Francesca Smith

A child actress through most of the '90s, Francesca Marie Smith is best known for her voice work in animated films and television series. In perhaps her most noteworthy role, Smith gave life to the character of Helga Pataki on the Nickelodeon cartoon "Hey Arnold!," sticking with the series through its entire duration, from 1996 to 2004. Smith first appeared on television in 1991, guesting on an episode of the FOX high school sitcom "Parker Lewis," and did her earliest voice work in 1994, lending her talents to "Beethoven," an animated TV adaptation of the popular family film series of the same name. She also acted in the teen comedy "Blossom" that year. After an appearance on the quirky sitcom "The Drew Carey Show," she began her work on "Hey Arnold!," portraying an outwardly tough and tomboyish fourth grader who spends much of the series trying to conceal her secret affection for the title character. Smith reprised her role as Helga in the feature-length film "Hey Arnold! The Movie," and also voiced a recurring character on the Disney cartoon "Recess" during the late '90s. She worked on the 1998 animated blockbusters "A Bug's Life" and "The Prince of Egypt" as well. Smith gave up acting and voice work in 2004, after "Hey Arnold!" ended.