruvian telenovela role at just 19 years old, working out of the Panamericana Televisión studio. She relocated to Mexico at age 22 and continued her TV drama career, as well as participating in radio soaps, theater and voice overs — specializing in Spanish dubs of Brazilian films, series, cartoons and soap operas for more than 50 years.
The actress also provided local dubs for English-speaking stars in major films, such as Bette Midler, Kathy Bates, Diane Keaton, Judi Dench, Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, Joan Rivers, Carrie-Ann Moss, Joan Collins, Andie McDowell, Miriam Margolyes, Sigourney Weaver, Maureen O’Hara and Bo Derek.
In addition to Marge — a role MacKenzie reportedly initially rejected when she saw “that ugly monkey Homer Simpson’s wife” — she performed localization voice over for dozens of animated series and films, including playing Molly in The Last Unicorn, Nanny in Muppet Babies, Daphne in The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, Wonder Woman on Superfriends, Sailor Galaxia in Sailor Moon Cosmos, Kanga in The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mrs. Fitzgibbons in The Secret of NIMH, Mulan’s mother in Mulan and Mulan 2, the narrator in 1950’s Cinderella, Miss Keane in The Powerpuff Girls franchise, Cruella de Vil and Clarabelle Cow in numerous Disney titles, and many, many more.
[Sources: Deadline, IMDb]
