Okay, technically Bart (Fictogram guest #957) is a fictional ten-year-old boy, so he cannot be any real person’s relative. But the woman behind his voice, Nancy Cartwright, really is Sabrina Carpenter's aunt. Cartwright has voiced Bart since The Simpsons debuted as shorts in 1987, meaning the pop star behind "Espresso" grew up with television's most famous underachiever at the family dinner table. Cartwright has publicly cheered on her niece's rise, and Carpenter has spoken warmly about her aunt's influence on her career in entertainment.

Bart's cultural footprint is enormous. In 1990, "Bartmania" swept the globe with t-shirts, catchphrases like "Eat my shorts" and "Don't have a cow, man," and even a chart-topping novelty single, "Do the Bartman." In 1998, Time magazine named Bart one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, the only fictional character to make the list. He helped prove that animation could be smart, subversive, and primetime-worthy, paving the way for decades of adult animated comedy.

Cartwright's tenure has not been without controversy. In 2009, the actress, a longtime member of the Church of Scientology, recorded a robocall in Bart's voice promoting a Scientology event. Fox was not amused, stating the character's voice was used without authorization, and the incident made headlines.

Still, nearly four decades in, Bart remains an icon of mischief and wit. And somewhere in the family tree, one of pop music's biggest stars can call him kin. Ay caramba indeed.

Learn more: Vulture

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