Simpsons voice star Hank Azaria: I apologise for my part

Hank Azaria

Simpsons voice star Hank Azaria has opened up about the lessons he learned from playing Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on the long-running show, which many Indians have slammed for being racially stereotypical.

Azaria, a white actor, stepped out from voicing Apu last year and in a recent podcast, he opened up about why he feels apologetic for voicing the character. The characterisation of Apu on the cartoon has been criticised by many Indian celebrities, be it Priyanka Chopra Jonas or Kal Penn. It was also the subject of Hari Kondabolu's 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu.

Azaria's character on Simpsons

Azaria said that he took time to learn more about what people were feeling. He wanted to understand why the character is problematic before stepping away from it. "I was speaking to the Indian kids at my son's school because I wanted to get their input. A 17-year-old who had never even seen The Simpsons, but knows what Apu means said that he knows this is how his people are thought of and represented to many people in this country," he recalled.

He said the boy asked him to tell Hollywood writers what they do matters and has ramifications on people's lives. Azaria said he would deliver the message. "I apologise for my part in creating and participating in that. Part of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise. And sometimes I do," Azaria said. The actor said people of colour should voice characters of colour and there should be diversification in the writers' rooms.

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