Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#316
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Tress MacNeille represents the rare performer whose career became more ambitious with every decade — 42 years in, and Tress is still choosing the harder script.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Tress MacNeille appears in 36 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Tress. The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders is the clearest case: a film rated 10.0 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for comedy, family, animation. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Matthew Nastuk, Broni Likomanov, Debbie Bruce Mahan and others, Tress MacNeille helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders (2021) as Children (voice) · Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (2013) as Selina Kyle / Bruno / Old Woman(voice) · Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie (2018) as Grandma (voice)
Career snapshot
Ranked #316 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
36
1984–2026
Career length
42 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
10.0
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
Average Nutevio score
6.5
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
10.0
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
Most frequent director
David Silverman
4 films together
Longest collaboration
4×
With David Silverman
Most common genre
Animation
31 titles
Average runtime
1h 3m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
7.0
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.9
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
2010s
7.8 average MV
The 2010s are where the work and the material meet. Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2010s
7.8
Across 3 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2010s
7.9
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
1980s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. Spaceballs, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Most productive era
2020s
15 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | — | 6.32 films | 6.51 film | — | — |
| Action | 7.51 film | — | 6.33 films | 7.82 films | — |
| Thriller | — | 6.01 film | 6.32 films | — | 10.01 film |
| Comedy | 6.91 film | 6.33 films | 6.110 films | 7.71 film | 7.012 films |
| Crime | — | — | — | — | 8.62 films |
| Horror | — | — | 6.21 film | — | — |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
1984Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Slave Child (voice) (uncredited).
First Nutevio masterpiece · Highest rated performance · Career peak
2021The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
The first film here to clear 9.0 on our scale — a threshold fewer than one film in ten reaches. 10.0 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Most recent film
2026Simpsley
The current state of the argument, as Agnes Skinner (voice).
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
36 of 36 films
as Children (voice)
Directed by Debbie Bruce Mahan
as Selina Kyle / Bruno / Old Woman(voice)
Directed by Jay Oliva
as Grandma (voice)
Directed by Raymie Muzquiz
as Daisy Duck - Daisy Doozy (voice)
Directed by Jeff Gordon
as Selina Kyle / Bruno / Old Woman (voice)
Directed by Jay Oliva
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
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The defining work
#1
Children (voice)
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders (2021)
Performance score9.5
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Children (voice) gives Tress MacNeille a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Selina Kyle / Bruno / Old Woman(voice)
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (2013)
Performance score7.8
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Selina Kyle / Bruno / Old Woman(voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Grandma (voice)
Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie (2018)
Performance score7.5
Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Grandma (voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Daisy Duck - Daisy Doozy (voice)
Mickey's Tale of Two Witches (2021)
Performance score7.4
Mickey's Tale of Two Witches asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Daisy Duck - Daisy Doozy (voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Children (voice)
Start here. The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders is the clearest statement of what Tress MacNeille does — accessible, 44 minutes, and rated 10.0 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Tress at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (2013)
Keeps the animation register of The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders but asks for a colder reading of it.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013)
Same director as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, different problem to solve. Watching them in order shows how much of the effect was the collaboration.
Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie (2018)
Keeps the animation register of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 but asks for a colder reading of it.
