Where To Watch
How Lucille Bliss, the voice of Smurfette, lost the role of Elroy Jetson
Did Bliss belong in Orbit City or was Smurf Village her true home?
When you're the voice of Smurfette, you're basically cartoon royalty, but for voice actress Lucille Bliss, it wasn't a smooth ride to the top of Smurf Village. Bliss spent fifteen years auditioning for Hanna-Barbera, and those fifteen years were filled with cartoons that didn't air and opportunities that never panned out. One of those opportunities was playing a little boy named Elroy Jetson.
Hanna-Barbera, for what it's worth, liked Bliss, but it was hard to cast her raspy voice in girl roles like Betty Rubble or Penelope Pitstop. They invited her to try something different and audition for Elroy, and she got the part. In an interview with the Television Academy, Bliss said, "Everything was going wonderful, they loved me." A director even told her, "They think you're a real boy, Lucille."
Is this Pinocchio? No. The advertising executives on Madison Avenue wanted Elroy to be voiced by a real little boy. Hanna-Barbera wanted Lucille Bliss. Without Bliss' knowledge, Hanna-Barbera had sent the tape with her voicing Elroy and credited her as "Little Lou Bliss" to appease Madison Avenue. The ad men were delighted with "Little Lou Bliss" and wrote letters praising "this apple-cheeked little six-year-old boy,".
Bliss was happy with her performance, but there was a catch. She was told, "You must never, ever, ever divulge your name. You'll lose your job." She agreed, promising never to tell anyone, not even her best friend. This deceit agreement may have worked if it had not been for Bliss' agents, who said, "What the hell is this Little Lou Bliss crap? You've made your name as Lucille Bliss. What are they doing to you, calling you Little Lou Bliss? He's going to go on to become big and famous, and it's you! That can't go on!"
Pleading with her agent, Bliss asked him to leave it alone or she would lose the job. She was willing to keep it a secret, and Hanna-Barbera was willing to keep it a secret. She wanted to work and be a lead on the series, but her agent was outraged by the situation. Her agent went to Hanna-Barbera, demanding more money and her real name to be credited.
"I got the pink slip two weeks later," said Bliss, "And it broke my heart. I went to pieces, I really did. You know, you can take just so many disappointments in one career. Of course, my disappointments turned out good, but still!" While her agent may have been looking out for her career longevity, this was the final straw for Bliss; she fired the agent who ruined The Jetsons for her. While she couldn't be Elroy, the experience helped Bliss build up courage and resilience that she would one day use to voice Smurfette.
