Maile Flanagan (born May 19, 1965) is an American actress known for her role as the protagonist ninja Naruto Uzumaki on Naruto.
Maile (pronounced My-leh) is her middle name, a Hawaiian word for the green laurel commonly used in leis. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her father worked for U.S. military intelligence as a spy for the military so when Flanagan was four-and-a-half, the family moved to Bangkok, Thailand and when she was ten they moved to Germany. While in Germany, Flanagan and family lived in Nurnberg, and Munich. She graduated from a Department of Defense (DOD) school Munich America High School (MAHS) in 1983. Upon arrival at Boston College, Flanagan says "It took me three years to acclimate" because "I hadn't lived in the States since I was four and a half. I have used some of this in my characters—the wide-eyed wonder." While attending BC she was a member of the student comedy troupe My Mother’s Fleabag with best friends Nancy Walls Carell, Andrea Beutner Hutchman, Wayne Wilderson and Tom McCarthy. Flanagan is openly gay and lives with her partner Lesa Hammett.
After graduating from The Heights in 1987, and a brief stint in Washington, D.C., Flanagan moved to Minneapolis and was in the comedy troupe Every Mother's Nightmare with Wayne Wilderson, Tom McCarthy, Andrea Beutner, Peter Civetta and Nancy Walls and others. Minneapolis is where she performed stand-up comedy and theater. In 1996, she moved to her current hometown, Los Angeles, California with the stage production of Bad Seed, which won a LA Weekly award for Best Comedy Ensemble. She does television, commercials, animation, and film and was nominated for an Annie Award for Voice Acting in an Animated Television Program at the 32nd Annual Annie Awards in 2005. Flanagan earned a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks in 2006. "I went to school with people from all around the world," she says. "That probably helps me with doing accents." She has numerous LA theater credits including working with writer/director Justin Tanner at Third Stage in Burbank in his shows Oklahomo!, Wife Swappers, Pot Mom, and Zombie Attack! Did stand-up in Minneapolis at the Comedy Gallery and Knuckleheads and performed with Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop.