Mickey's Tale of Two Witches (2021)
Keeps the tv movie register of Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie but asks for a colder reading of it.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
David Silverman
Director
4 films together
Notably The Simpsons Movie
Debbie Bruce Mahan
Director
3 films together
Notably The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
Jay Oliva
Director
2 films together
Notably Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Broni Likomanov
Director
2 films together
Notably Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas
Steven Spielberg
Director
1 film together
Notably Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Mel Brooks
Director
1 film together
Notably Spaceballs
Don Bluth
Director
1 film together
Notably Rock-A-Doodle
David R. Ellis
Director
1 film together
Notably Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
Ben Stiller
Director
1 film together
Notably The Cable Guy
Chuck Sheetz
Director
1 film together
Notably Recess: School's Out
Tuck Tucker
Director
1 film together
Notably Hey Arnold! The Movie
David Grossman
Director
1 film together
Notably George of the Jungle 2
Bobs Gannaway
Director
1 film together
Notably Stitch! The Movie
Andrew R. Jones
Director
1 film together
Notably The Animatrix
Peter Chung
Director
1 film together
Notably The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
Lynne Southerland
Director
1 film together
Notably Mulan II
John A. Davis
Director
1 film together
Notably The Ant Bully
Simon J. Smith
Director
1 film together
Notably Bee Movie
Raymie Muzquiz
Director
1 film together
Notably Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie
Jeff Gordon
Director
1 film together
Notably Mickey's Tale of Two Witches
William Reiss
Director
1 film together
Notably The Wonderful Autumn of Mickey Mouse
Jason Reicher
Director
1 film together
Notably The Wonderful Summer of Mickey Mouse
Akiva Schaffer
Director
1 film together
Notably Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Eddie Trigueros
Director
1 film together
Notably The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse: Steamboat Silly
Matthew Nastuk
Director
1 film together
Notably Extreme Makeover: Homer Edition
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
David Silverman
Director
4 films together · 6.3 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 4 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The Simpsons MovieDebbie Bruce Mahan
Director
3 films together · 8.0 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 3 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
The Simpsons: A Serious FlandersJay Oliva
Director
2 films together · 7.8 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Batman: The Dark Knight ReturnsBroni Likomanov
Director
2 films together · 3.5 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a ChristmasRaymie Muzquiz
Director
1 film together · 7.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Hey Arnold! The Jungle MovieSteven Spielberg
Director
1 film together · 7.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomAndrew R. Jones
Director
1 film together · 7.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The AnimatrixAkiva Schaffer
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue RangersJason Reicher
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Wonderful Summer of Mickey MouseJeff Gordon
Director
1 film together · 7.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Mickey's Tale of Two WitchesMatthew Nastuk
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Extreme Makeover: Homer EditionEddie Trigueros
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse: Steamboat SillyMel Brooks
Director
1 film together · 6.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
SpaceballsWilliam Reiss
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Wonderful Autumn of Mickey MouseChuck Sheetz
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Recess: School's OutDavid R. Ellis
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San FranciscoLynne Southerland
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Mulan IITuck Tucker
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Hey Arnold! The MovieBobs Gannaway
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Stitch! The MovieDon Bluth
Director
1 film together · 6.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Rock-A-DoodleSimon J. Smith
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Bee MoviePeter Chung
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark FuryBen Stiller
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Cable GuyJohn A. Davis
Director
1 film together · 5.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Ant BullyDavid Grossman
Director
1 film together · 4.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
George of the Jungle 2Six degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
as Children (voice)
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
Rock-A-Doodle
as Newspaper Reporter (voice) (uncredited)
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
as Children (voice)
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
as Slave Child (voice) (uncredited)
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
as Children (voice)
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Tress MacNeille has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
42 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Animation Legend
Awarded
31 catalogue titles in animation, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
as Children (voice)
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
as Children (voice)
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
Rock-A-Doodle
as Newspaper Reporter (voice) (uncredited)
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
as High-Pitched Chip / Gadget Hackwrench (voice)
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
The Simpsons: A Serious Flanders
as Children (voice)
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
as Slave Child (voice) (uncredited)
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
Hey Arnold! The Movie
as Grandma Gertie 'Pookie' / Mayor Dixie / Red (voice)
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
as Slave Child (voice) (uncredited)
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
If you like this performer
Michael Caine
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Tom Hanks
Built a career in the same territory: animation and family
Bonnie Hunt
Built a career in the same territory: animation and family
Matt Damon
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Morgan Freeman
Built a career in the same territory: action and crime
Jamie Harris
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Have your say
Community
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Reference
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