Francesca Marie Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francesca Marie Smith
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Smith in 2015
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| Born | March 26, 1985 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Known for | Hey Arnold! Recess |
Francesca Marie Smith (born March 26, 1985) is an American actress known for voicing Helga Pataki on the Nickelodeon animated television series Hey Arnold!. She is also known for voicing multiple characters on Disney's Recess, most notably as Ashley B. and Swinger Girl, among others.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Elaine Leffler | Episode: "Boy Meets Girl" |
| 1992 | In Sickness and in Health | Kid #1 | Television film |
| 1994 | Blossom | Lizzy Martin | Episode: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrel" |
| 1994–96 | Itsy Bitsy Spider | Leslie McGroarty | Voice, 26 episodes |
| 1994 | Beethoven | Emily Newton | Voice, 13 episodes |
| 1995 | Daisy-Head Mayzie | Mayzie McGrew | Voice, television special |
| Here Come the Munsters | Monique | Television film | |
| The Drew Carey Show | Monica | Episode: "Lewis's Sister" | |
| 1996 | Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher | Ursula | Episode: "Hot for Teacher" |
| 1996–98 | The Secret World of Alex Mack | Jenny, Pipe Victims Sister | Episodes: "Local Hero", "Twelve and a Half", "Paradise Lost" |
| 1996–2004 | Hey Arnold! | Helga Pataki, additional voices | Voice, 86 episodes |
| 1997 | Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac | Meg MacKenzie | Miniseries |
| Pepper Ann | Damiana | Voice, episode: "Thanksgiving Dad" | |
| 1997–2001 | Recess | Ashley B., Swinger Girl, Upside-Down Girl | Voice, 14 episodes |
| 1998 | 101 Dalmatians: The Series | Amber | Voice, episode: "Beauty Pageant Pandemonium" |
| The New Batman Adventures | Annie | Voice, episode: "Growing Pains" | |
| 1999 | Two of a Kind | Gabrielle | Episode: "Kevin Burke's Day Off" |
| 2000–02 | The Amanda Show | Various | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Lloyd in Space | Additional voices | Episode: "Caution: Wormhole!" |
| 2002 | The Zeta Project | Transita | Voice, episode: "Ro's Gift" |
| 2003 | Fillmore! | Penny Madrid | Voice, episode: "Immune to All But Justice" |
| 2017 | Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie | Helga Pataki | Voice, television film |
| 2018 | Subway Surfers: The Series | N/A | Writer |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | Additional voices | |
| The Prince of Egypt | |||
| 2001 | Recess: School's Out | Ashley B., Swinger Girl, Upside-Down Girl | Voice |
| Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street | Ashley B. | Voice, direct-to-video | |
| 2002 | Hey Arnold!: The Movie | Helga Pataki | Voice |
| 2003 | Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade | Ashley B., Swinger Girl, Upside Down Girl | Voice, direct-to-video |
| Recess: All Growed Down | Upside-Down Girl |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Nicktoons Racing | Helga Pataki | Archive recordings |
| 2021 | Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl | Voiceover added in the June 2022 update | |
| 2022 | Nickelodeon Extreme Tennis | ||
| Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway |
Awards and nominations
In 1998, Smith won the award for Best Performance in a Voice-Over – TV or Film: Young Actress at the 19th Youth in Film Awards for her role on Hey Arnold! She was nominated for Best Youth Actress in a Voice-Over Role: TV or Movie at the 15th Youth in Film Awards for Itsy Bitsy Spider and for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series: Guest Starring Young Actress at the 18th Youth in Film Awards for her role on The Secret World of Alex Mack. In 2001, she was nominated for Best Performance in a Voice-Over: TV/Film/Video – Young Actress at the 22nd Young Artist Awards for her role on Hey Arnold!
Personal life
Smith studied at Pepperdine University, graduating in 2008. She obtained a Ph.D. from USC Annenberg in 2021.
On March 27, 2019, Smith stated that she had been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis disease via Twitter (now X). On April 12, 2024, Smith was admitted to the Keck Hospital as a result of a major relapse effect of MS (similar to stroke) and stated that she was unable to walk, speak and even unable to eat solid foods for three weeks, while also having trouble breathing. Thus, she set up a fundraiser called *FrancescaAndHerMSJourney to help her recovery. Her current condition was also confirmed by Hey Arnold! series creator Craig Bartlett on a post he published on his Instagram account in May 2024.
