# Cree Summer
**Cree Summer** (full name Cree Summer Francks; born in 1969 in Los Angeles, California) is a Canadian-American voice actress and singer whose career began in 1983 with the voice of Penny on *Inspector Gadget* and has since spanned animation, live-action television, film, and video games.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588) She is known for voicing Susie Carmichael on *Rugrats*, Elmyra Duff on *Tiny Toon Adventures*, Numbuh 5 on *Codename: Kids Next Door*, Princess Kida in *Atlantis: The Lost Empire*, and Foxxy Love on *Drawn Together*, and for playing Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom *A Different World*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969, Los Angeles, California[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588) |
| Family | Daughter of Canadian actor and singer Don Francks; mother Lili Red Eagle Francks is a Plains-Cree African American actress and adopted Red Pheasant Cree Nation member[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588) • [2](https://www.blackvoice.ca/2024/11/22/art-literature-and-entertainment/who-is-cree-summer/) |
| First voice role | Penny in *Inspector Gadget* (1983), obtained when her father asked a producer to let her read during his audition[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/cree-summer-transports-us-to-different-worlds) |
| Breakthrough on-screen role | Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on *A Different World*, from 1988 to the show's end in 1993[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cree-summer/) |
| Voice credits | IMDb lists 399 actress credits; MobyGames records 110 credits on 81 video games[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588) • [5](https://www.mobygames.com/person/10399/cree-summer/credits/) |
| Music | Solo album *Street Faërie* (1999), produced by Lenny Kravitz; earlier work with her band Subject to Change and on Jasmine Guy's LP[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cree-summer/) |
| Recognition | 7 wins and 29 nominations per IMDb; 2025 NAACP Image Award nomination for voicing Raishan in *The Legend of Vox Machina*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588) • [6](https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/Cree_Summer) |
## Early life
Summer was born in Los Angeles, but her father, [Don Francks](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-francks), did not want to raise her in Hollywood, so the family moved to a Plains Cree reserve in Canada, where they lived in a house made of mud, and later in a bus, a horse stable, and a commune.[7](https://www.mobygames.com/person/10399/cree-summer/) Her mother, Lili Red Eagle Francks (née Clark), is a Plains-Cree African American actress and an adopted member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation; the family lived in [Saskatchewan](https://www.edgepedia.org/saskatchewan) and [British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-columbia) before settling in Toronto.[2](https://www.blackvoice.ca/2024/11/22/art-literature-and-entertainment/who-is-cree-summer/) • [8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/43697/cree-summer) An only child, she attended school for the first time in Toronto in the fourth grade, having previously entertained herself by making an assortment of voices for her toys.[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/43697/cree-summer) She has described those invented voices as the origin of her craft: "I found all these voices when playing with my toys. They're really my toys' voices."[9](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/cree-summer/bio/3030456370/)
## Start in voice acting
Summer entered the recording booth through her father, who was a veteran voice actor in Canada, having performed in *Heavy Metal* and animated versions of *Star Wars* and *X-Men*, and, uncredited, as the first voice of [Boba Fett](https://www.edgepedia.org/boba-fett) on the *Star Wars Holiday Special*.[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/cree-summer-transports-us-to-different-worlds) • [10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731) During his audition for *Inspector Gadget* in 1983, he asked a producer to let his daughter read for the part of Penny, the hero's niece; she got the role and has worked continuously since.[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/cree-summer-transports-us-to-different-worlds) • [10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731) She has described her start as pure nepotism, and has said she was doing so many cartoons that she was rarely going to school.[10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731)
The age at which she recorded that first role is reported differently across sources: Netflix and [The A.V. Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-a-v-club) say she began voice acting at 14, the VO Buzz Weekly podcast says she was 11, and Tribute.ca says she was earning money voicing cartoons as early as 13.[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/cree-summer-transports-us-to-different-worlds) • [11](https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/vo-buzz-weekly/ep-267-cree-summer-badass-Bmb9oXJh3gR/) • [12](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/cree-summer/5704/) Through the 1980s she added roles in *The All New Ewoks* (as Princess Kneesaa), *The Care Bears Family*, several *Strawberry Shortcake* television movies, and *The Real Ghostbusters*, among others.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cree-summer/) • [12](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/cree-summer/5704/)
## A Different World
Summer moved to Los Angeles by herself as a teenager and booked *A Different World* within six months of auditions, joining in the show's second season as Freddie Brooks, a free-spirited activist student at the fictional historically Black college Hillman.[10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731) • [13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-31-ca-695-story.html) She remained with the NBC sitcom until it ended its six-year run in 1993.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cree-summer/) • [3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/cree-summer-transports-us-to-different-worlds)
Under executive producer [Debbie Allen](https://www.edgepedia.org/debbie-allen), the series addressed racism, AIDS, homelessness, and rape, and is credited with inspiring Black students to attend historically Black colleges and universities; Freddie Brooks was often the character through whom those subjects were voiced.[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/cree-summer-transports-us-to-different-worlds) Summer has said she sees much of herself in Freddie, describing the character as a younger, less-scratched version of herself.[13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-31-ca-695-story.html) In 1995 she and [Jenifer Lewis](https://www.edgepedia.org/jenifer-lewis) played live-in partners on the short-lived series *Courthouse*, which Summer describes as the first lesbian couple on primetime television, depicted under network constraints that forbade an on-screen kiss.[10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731)
