Simpsons Abu actor ‘willing to step aside’
The actor who provides the voice of Asian shopkeeper Apu Nahasapeemapetilon in The Simpsons has said he is willing to quit the role after accusations that the character is based on racial stereotypes.
Portrayal of the character has been under scrutiny since the documentary The Problem With Apu was aired last year.
In it, Indian-american comic Hari Kondabolu, who directed the film, claims the character is badly portrayed since he is defined by his job and how
many children he has in his arranged marriage.
The director said he had also suffered bullying based on the show’s depiction of Abu.
In an interview on US television’s Late Show, Hank Azaria insisted he had never intended to cause offence to anyone and offered to “step aside”.
He said: “The idea that anyone young or old, past or present, being bullied based on Apu really makes me sad.
“It certainly was not my intention. I wanted to bring joy and laughter to people.”
The actor also said he was open to change and called for South Asians to be better represented in the entertainment industry.
He said: “I’ve given this a lot of thought and, as I say, my
eyes have been opened. I think the most important thing is to listen to Indian people and their experience with it.”
He added:“i’m perfectly willing and happy to step aside, or help transition it into something new.
“It not only makes sense, it just feels like the right thing to do to me.”
An episode of The Simpsons aimed at addressing the debate – where Marge is seen reading to daughter Lisa from a book whose title has been changed to be more politically correct – received mixed reactions from viewers.