## Voice acting career and signature roles
After her teenage start, Summer's voice work became the bulk of her career. Her signature animated roles include:
- **Susie Carmichael** on *Rugrats* and its films; Summer has described the character as important because Susie "was allowed to exist in the complete authenticity of Black culture," and she reprised the role in the 2021 reboot.[10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731)
- **Elmyra Duff** on [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg)'s *Tiny Toon Adventures*, a role she booked after moving to Los Angeles at 17, and reprised in the 2023 series *Tiny Toons Looniversity*.[10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731) • [14](https://www.moviemeter.com/celebrities/34985/cree-summer/filmography)
- **Princess Kida** in Disney's *Atlantis: The Lost Empire* (2001) and its 2003 sequel; Summer and many fans regard Kida as Disney's first Black princess, though the company does not formally recognize her as such.[10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731)
- **Numbuh 5 (Abigail Lincoln)** on *Codename: Kids Next Door*, **Foxxy Love** on the adult parody *Drawn Together*, **Cleo** on *Clifford the Big Red Dog*, and **Dr. Penelope Young** in the video game *Batman: Arkham Asylum*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588)
She has also voiced characters across franchises including *Batman Beyond* (Max Gibson), *Danny Phantom* (Valerie Gray), *Voltron: Legendary Defender* (Witch Haggar), *The Legend of Vox Machina* (Raishan), and *The Patrick Star Show* (Bunny Star and Grandma Tentacles).[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cree-summer/) • [6](https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/Cree_Summer) • [10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731) Her commercial work includes the voice of the green M&M, a role she has performed for over 20 years as of 2021, built on an impression of [Mae West](https://www.edgepedia.org/mae-west).[10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731)
In video games, MobyGames records 110 credits on 81 games, including the Exo Female player character in *Destiny 2* and its expansions from 2017 through 2025, Selendis in *StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void*, and Catwoman in *DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power*.[5](https://www.mobygames.com/person/10399/cree-summer/credits/) • [7](https://www.mobygames.com/person/10399/cree-summer/) She has cited the field's non-competitive character, with actors referring one another for roles they suit, as a reason she has stayed with it; she is close to fellow voice actors [Tara Strong](https://www.edgepedia.org/tara-strong) and [Grey DeLisle](https://www.edgepedia.org/grey-delisle), whom she recommends when a part needs a different voice.[2](https://www.blackvoice.ca/2024/11/22/art-literature-and-entertainment/who-is-cree-summer/) • [10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731)
## Music
Music was Summer's stated first ambition; she dropped out of school at sixteen to pursue it and wrote journal entries that became lyrics for her songs.[12](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/cree-summer/5704/) She formed the band Subject to Change, contributed background vocals to [Jasmine Guy](https://www.edgepedia.org/jasmine-guy)'s album, and, through a friendship with [Lenny Kravitz](https://www.edgepedia.org/lenny-kravitz) brokered by [Lisa Bonet](https://www.edgepedia.org/lisa-bonet), released the Kravitz-produced solo album *Street Faërie* in 1999.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cree-summer/) • [7](https://www.mobygames.com/person/10399/cree-summer/) When she left *A Different World* she had a rock band on Capitol Records preparing to tour.[10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731)
## Recognition and representation
IMDb records 7 wins and 29 nominations across her career.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588) In 2025 she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award as Outstanding Character Voice-over Performance in [Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/television) for her role as Raishan in *The Legend of Vox Machina*.[6](https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/Cree_Summer)
Netflix's profile of her highlights her standing as one of the few Black women to consistently voice Black characters in American animation, in a field where white actors have often voiced Black roles; Summer has spoken about the scarcity of Black and Indigenous characters and creators in cartoons and has become a voice director herself, while noting that playing white characters remains necessary because there are not enough roles for Black actors to live on otherwise.[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/cree-summer-transports-us-to-different-worlds) • [10](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731) Her upcoming credits include *Bass X Machina* and the 2026 revival of *A Different World*.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cree-summer/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588)
## References
1. [Cree Summer, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0838588)
2. [Who is Cree Summer?, The Black Voice (2024)](https://www.blackvoice.ca/2024/11/22/art-literature-and-entertainment/who-is-cree-summer/)
3. [Cree Summer Transports Us to Different Worlds, Netflix Tudum (2022)](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/cree-summer-transports-us-to-different-worlds)
4. [Cree Summer, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/cree-summer/)
5. [Cree Summer video game credits, MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/person/10399/cree-summer/credits/)
6. [Cree Summer, Critical Role Wiki](https://criticalrole.fandom.com/wiki/Cree_Summer)
7. [Cree Summer, MobyGames](https://www.mobygames.com/person/10399/cree-summer/)
8. [Cree Summer, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/43697/cree-summer)
9. [Cree Summer Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/cree-summer/bio/3030456370/)
10. [From Rugrats to Atlantis to the Green M&M, Cree Summer has played nearly 400 characters, The A.V. Club (2022)](https://www.avclub.com/from-rugrats-to-atlantis-to-the-green-m-m-cree-summer-1847275731)
11. [EP 267 Cree Summer, VO Buzz Weekly (2018), Listen Notes](https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/vo-buzz-weekly/ep-267-cree-summer-badass-Bmb9oXJh3gR/)
12. [Cree Summer biography and filmography, Tribute.ca](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/cree-summer/5704/)
13. [Summer Activity, Los Angeles Times (1988)](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-31-ca-695-story.html)
14. [Filmography Cree Summer, MovieMeter](https://www.moviemeter.com/celebrities/34985/cree-summer/filmography)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Voice performers and animation voice actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license